Protecting Kaipūpū Sanctuary
For the past 20 years the Waitohi Picton community, Port Marlborough and the Department of Conservation have worked together to turn what was once barren farmland, used by the New Zealand Refrigerating Company in the 1900’s, into a stunning predator free native sanctuary.
Kaipūpū Sanctuary is a mainland island which boasts a 600 metre long predator proof fence that runs parallel to Port Marlborough’s wharf and logging facilities at Shakespeare Bay. Traplines were established within the sanctuary after the fence’s completion in 2008 and a circular walking track was completed in 2013 shortly after which the sanctuary was opened to the public.
Port Marlborough recognises the importance of supporting these efforts on the port side of the fence and carry out their own trapping and pest control programmes, as well as penguin monitoring and relocation into nesting boxes on the sanctuary.
Left: Kaipūpū Point circa 1958 Right: Kaipūpū Sanctuary today
The Picton community’s passion for conservation and restoration did not end when the Sanctuary opened. In 2015 some of the original Kaipūpū members embarked on a mission to create a halo of protection surrounding the Sanctuary. Forming a group called Picton Dawn Chorus, the original plan saw three traplines being established across the water from the sanctuary on Victoria Domain. Within 8 short years the group superseded this with 75 traplines over 4,815 ha.
The actions of these two remarkable volunteer groups have resulted in a sanctuary that is flourishing in native flora and fauna and a notable increase in birdlife within Picton and surrounding hills, so it made sense that the two groups joined forces. In 2023 Picton Dawn Chorus Inc. and the Kaipūpū Point Mainland Island Society merged.
The focus for the group now is future proofing. Picton Dawn Chorus has recognised that the time has come to adopt more innovative, efficient, and cost-effective solutions. Existing traps are labour-intensive to keep baited and constantly maintained over such a huge area, so they are seeking to replace some of their hard-to-reach traps with AT220’s. These automated traps are cheap to operate, only need to be checked every 6 months, and are much more effective than the existing traps. Picton Dawn Chorus are reaching out to locals, visitors, bach owners and businesses to achieve their initial goal of installing 500 of these traps, to continue their mission of protecting native fauna whilst making it more manageable for volunteers.
If you or your business would like to support or donate to this long-standing conservation cause, that is making a measurable difference then simply click here or contact them directly for more information.
If you are looking to purchase traps or are seeking advice for trapping at your bach then pop into their shop at the Picton Environment Centre, 14 Auckland Street.
Anna Polson – 03 928 4957 or admin@kaipupusanctuary.nz
