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

Our history

Al Bramley, centre, at the Opouahi crèche

The Environment, Conservation and Outdoor Education Trust (ECOED), under the leadership of Al Bramley, was formed in 2002 with the aim of reversing the decline in our local kiwi population.

ECOED set up a group of dedicated volunteers who worked together to form the Save Our Kiwi Hawke’s Bay project. Over time, it became one of ECOED’s principal efforts, and is now called Save Our Kaweka Kiwi.

ECOED, with recommendations from kiwi expert Dr John McLennan, had its main areas of focus on:

  • building a core population of kiwi in Kaweka Forest Park and
  • raising Operation Nest Egg chicks in a pest-proof kiwi crèche

Wild Kaweka kiwi were caught and fitted with transmitters. Eggs were retrieved from wild nests, then taken to Kiwi Encounter in Rotorua to be incubated. The resulting chicks were raised in pens until they were deemed stoat-proof – weighing about 1000g – then released back into the wild.

Construction of the kiwi crèche

​In 2008, construction of the 40-hectare kiwi crèche at Lake Opouahi Scenic Reserve was completed. This, along with advancements in transmitter technology, enabled chicks to be taken from wild nests and released directly into the predator-proof crèche to fend for themselves. Monthly chick health checks enabled ECOED to engage with school groups via kiwi talks at the crèche. Later, with assistance from Hastings Boys’ High School students and carver Bevan Taylor, a purpose-built public shelter/canoe shed was erected. Generous sponsorship from Pan Pac Forest Products Ltd is vital to the on-going maintenance of the kiwi crèche.

Outdoor education in schools

​In response to a decline in adventurous outdoor education in schools, ECOED initiated the Schools Outdoors Hawke’s Bay and the Wilderness Education Base. The aim was to engage Year 7/8 students in outdoor education opportunities in the bush, on the lake, in the caves and on the rock.

​In conjunction with DoC, an online teaching resource called My Backpack was developed to support teachers, students and schools in how to gain maximum value from the many and varied learning opportunities available at the kiwi crèche and the Wilderness Education Base.

​The base is situated on land alongside the crèche. There are three camping areas, each with a large open shelter with removable sides, sinks, benches, storage for gear, toilets, running water and tent sites to accommodate 30 students.

Gifting the Wilderness Education Base to local Maori

​More recently, Treaty of Waitangi settlements have seen the land which the Wilderness Education Base is built on returned to local Maori. In response, ECOED gifted the infrastructure and management of the Wilderness Education Base to the Maungaharuru-Tangitū Trust. Groups wanting to use the facilities can contact the trust.

After relinquishing the Wilderness Education Base, ECOED consolidated to concentrate on the Save Our Kiwi (Hawke’s Bay) project, now known as Save Our Kaweka Kiwi.

Stories

Cyclone Gabrielle causes major damage to the kiwi crèche – and the loss of two chicks

Monday 6 March, 2023DoC Rangers Kahori and Alan did a recce trip on 26 February to see if it was possible to get through to the crèche by road. … Read More

New kids on the hill

Banner Photo: Grant Russell from Stantec holding kiwi chick 'Stanley'Meet Stanley, our first chick release for the season. Deb had the pleasure of … Read More

Wow, a kiwi chick

Johno, our superhero kiwi in the Kaweka Forest Park, produced a kiwi chick and an egg (subsequently incubated at Westshore) in his first clutch of the … Read More

Stoats galore?

Thursday 26 January 2023Te Puia, (TP1- TP9) DOC250 traps, Hot Springs – Te Puia (370 – 411, DOC200, and CT13), Mangatainoka (W1-W15) Double … Read More

Johno’s fading signal leads to a double surprise

Banner Photo: Johno S and JohnoT in their transportation carrier for the ride to the kiwi crèche.Fiona and Robyn received a message from Deb … 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 ·