Island Life

Recent news, insights & articles from around the Island.

Take ocean protection further, says Hauturu Supporters Trust in submissions to government

The Hauraki Gulf needs even more protection, says The Hauturu Supporters Trust, a charitable trust established to help support Aotearoa’s oldest nature reserve, Hauturu-o-Toi Little Barrier Island, and implores the…

From track clearing to magical experiences: all in a weekend’s work for Hauturu volunteers

A sore knee meant that while others ventured into the native bush for track clearing duties, first-time volunteer Colin Binsted opted to stay close to the hut and help with…

How a noisy seabird (and its poop) could boost coastline resilience

Warming seas. Invasive seaweed. Overfishing. The threats facing our coastlines seem insurmountable. But thriving populations of seabirds reappearing on Hauturu may provide reason to hope, says Hauturu Supporters Trust Trustee…

Mighty Gabrielle – Hauturu in the heart of the cyclone

The eye of Cyclone Gabrielle tracked very close to Te Hauturu-o-Toi LIttle Barrier Island in February 2023. Department of Conservation Ranger Richard Walles recounts the remarkable experience. “We always watch the…

Trustee reflects on ‘miraculous’ rodent-free milestone

Richard Griffiths led the eradication project on Hauturu-o-toi to remove kiore nearly twenty years ago in 2004. Now he has joined the Hauturu Supporters Trust as a Trustee. He recollects…

What does best-practice biosecurity look like for Hauturu?

Te Hauturu-o-Toi / Little Barrier is home to a delicate ecosystem where adding or removing one species can have a knock-on effect with huge impact.  Should a pest arrive on…

Recovery opportunity for scallop fishery

One of the measures that Hauturu Supporters Trust advocated for has come to fruition. Under emergency measures the Hauturu Scallop Fishery was closed by Oceans and Fisheries Minister David Parker…

Hauturu lingers in the heart

Trustee Kate Waterhouse reflects on the Working Weekend, 28-30 October 2022. It’s strange that the bird that stays with me when I leave Hauturu-o-Toi is the most numerous of all…

Why no kiwi, Mr Shakespear?

by Dick Veitch  Images credited to Frances Shakespear from the Shakespear family collection. I have just finished reading 19 diaries written between 1897 and 1910 by members of the Shakespear…

Location Location Location!

By Tegan Evans PhD candidate at the University of Auckland Using marine protected areas (MPAs) correctly can be an amazing tool for passive restoration—effectively taking away human impacts from fishing…