‘Whakatāne, Kiwi Capital of the World™’

The Whakatāne district is abundant with indigenous wildlife including our national symbol, the kiwi. Kiwi are a unique and endangered species. It is both unusual and exciting to to have a population of kiwi so close to a major centre, as they are in Whakatāne.

Kiwi, literally live in our backyards here. Residents and visitors to the area have the unique opportunity to walk into the bush and step into kiwi territory. This exceptional set of circumstances has led to Whakatāne gaining the tile of  ‘Kiwi Capital of the World™’.

However, without active management this endangered bird and other native species are at risk of declining once again towards extinction. Since the project’s inception in 2001, an intensive network of bait stations and traps has been established in the three main scenic reserves surrounding the town, and active kiwi monitoring has been conducted by volunteers, 

The community-led ‘Whakatāne Kiwi Project’ is supported by the Department of Conservation, the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, the Whakatāne District Council, Te Rūnanga O Ngāti Awa, the Dodds Family Trust and other private landowners.

One of the many rewards which flows from the Whakatāne Kiwi Project is improvement of the local biodiversity as a whole.

With some wonderful success stories to date, the Whakatāne Kiwi Trust and its supporters are looking to expand the scope of the project to help support a self-sustaining kiwi population.