Hauraki Gulf Islands: Living Sea and Landscapes
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There are a large number of islands in the Hauraki Gulf, and visits to these islands are a feature of the EcoQuest summer program. One of these islands is known as Tiritiri Matangi. Its name means "buffeted by the wind". This island is located 30km to the NE of Auckland. By 1900, virtually none of the original coastal vegetation remained on the island, and until 1970, it was used extensively for grazing. In the late 1970s, the Tiritiri Matangi restoration and revegetation project was embarked upon. This project was to become a "shining example to the world" (often cited by David Bellamy) of effective community action in island restoration ecology. The revegetation of Tiritiri and the removal of predators, such as rats, have restored the island's capacity as a wildlife habitat, and currently it houses some of New Zealand's most threatened wildlife species.
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EcoQuest students embarked on a five-day trip to Ponui Island during the Fall 1999 semester. Their efforts will assist the landowners to find the right balance between sustainable agriculture and conservation/public recreation. Students helped with a small scale native tree planting which will enhance the habitat on the island sanctuary.
Ponui Island is probably the only place in the Auckland area where North Island Brown Kiwi still thrive without intensive predator control. Kiwi surveys are much needed to help assess the health of the population. EcoQuest students are assisting in this effort. Students from three summer programmes (2000, 2001, & 2003) have carried out kiwi call surveys on the islands.
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Fall '99 semester students on Tiritiri Matangi Island.
| | Above: Dr. Castro conducts class on Ponui Island.
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