Protecting the guardians of Aotearoa’s native forests

This year, through the WWF-New Zealand Community Conservation Fund in partnership with the Tindall Foundation, we are proud to support the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary’s tuatara relocation project and the Mangātarere Restoration Society’s pekapeka project. 

Nelson’s Brook Waimārama Sanctuary is the South Island’s largest fully fenced, community-led sanctuary - a thriving refuge for native wildlife and a place for people to reconnect with Te Taio. 

WWF-New Zealand is proud to support the group’s very successful tuatara location programme. So far, 65 tuatara have moved into the sanctuary. Tuatara were released into pre-drilled burrows with unique house numbers. A recent tuatara sighting within the sanctuary confirms the ongoing pest control and habitat work is creating safe spaces for these taonga species to thrive. 

This is the first release of tuatara into the wild in the Whakatu/Nelson region in more than a century. It’s a significant cultural milestone for the community, particularly for local iwi Ngāti Koata, who were actively involved in the translocation of these taonga creatures and kaitiaki of takapourewa tuatara.  

The Sanctuary has also launched a new series of immersive guided night tours offering visitors a rare glimpse into the sanctuary’s vibrant nocturnal life. Already, some visitors have been lucky enough to see one of the sanctuary’s resident tuatara emerge from its burrow. 

“These experiences are about more than just spotting wildlife,” says chief executive Chris McCormack. “They’re about connecting back to the natural world and recognising how vital it is to protect it.” 

With the support of WWF’s Community Conservation Fund, the group continues to restore habitats, monitor threatened species, and empower others to become kaitiaki of this unique ecosystem. Despite recent storm damage in the region, dedicated volunteers and staff rallied together, showing the strength and resilience of the Tasman District community. 

“We’re incredibly grateful for WWF’s support and proud to stand alongside so many passionate conservationists working to protect and restore Aotearoa’s precious biodiversity,” says Chris. 

Further north, work is underway in the Wairarapa to protect another taonga species - Aotearoa New Zealand’s only native land mammal, the pekapeka/bat.  

The Mangātarere Restoration Society, which is made up of community volunteers, farmers, industry and iwi, has a focus on stream restoration but is also working to identify the locations and numbers of long-tailed bats in the area. 

Project lead Monique Leerschool says support from WWF-New Zealand has meant the group can work closely with private landowners, such as farmers, who play a significant role in the protection of pekapeka. 

"We're learning together how pekapeka inhabit our landscape and how we can protect them. The community has responded with enthusiasm and locals are exploring what they can do both individually and as part of a wider collective,” she says. 

Evidence of pekapeka activity has meant other conservation groups are keen to support the pekapeka’s protection alongside the Carterton District Council. 

"We have been able to do bat surveys in the Council's pine plantation and they are actively supporting us to get predator control in place on their land,” she says.  

Volunteer Julia Ryan helped analyse data collected by the group and has produced a series of maps that highlight the key findings of the pekapeka surveys so far. 

“Community groups, such as the Sustainable Wairarapa bat group, have been growing our knowledge about Wairarapa long-tailed bats over the last few years but there is still a lot to understand and learn,” she says. 

“For example, will we find long-tailed bat activity away from significant areas of mature and old-growth native forest in our region?  So far, we haven't, and that makes it critically important to protect native forest that is confirmed to be pekapeka habitat.”  

The project is making a valuable contribution by gathering detailed data about pekapeka activity on private land in the foothills, next to areas of known pekapeka presence and activity in the nearby Tararua Forest Park, she adds. 

The Community Conservation Fund is open for applications once a year. The 2025 round opens 15 August.