Matakana Island - New Zealand Dotterel Recovery Programme

Matakana Island (population 200), off the coast of Tauranga, is one of the two most important nesting grounds for the endangered New Zealand dotterel (tuturiwhatu). The birds nest along the island's coastline. Because the eggs and chicks are camouflaged, the nests are vulnerable to being trodden on or driven over, and are prone to predation from feral cats, stoats, rats, possums and black-back gulls.

In 1992, the Department of Conservation (DOC) chose Matakana Island as a key breeding site for its Dotterel Recovery Programme. This involves the community and DOC employing staff to undertake predator control, bird monitoring and promotion of school visits around nesting sites during the nesting season - and doing what they can to reduce the risks posed by people.

DOC's approach to reducing the risk posed by visitors and the residents on Matakana Island was simple: involve the local children.

The resident DOC officer:

• visited the local 38-pupil school and spoke to the children about the dotterels and the programme
• took children on field trips to the breeding area (during school time and school holidays), enabling them to observe the birds nesting and the chicks in their natural habitat
• involved the local children in hosting mainland schools visiting the dotterel programme
• provided the school principal with information about the birds, which was used as part of the school curriculum.

• The local children have become ardent advocates for the Dotterel Recovery Programme.
• The children have spread the word to the wider community, which also now knows more about the birds and takes greater care of them than it did previously.
• Some of the children visit the birds often and pass on any significant information to the field officer. This informal monitoring has greatly improved DOC's level of information about the birds.
• Some children have assisted with nest monitoring, catching and banding of dotterel.
• Sufficient interest was generated about Matakana to successfully run a series of four biodiversity-themed hui during 2004 on the island. These were well attended by local people. Interest was extended into other native species, widespread pest control, weeds, and land protection and management options.
• Local Bay of Plenty businesses have donated money, goods and services to help turn Matakana Island into a dotterel haven.
• The number of dotterel breeding pairs on Matakana increased from 15 to 43 over the first 13 consecutive seasons.
• The population of dotterel has significantly increased on the mainland.

Over the last five breeding seasons the island has had a full-time officer protecting the birds, thanks to the community applying for funding from Te Manu Toroa, Community Employment Group (Department of Labour), the Lotteries Commission and the NZ Landcare Trust. This has enabled the community to move from using poison to a more environmentally acceptable trapping-only regime for pest control.

The DOC field officer hopes to introduce an 'adopt a dotterel' programme, in which the children will take care of a pair of dotterel located near their school. This will improve the chances of these birds rearing chicks.

The programme's success is attributed to:

• the enthusiastic support of the school principal, who involved the children and incorporated the dotterels into the school curriculum
• employment of two local officers by the community and DOC
• the strong partnership programme between the community, landowners, local businesses and the government.

Involving school children is an effective way of reaching a community. Interested and enthusiastic children become great advocates and make sure their parents get the message.

Gaining support is more successful when you are open to people, invite their participation and allow them to 'own' the project - far better than having experts telling them what they should and should not do.

"To me, conservation is about being able to pass this message on from generation to generation so that we will not lose the rich natural heritage of this beautiful land of Aotearoa." - Matakana Island Dotterel Recovery Programme field officer.

This case study is based on interviews with DOC Conservation Officer John Heaphy and Matakana Islander Mrs Jenine Murray.

Prepared for publication in September 2003 and updated in October 2007.

For more information contact:
John Heaphy
Conservation Officer (Protected Species and Islands)
Department of Conservation
PO Box 9003
Tauranga
Email: jheaphy@doc.govt.nz
Tel: 07 578 7677
Fax: 07 578 1634