Date: 15 January 2018
Last Tuesday a whopping 26 whio/blue duck flocked from all over the country to the Whio Hardening Facility at the Tongariro National Trout Centre in Turangi.
The ducks came from Wellington, Hamilton, Masterton and as far away as Christchurch and Auckland, and throughout the day visitors gathered to see the various clutches released into the two purpose-built predator-proof aviaries.
Volunteer Emma Kelman getting the ducks ready for their release into the aviaries
Image: Sarah O’Sullivan ©
The ducks settled in immediately
Image: Sarah O’Sullivan ©
Newly arrived Department of Conservation volunteer Emma Kelman, who will be caring for the ducks while they're at the facility, was excited that on her her first day on the job she got to see so many birds together: "It was fantastic to meet all the people from different parts of the country who had worked so hard to get the birds to this point – we'll take good care of them!"
The facility or "bootcamp" will be home for these captive bred birds for the next five weeks while they learn to swim and feed in fast flowing water before their release to the wild.
For an iconic New Zealand species with fewer than 3,000 birds left in the wild, the Whio Hardening Facility provides the perfect opportunity to see whio up close.
In previous seasons there was only many as fourteen ducks the aviaries at one time, so this is a great sign for the Whio Forever Project, which aims to secure the future of whio in the wild.
Once released, these ducks will give a huge boost to whio populations in Taranaki and Tongariro, making room for more birds to pass through the "bootcamp" before the season closes at the end of March.
The hardening facility is supported by a range of community groups along with Whio Forever, Genesis and DOC's national whio recovery programme.
Genesis environmental co-ordinator, Cam Speedy, was on site at the hardening facility to see the ducks arrive.
"It's not just humans who head to the central north island to upskill in outdoor pursuits. These little ducks have the perfect spot here to learn a thing or two about rapids, rocks and getting out in the wild," says Speedy.
The support of Genesis is enabling DOC to double the number of fully secure whio breeding sites throughout the country, boost pest control efforts and enhance productivity and survival for these rare native ducks.