SOKK Website

Environment, Conservation and Outdoor Education Trust

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  • 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
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    • 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
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    • Ruahine Whio Protectors
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  • Contact us

Biodiversity in the kiwi crèche

Lake Opouahi

When walking on the tracks in the kiwi crèche, there’s a host of other wildlife that you may see – if you look carefully enough. Here’s just a small sample…

The increasingly rare Kakabeak/Ngutukaka

Ngutukākā is named for its beautiful red flowers, which hang in clusters of 15-20 blooms and are shaped like a kaka’s beak. So, Ngutu meaning beak/lips and Kākā meaning the native parrot of the same name. Its conservation status is Nationally Critical.

Earina mucronata

Earina mucronata is an epiphytic (grows on trees) orchid which can be seen in flower at the top end of the lake in late spring.

Ruby Bonnet, a very small but striking fungal fruiting body found growing on wet wood. Underground are vast networks of fungal roots (mycelia) some of which have intimate associations with tree roots. You are likely to see fungi any time of the year.

Asplenium and Ruby Bonnet

Asplenium appendiculatum, one of the many ferns to be seen along the track. This species has spores under the fronds but others have specialised spore-bearing fronds.

Auckland Tree Weta, or Hemideina thoracica. Despite the spectacular jaws on the male, it is only barely able to puncture skin, as shown by the two spots next to the weta’s back leg.

Grass carp were introduced to exterminate a very invasive water weed. They cannot breed in Opouahi and will eventually die out. They may be seen in the shallow water a few hundred metres along the track past the jetty.

Grass carp and weta

To learn more about biodiversity, take a look at iNaturalist’s website

Thank you to Mike Lusk for words and pictures on this page.

Stories

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

MTT help with grass maintenance at the kiwi crèche

It was great to have Justin and his Jobs for Nature crew from Maungaharuru Tangitu Trust come to clear the lake track at the Opouahi kiwi … 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

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