Ark in the Park (conservation project)

Ark in the Park is an open sanctuary and conservation project in the Waitākere Ranges near Auckland.[1]

A kererū seen at the Ark in the Park sanctuary in 2016

It is a partnership between Forest & Bird and Auckland Council that is supported by Te Kawerau ā Maki[1] that aims to remove non-native pest mammals and predators and re-introduce species that were made extinct in the area.[2]

The project was started in 2002 by a small group of volunteers.[3] A pilot programme covering 200 hectares was launched in 2003 which saw bait lines spaced 100m apart through the forest, with bait stations every 50m.[4] By 2019, the project covered 2,270 hectares.[5]

Species reintroduction

Since the beginning of the project, whitehead (pōpokatea), North Island robin (toutouwai), and kokako have been released. Hihi (stitchbird) were also released but the translocation was not successful.[6]

References
  1. "Ark in the Park". Forest & Bird. 27 March 2019.
  2. "Ark in the Park". Nature Space.
  3. "History of Ark in the Park". Nature Space. 27 March 2019.
  4. "Ark Timeline 2" (PDF). Ark in the Park.
  5. "The Success of Bufferzones" (PDF). Forest & Bird Waitakere Branch Newsletter.
  6. "Ark in the Park facilitating eDNA research". www.biologicalheritage.nz. Retrieved 27 March 2019.


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