Getting Kiwi to Kāpiti!

Kāpiti Kiwi began in 2025, what started as an off hand joke between Mark Duncan, Emma Smyth and the neighborhood, quickly developed into a small group of dedicated volunteers, who have worked together to deploy DOC 200 traps on about 20km of tracks in the Akatarawa Forest.

We are all passionate users of the forest, and there is much mahi to be done to control predator numbers so that Kiwi, and other native wildlife can thrive in Kāpiti.

Based in the Maungakotukutuku Valley, out trap network also covers more than 300ha of private farmland to support the initiative. Our traplines boarder Whareroa Park, who have their own trapping network. Our trap networks complement each other and together we provide a corridor for native birds to reach a safe space in the forest from Kāpiti Island.

We have received funding through grants from the Greener Neighborhoods program - Kāpiti District Council, as well an Greater Wellington Regional Council.

We are planning to return Kiwi to a huge area of public land, so that everyone is able to go and explore and experience some of New Zealand's incredible native species!