Project Kākā - Tararua Nature Discovery
The Department of Conservation has reviewed its animal pest control operations in Tararua Forest Park. As a result, it has identified a 22,000 ha belt across the park, from Otaki Forks to Holdsworth roadend, where it intends restoring the forest and its wildlife through more intensive animal pest control.
This initiative to restore a diverse native forest bird community to the park has been named Project Kākā. The native parrot kākā , plentiful on nearby Kapiti Island and at Pukaha Mount Bruce, survives only in low numbers in the park.
View map of operational area (JPG, 217K)
Why has this occurred?
Possum control undertaken in the park since 1994 has successfully protected high-altitude fuchsia forest, but the timing and intensity has been insufficient to benefit forest bird populations. The department wants to restore wider biodiversity values in Tararua Forest Park, including birds, insects and plants, and monitor the changes that occur in protected and unprotected areas.
How will this occur?
A possum attacks a bird’s nest
The Project Kākā zone will be treated by the aerial application of the pesticide 1080 (with pre-feed) every three years. This will be done in spring to target rats and stoats as well as possums, protecting native birds during the vulnerable nesting period.
Monitoring will determine whether predator numbers can be suppressed for more than one bird breeding season in each three-year cycle.
To achieve this more intensive pest control within the same overall budget, the current six-year treatment cycle (without pre-feed) over approximately 38,000 ha within the forest park will cease.
The department will intensively monitor changes in these adjacent forest areas over the next 10 years, compared to the Project Kākā zone, to learn more about effective forest management.
How was the Project Kākā zone selected?
Fuchsia
The zone covers the highest use areas of the park, so that as many park users as possible can experience the expected increase in vegetation condition and bird life. It includes a diversity of forest types representative of the forest park, including fertile river valleys and higher altitude beech, kamahi and fuchsia forests.
The zone also incorporates the bulk of the Otaki Biodiversity Zone established in 2006, expanding the concept to the eastern Tararua Forest Park.
What are the likely outcomes?
The department expects a substantial increase in the numbers of native birds in the Project Kākā zone.
North Island kākā
Species expected to benefit include kereru, tui, bellbird, whitehead, tomtit, rifleman and kakariki (parakeets). It is also hoped that kākā will return to the forest from nearby strongholds on Kapiti Island and at Pukaha Mount Bruce.
If sustained pest control can be achieved, it may be possible to reintroduce locally extinct birds including robin, whio (blue duck) and kiwi.
How will this be measured?
Intensive monitoring of birds, vegetation and weta will occur inside and outside the Project Kākā zone. Birds will be monitored using point counts in late spring, supplemented by incidental sightings of rarer species. Vegetation changes will be assessed using marked 20 x 20 metre plots.
Trampers in the Atiwhakatu Valley,
Tararua Forest Park
Pest mammals will be monitored using a variety of methods, to measure the effectiveness of control operations.
Possums will be monitored using wax chew tags. Rat, stoat and mouse numbers will be monitored using baited tunnels containing inkpads and tracking paper.
The same method will be used to monitor weta numbers (though not a pest species!). Deer densities will be assessed based on faecal pellet counts.
When will this start?
The department intends to undertake the first pest control operation in the zone in spring 2010, and every three years after that.
How can I help?
The department wants to hear of sightings of falcon, kākā, and kakariki and other rare or interesting wildlife anywhere in Tararua Forest Park. Please complete the online form.
Or you can use the form on the Project Kākā factsheet (PDF, 871K)
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