SOKK Website

Environment, Conservation and Outdoor Education Trust

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  • Home
  • The SOKK Project
    • Monitoring and health checks: How it’s done
    • Predator trapping: Our major targets
    • The kiwi crèche at Opouahi
    • Biodiversity in the kiwi crèche
  • Stories
  • Our whanau
    • Our volunteers
    • Our sponsors
    • Our trustees
    • Our history
  • Education
    • SOKK as a classroom of the outdoors
    • Kiwi talks at the crèche
  • Facts and figures
    • Trapline catches – latest
    • Kiwi crèche update
    • Nester status – latest
  • USEFUL LINKS
    • Maungaharuru Tangitū Trust (MTT)
    • Biodiversity Hawke’s Bay
    • Guthrie-Smith Education Centre
    • Forest Lifeforce Restoration Trust
    • Manaaki Ruahine Facebook
    • Mauri Oho
    • Ruahine Whio Protectors
    • Save the Kiwi
    • Te Ngahere Facebook
    • DoC
  • Contact us

Kiwi talks at the crèche

A typical talk at the shelter

Kiwi talks are normally available by prior arrangement at the Opouahi crèche shelter during the kiwi chick season from November to April. They are given by volunteers and are free (although a $10 per visitor donation is suggested). However, due to the damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle, we have no kiwi chicks in the crèche. The road to the crèche, via SH5, is also under repair, and traffic limited to essential services. Thus until further notice kiwi talks have been suspended.

Using kiwi as the focus, the talks cover conservation issues such as predation, and facts about kiwi including their diet, nesting and habits. There are taxidermied specimens of the kiwi and the main predators to illustrate the talks.

Or rare occasions, it is possible to have a live kiwi chick to show. This depends on a number of factors including the age and health of the chicks, the weather, the availability of volunteers and the work programme for the day. There are very strict protocols nationally governing the handling and showing of kiwi.

It can be disappointing, particularly for children, to be hoping to see a kiwi and then find on the day that it isn’t possible. Please bear in mind that these are wild birds and our kaupapa is based around minimal handling and disruption, so the chicks can have the best chance of survival when they return to the Kaweka Forest Park.

To find out more, contact us

Stories

The ‘zombie’ kiwi is alive, kicking – and now reporting in correctly!

Banner Photo: Julia holding Mr JCYou could call Mr JC a zombie kiwi. His transmitter was reporting him dead, but he continued to wander about. … Read More

Cute freshly hatched kiwi photos incoming in 3 … 2 … 1 …

The 2023/24 hatching season has officially started at the Crombie Lockwood Kiwi Burrow, with the arrival of four kiwi eggs.Two eggs came from a … Read More

A Japanese flavour to our day

Banner Photo: Checking Huripari's weight gainLast week, four of us headed off the Kaweka Road to do the first health checks on two new young kiwis … Read More

The hidden world uncovered by a trail camera

Banner Photo: Makino River setup l to r: camera, A24 trap, Steve Allen SA2 trap, an AT220 trap and a DoC 200 trapPete and Judy gained experience … Read More

We are almost there with a new Anawhenua trapline

Deb and David Harrington have been busy lately, working in the field on the Save Our Kaweka Kiwi project.On 30 June, they completed marking … Read More

About us

The Environment, Conservation and Outdoor Education Trust (ECOED) was established in 2002 to halt the decline of North Island brown kiwi in the Kaweka Forest Park. At that time, the estimated kiwi population was about 200. In response to the crisis, ECOED initiated the Save the Kiwi Hawke’s Bay Project, which is now known as Save Our Kaweka Kiwi, or SOKK.

Our goal is to restore a healthy population of kiwi in the forest park.

Do you want to help?

From marketing and fundraising to trapping and kiwi monitoring, we'll be able to find a way for you to help.

Get Involved

Email: [email protected]
Lake Opouahi, Hawke’s Bay

Major sponsors

MAJOR SPONSORS

Copyright © 2023 · ECOED is a registered charitable entity in terms of the Charities Act 2005. · Registration No. CC27154 · Website by D2 ·