Help us protect Whakatāne’s precious wildlife and spectacular native forest!
The Whakatāne district is blessed with not only a stunning natural environment, but abundant indigenous wildlife. Kiwi, our iconic national bird, literally live in our backyards. Residents and visitors to the township are able to visit not just one, but three, public scenic reserves and step straight into kiwi territory. This exceptional set of circumstances has led to Whakatāne gaining official trademark recognition as the ‘Kiwi Capital of the World™’
However, without active management kiwi and other native species are still at risk of population decline and extinction. The Whakatāne Kiwi Trust was established to provide a vehicle for community involvement in the Whakatāne Kiwi Project (e.g. volunteering) and a means of delivering the project’s pest control programme.
Sponsor a TRAP - Sponsor a stoat trap in the Kiwi Trust network
Trap sponsorship is another way that individuals, businesses and organisations can support the Trust’s pest control work. By sponsoring a trap, you will make a tangible contribution to pest eradication and protecting our native taonga (treasures) in Whakatāne.
The cost to sponsor a stoat trap is $135 per annum. This money will be used to support the Trust’s pest control programme by funding operational costs such as: bait, trap maintenance, trap replacement (as many of our traps are nearly 20 years old!), trap network expansion and contractor expenses.
All of our traps are regularly checked and rebaited (usually once a fortnight) by our dedicated team of volunteer ‘trappers’. You can choose a trap(s) to sponsor by following this link to a map of our trap network: http://www.whakatanekiwi.com/map.aspx
Click on each trap to view the most recent catches and identify the name of the trap you wish to sponsor (e.g. MK33). You can also have your business or organisation’s logo displayed at your trap’s location on the map, by mailing a JPEG or PNG logo file and your trap number to:marketing@whakatanekiwi.org.nz
This is a great, low cost way to advertise your business or compete with colleagues, friends and family for the most ‘trap catches’! So, take time to choose your trap wisely!
If you are interested about trapping on your land or have any trapping enquiries please contact: predatorcontrol@whakatanekiwi.org.nz
Sponsor a CLASS - for an unforgettable nature experience!
For just $250, you can enable a classroom of enthusiastic students the opportunity to participate in a hands-on educational adventure with the Whakatāne Kiwi Trust. Your generous sponsorship will cover the cost of a class's participation in our Education Field Trip – an exciting, outdoor learning experience that takes children directly into the heart of our local forest reserves.
This unique field trip offers students the chance to explore the natural world where they can learn about the success and the challenges of the Whakatāne Kiwi Project, discovering the critical conservation work being done to protect our iconic kiwi and preserve the future of native species. It's an experience that brings lessons to life, showing the real-world importance of conservation and helping inspire the next generation of environmentalists!
By sponsoring a class, you're not only supporting outdoor education and key areas of the New Zealand curriculum, but you're also investing in the future of New Zealand's wildlife. Your sponsorship provides local students with the tools to understand and appreciate the need for conservation projects like the Whakatāne Kiwi Project, nurturing a deeper connection to the land and wildlife they share their community with.
Together, we can grow the movement to protect kiwi and their habitats for generations to come. Become a Class Sponsor today and help inspire both our tamariki and ragitahi!
If you are interested about learning more about our education programme or have any education enquiries please contact: education@whakatanekiwi.org.nz
Sponsor a HATCHERY Visit - sponsor a kiwi’s beginning.
For $1,000, you can sponsor a kiwi’s beginning, one of the most critical moments in its life.
Your generous sponsorship supports the careful lifting of a kiwi egg from the reserve and its transfer to the National Kiwi Hatchery, where it is safely incubated, hatched, and raised during its most vulnerable stage. In the wild, kiwi chicks are highly susceptible to predation, particularly from stoats. Without intervention, survival rates are low.
At the hatchery, each chick is closely monitored, weighed, and cared for by experienced specialists. Once the young kiwi reaches the golden weight of 1 kilogram, considered “stoat- proof” — it is returned to the wild with a far greater chance of survival and a strong start to life.
By sponsoring a kiwi’s beginning, you are directly investing in hands-on conservation that dramatically improves survival rates and strengthens our local kiwi population. Your support covers the cost of egg retrieval, specialist hatchery care, monitoring, and the safe return of a healthy young kiwi back into the forest.
Together, we can give kiwi the strongest possible start. Sponsor a Kiwi’s Beginning and help protect the future of this treasured taonga species.
Sponsor a KIWI HEALTH check - sponsor a vital kiwi health check.
For $5000, you can sponsor a vital kiwi health check and play a direct role in protecting one of our precious native birds. Your generous sponsorship helps cover the cost of monitoring, assessing, and safeguarding a kiwi’s wellbeing as part of the Whakatāne Kiwi Project.
Each health check is a critical moment in a kiwi’s journey. Our trained team carefully weighs, measures, and assesses the bird’s overall condition, checks transmitter signals, and ensures it is thriving in the wild. These routine checks allow us to detect potential issues early, monitor growth and survival rates, and gather essential data that guides our conservation efforts.
By sponsoring a kiwi health check, you are supporting hands-on, science-based conservation in action. Your contribution directly funds the fieldwork, equipment, and expertise required to give kiwi the best possible chance of survival in a predator-controlled environment.
Sponsor a Kiwi Health Check today and help us protect the future of this iconic taonga species.