Project Outcomes
We're proud to share with you some of the outcomes and findings from our Dotterel Defenders project.
Highlighted other threats to sand dunes in coastal areas – eg gathering evidence of erosion and damage to dune vegetation from motor bikes . This has triggered discussion around effectiveness of policies for protecting coastal areas with District Councils – eg dog control, vehicle use.
Identified threats
Raised awareness of threats and protection measures through community workshops and flyers. We bought together coastal communities, local authorities, iwi/hapu and community groups.
Raised awareness
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Empowered communities to protect their local shorebirds with a range of tools. Provided training to community volunteers in proven ecological and cloud based citizen science methods for investigating and managing threats to wildlife.
Empowered to protect
Highlighted the importance for conservation groups conducting comparable projects to monitor and record results, improve their practices and share learnings with the wider scientific community.
Shared learnings
Planted over ... plants at key dotterel sites in collaboration with other groups.
Planted trees
Undertook beach cleanups at each site and recorded what we found. ..kg of trash off our beaches!
Collected beach litter
Provided better understanding of threats to NZ dotterels, their behaviour and population numbers in Taranaki. This information will be made available for inclusion in the next national Dotterel Recovery Plan.
Gathered important data
Improved trapping network and ongoing maintenance which will also benefit other coastal species. We set up (or resurrected) trapping networks with the help of Taranaki Regional Council and established volunteer rosters to check the traps.
Improved trapping networks
Increased breeding success per NZ Dotterel Pair from 0.23 at an unmanaged site, to 1.1 in 2017/18 and 1.0 in 2018/19.
Improved breeding success of NZ Dotterel
Project Data
Predator Trapping and coastblitz
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As at March 2019, we have caught across all Dotterel Defenders sites:
..... rats ..... hedgehogs ..... mustelids ... other
Rahotu
As at March 2019, we have caught over 270 pests from this site! Mostly hedgehogs and mustelids.
Sandy Bay
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Komene
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Breeding success
Overall, the Taranaki NZ dotterels monitored managed to raise an average of 1.1 fledged chicks per breeding pair.
To put this in perspective, at unmanaged sites (no predator control or signage) around the country, NZ dotterels only raise 0.23 fledged chicks per breeding pair on average which is not enough to sustain the population.
