Successful visit from HRH

HRH Prince Charles visited our Ta Rae O Atiu colony on the Kaikoura peninsula where he met our patron Geoff and family, many of our trustees, Rawiri representing Te Runanga o Kaikoura and the star of the show – our Titi.

HRH meets Ted, Geoff, Phil and Rawiri as Chair, Patron, DOC and Runanga representative.

KAIKOURA, NEW ZEALAND – November 23: Prince of Wales at the Hutton’s Shearwater November 23, 2019 Kaikoura, New Zealand. (Photo by Mark Tantrum/ http://marktantrum.com)

 

HRH the Prince of Wales (PoW) then walked into the site and met some of the team.

Meeting Teri.
From left – Rawiri, Geoff, Ted, Phil, PoW, Teri, Nicky, Sheryl (foreground), Lorna (background), and Geoff’s family Lindsey, Belinda, Emma, Brenda, Steve and Paul (Ailsa out of frame taking photos).

KAIKOURA, NEW ZEALAND – November 23: Prince of Wales at the Hutton’s Shearwater November 23, 2019 Kaikoura, New Zealand. (Photo by Mark Tantrum/ http://marktantrum.com)

 

Geoff then presented a kete of gifts including Richard’s book to the PoW.

PoW receives Kete from Trust. From left – Ailsa, Ted, Phil, Geoff, Teri, PoW, Lorna, Nicky, Belinda, Steve, Lindsey, Rawiri (partially).

KAIKOURA, NEW ZEALAND – November 23: Prince of Wales at the Hutton’s Shearwater November 23, 2019 Kaikoura, New Zealand. (Photo by Mark Tantrum/ http://marktantrum.com)

 

The prince also met a very stroppy bird from burrow 12 that was not at all pleased at being disturbed and took out its displeasure on chair Ted.

From left Nicky, Rawiri, Geoff, Phil, PoW, Titi from burrow 12 and Ted.

KAIKOURA, NEW ZEALAND – November 23: Prince of Wales at the Hutton’s Shearwater November 23, 2019 Kaikoura, New Zealand. (Photo by Mark Tantrum/ http://marktantrum.com)

 

In the 20 minutes HRH spent on site he was given a brief introduction to the bird, and its endangered status.   The need for advanced monitoring equipment to allow us to detect any threat to the few remaining colonies was stressed.    He seemed genuinely interested in individuals, humanity and nature.

He then left the site for a walk along the cliff tops past Sam’s bronze of our Titi.

HRH pauses to look at Sam Mahon’s bronze of our Titi

 

 

The prince later narrated a video about his concern at where our current economic system is taking us, and how we might choose another path.   His visit to Te Rae o Atiu features towards the end of the video.

 

 

What he says is:

“The tragedy of our recent past, it seems to me, is that we have come to view human achievement in terms of our ability to defeat nature. To defy the limitations she imposes on us and to demonstrate our own supremacy, as a species, over the natural economy she requires. Now in all of this we could do well to recall the belief of many indigenous peoples around the world that in making decisions we should think about the consequences for unborn children seven generations in the future.

It would be worth bearing in mind the Maori principle of kaitiakitanga which holds that we are intrinsically connected to the natural environment and that it is beholden on us to treat it with care, guardianship and good management.

If, ladies and gentlemen, we can find a place for this traditional wisdom at the heart of a new decarbonised and circular bio-economy; if we can turn back to nature with reverence and respect and recognise that we are utterly dependent upon her; and if we realise that our economy must be informed by Nature’s own waste free circular economy; then we can still change course.”

 

Crash landed birds

We have had several recent (September/October 2017) incidents of birds crash landing outside of the “normal” season of March/April. Lorna Deppe (a Trustee leading a paper on the ‘fallout’ phenomenon to be published in December this year) has put together the following guide on what to do if you come across Hutton’s shearwater on the ground.

HS awareness poster

When driving through Kaikoura, please watch out for birds on the road! SLOW DOWN and avoid roadkill. Hutton’s shearwater, once on the ground, are unable to move out of your way.

Hutton’s Hub opening – Friday 4 March 2016

Launching the Hoki Ora Atu Tītī /Fly Safe Hutton’s Shearwater event.

Join us at our Hutton’s Hub opening this Friday 4 March 2016, adjacent to the Department of Conservation office, 115 Ludstone Road, Kaikoura. 10am-4pm. All welcome!

The ‘Hutton’s Hub’ will serve as the drop-off point for Hutton’s shearwater fledglings crash landing around the Kaikoura township each March/April due to light disorientation.

Enjoy guest speakers, children’s activities, nibbles, Hutton’s displays, viewing of the Hutton’s Hub, and viewing a Hutton’s shearwater chick from the Kaikoura Peninsula colony!

Hutton’s Hub Opening

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Event posters for March-April 2016

View or download posters relating to our 2016 Hoki Ora Atu Tītī /Fly Safe Hutton’s Shearwater event:

Hutton’s Hub Opening

Fly Safe

Fly Safe – Public Presentations_Speaker Series

Have You Seen This Bird?

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Hutton’s shearwater crash landing log

Hoki Ora Atu Tītī /Fly Safe Hutton’s Shearwater event:

The Trust will be using Hutton’s Shearwater Rescue Logs for crash landed fledglings collected throughout the Kaikoura township.

If you find a Hutton’s shearwater during the Fly Safe month, please fill this log in if possible and deliver with each bird to the Hutton’s Hub. This data is needed for important light disorientation research by the University of Canterbury.

Logs will be available at the ‘Hutton’s Hub’ (adjacent to the Department of Conservation office on 115 Ludstone Road in Kaikoura), Kaikoura schools and Kaikoura District Council.

You can download the log here: FLYSAFE – Hutton’s Shearwater Rescue Log

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Found a crash landed Hutton’s shearwater fledgling? If in doubt, call us!

HELP US SAVE HUTTON’S during our FLY SAFE event (4 March to 3 April 2016)!

Please collect any grounded bird you encounter, transport in a box and drop off as soon as possible at the ‘Hutton’s Hub’ adjacent to the Department of Conservation office on 115 Ludstone Road in Kaikōura. Birds will then be processed and released by the following morning.

If in doubt or you don’t know what to do, call us on 022 FLY HOME (022 359 4663).

 

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Volunteers Needed

The Trust is preparing for its first annual ‘Hoki Ora Atu Tītī /Fly Safe Hutton’s Shearwater’ event, which will be held from Friday 4 March until Sunday 3 April 2016.

This month-long event will revolve around increasing awareness of Hutton’s shearwater fledglings crash landing around the Kaikoura township each breeding season, due to light disorientation and attraction.

The key element of Fly Safe will be to mitigate the effect of crash landings by saving as many birds as possible, in a coordinated volunteer effort. Any bird that crash lands is unable to take-off again and remains grounded. Crash landed birds therefore die from injury, stress, starvation, dehydration and predation.

All crash landed birds (dead or alive) will be collected for processing or release at the new ‘Hutton’s Hub’ located at the Kaikoura Department of Conservation office on Ludstone Street.

HELP!

The Trust need LOTS of volunteers for the Fly Safe event held in Kaikoura as of Friday 4 March 2016 – to collect as many crash landed Hutton’s shearwater fledglings around the township as possible.


Will you be in the area to help? If you live in Kaikoura, are planning to visit or pass through, or live in the Canterbury region – we want you. Crash landed birds will be collected 24/7 for a four week period from 4 March until 3 April 2016.


Volunteers are predominantly needed in the evenings and at night, on weekdays and weekends. Please contact us at: admin@huttonsshearwater.org.nz if you can assist. Thank you!


The Trust will organise a volunteer training day in late February prior to Fly Safe launching. Regular updates will be posted on our Facebook page, see: https://www.facebook.com/HuttonsShearwater/?ref=hl


If you need accommodation in Kaikoura, check out: http://www.kaikoura.co.nz/main/accommodation/

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Bird Of The Year 2015 – Vote for Hutton’s shearwater!

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Forest & Bird’s annual Bird Of The Year competition has kicked off, running from 5-25 October 2015. The Trust is representing Hutton’s shearwater throughout this campaign, please make sure you vote for our endangered seabird!

www.birdoftheyearorg.nz

Farewell event – March 2015

Farewell to Hutton’s shearwater/titi – Keep your diary free for 29 March 2015!

  • Meet at South Bay in Kaikoura at 6.45 am.
  • Welcome: Brett Cowen DoC/Rūnanga representative.
  • A walk along the Kaikoura Peninsula track to the translocated colony site.
  • Farewell to Hutton’s shearwater/titi ceremony.
  • Followed by BBQ breakfast and cuppa at the Coastguard.
  • Colony update from Phil Bradfield (DoC) and Lindsay Rowe (Treasurer/Colony Manager).

Nau Mai Haere Mai – All Welcome!

Farewell Titi Hutton’s 2015 pdf

Geoff Harrow – 50 Years of Hutton’s shearwater

50 Year Anniversary – 21 February 2015, Kaikoura Town Hall.

50 years ago on 21st February, in the rugged Seaward Kaikoura mountains, Trust Patron Geoff Harrow laid hands on the first carcass of what Canterbury Museum then went on to conclude was a Hutton’s shearwater. And so the journey began – Geoff has dedicated the last 50 years of his life to learning about this endangered species and ensuring their survival, despite the probability at the start of almost certain extinction. What an incredible man, what an incredible story.

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