Ark in the Park is an open sanctuary and conservation project in the Waitākere Ranges near Auckland. [1] It is a partnership between Forest & Bird and Auckland Council that is supported by Te Kawerau ā Maki [1] that aims to remove non-native pest mammals and predators and re-introduce species that were made extinct in the area. [2]
History
The project was started in 2002 by a small group of volunteers, [3] who set traps for pest species within the Ark in the Park sanctuary area. [4] A pilot programme covering 200 hectares was launched in 2003 which saw bait lines spaced 100m apart through the forest, with bait stations every 50m. [5] By 2019, the project covered 2,270 hectares. [6]
Species reintroduction
A number of native bird species have been reintroduced to the park, beginning with whitehead (pōpokatea) and North Island robin (toutouwai). In 2007, hihi ( stitchbird) were released, however the translocation was not successful. [7] [8] In 2009, kokako were reintroduced to the area; having last been seen in the ranges in the 1950s. [8] [4]
References
- ^ a b "Ark in the Park". Forest & Bird. 27 March 2019.
- ^ "Ark in the Park". Nature Space.
- ^ "History of Ark in the Park". Nature Space. 27 March 2019.
- ^ a b Dench, Alison; Parore, Lee-Anne (2014). Walking the Waitakere Ranges: 45 Coastal and Bush Walks (4th ed.). Auckland: New Holland Publishers. p. 33. ISBN 978-1-86966-426-8. OCLC 894037427. OL 30857674M. Wikidata Q123383221.
- ^ "Ark Timeline 2" (PDF). Ark in the Park.
- ^ "The Success of Bufferzones" (PDF). Forest & Bird Waitakere Branch Newsletter.
- ^ "Ark in the Park facilitating eDNA research". www.biologicalheritage.nz. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
- ^ a b Grant, Simon (2009). "Call of the Wild". In Macdonald, Finlay; Kerr, Ruth (eds.). West: The History of Waitakere. Random House. pp. 318–321. ISBN 9781869790080.
36°53′S 174°32′E / 36.89°S 174.53°E
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