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due to other peoples’ complaints. It was excellent to see all members of the community engaged in the discussions; feeling able to openly discuss their concerns both for kea and for the damage they were sustaining. In the main, there was positive reception to the possibility of a conflicts programme and research into mitigation being developed for the area although it was clear that a number of people left feeling pessimistic. Additional ideas raised during the tour included a desire for one community to become a kea friendly hub for tourists, more involvement by businesses in kea initiatives, use of supplementary feeding to prevent kea strikes on sheep, as well as an interesting look into the Falkland Islands Striated caracara. Caracara were once persecuted due to attacks on stock, but are now highly valued by the Falklands tourist industry. In addition to this we met with the West Coast Penguin Trust to share ideas on growing community and volunteer input. A massive slip (6 metres high by 50 metres long), which blocked the road from Makarora through to Wanaka, almost called a halt to the tour on the seventh day. However, after some serious nail-biting and
reassurance from slip workers that they would tow the vehicle across the slip should it get stuck halfway, Tamsin made it safely across just in time for the start of the Wanaka talk. This tour was one of our most inexpensive to date with the vehicle and fuel costs covered by DOC and accommodation in the main very generously offered by individuals in the areas Tamsin passed through resulting in a significant saving. In addition to this, a total of $1,650 was received in donations during the tour. The tour itself could not have gone ahead without the support of our main sponsor Dulux, who paid for Tamsin’s time, or the support of our community hosts who set up each talk venue and promoted the programme in their local area. This year’s hosts included Encounter Kaikoura, Forest & Bird (Kaikoura, Wanaka and North Canterbury), Department of Conservation (Motueka, Nelson Lakes, Hokitika, Franz Josef, Dunedin, Wanaka, Fiordland), the Kiwi Birdlife Park (Queenstown) and Southland Museum and Art Gallery in Invercargill. Thanks also to the following people who provided accommodation: Ailsa Howard,
Anne Letham-White, Helen Campbell of Wairau Pass Homestay, Terrace Motel in Franz Josef, Paul van Klink, Rachel Hurford, and Andy Lea and Marjorie Orr. We hope to see you all again next year!
The winter advocacy tour was originally developed in 2008 as a method to connect with key stakeholders throughout the South Island, a week or so prior to an annual community kea survey. As public interest in kea increased, seminars on kea (their status, current research and threats facing the species), as well as community discussions and meetings, were gradually introduced into the winter tour. These discussions have enabled the KCT to better understand the unique relationship between kea and the human communities with which they cohabit, and have helped direct conservation projects and research questions over the years.
Photo: Mat Goodman
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