We’re excited to share that our habitat restoration and predator control efforts in and around Farewell Spit and Wharariki is getting a much-needed funding boost from Predator Free 2050, and some great media attention too.
HealthPost Nature Trust has joined in partnership with Manawhenua ki Mohua and Tasman Environmental Trust to lead a wider Onetahua Restoration project.
“This extends the internationally significant area we’ve been helping to restore at Farewell Spit, the Wharariki Ecosanctuary at Cape Farewell, and surrounding environments,” says HealthPost Nature Trust Chair, Peter Butler who is on the management team behind the Onetahua restoration project.
The project has received an initial $250,000 in Predator Free 2050 funding for a feasibility study currently underway for a pest eradication programme on the North-Western side of Golden Bay. The aim of the study is to determine what's required for the project's success. If it goes ahead, the programme will likely commence in mid-2022 and be completed in 2026.
Predator Free 2050 will be injecting $3m of the estimated $9m cost in Jobs for Nature funding to support the Onetahua Restoration project, with the remaining $6m to be raised by other partners. Should it progress, the project is forecast to create up to 50 jobs.
“This is a bold vision, but one we are passionate about, working with the community to bring the birds and other native wildlife back to this special part of the world,” says Peter Butler.
Over the past four years the HealthPost Nature Trust has made great strides in helping to eradicate pests and restoring native habitats in the Farewell Spit/Cape Farewell areas. This includes the construction of a pest-proof fence at Cape Farewell, planting over 13,000 native plants in Golden Bay, and placing 280 predator traps across eight traplines. None of this would be possible without the support of Manawhenua Ki Mohua, local businesses, the Department of Conservation, Lonestar Farms and above all the thousands of hours put in by dozens of local volunteers.
The HealthPost Nature Trust is working to restore biodiversity within Wharariki, Farewell Spit - the tip of the South Island. Our focus is to create a protected habitat where seabirds and other threatened species can flourish.
We have built a predator-proof fence, installed traplines, and conduct regular predator monitoring. We continue to review and improve our approach to do best for nature, in a natural way.
Media coverage
Radio NZ - 29 Sept 2022: Mission to make Farewell Spit predator free
Nelson Mail – 29 Sept 2022: Golden Bay pest eradication project plan gets $3m boost
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Image caption: Sky Davies, Chris Wheatley, and Peter Butler welcome the funding from Predator Free 2050 Ltd.