Please Help Us Build A Field Base | Community Hub

This conservation project is located in beautiful native forest on the crest of the Coromandel Ranges at Mahakirau Forest Estate. For almost 20 years we have been undertaking an extensive programme to protect and enhance our natural environment. We are guardians of some of New Zealand’s most endangered treasures which are nationally identified conservation priorities, including:

* ARCHEY'S FROG | One of the world’s most endangered amphibians, the Archey’s Frog is no. 1 on the London Zoological Society’s EDGE List (Ecologically Distinct Globally Endangered).

* NORTHERN STRIPED GECKO | TOROPUKU COROMANDEL | Mahakirau is home to 80% of the listed population of these newly discovered rare geckos.

* HELM'S BUTTERFLY (FOREST RINGLET | On the brink of extinction, the Helm's Butterfly was previously common throughout New Zealand. However an expert from David Attenborough’s UK Butterfly Conservation Trust recently spent 12 weeks searching the span of the country and only found 5 – solely at Mahakirau.

* NORTH ISLAND BROWN KIWI | The Coromandel is the only part of New Zealand where the kiwi population is growing and our kiwi survey this year has identified 5-7 birds calling, the first for some years. It is truly thrilling to be welcoming them home again.

We are experiencing strong demand for people to engage with, and gain insight from our project and will greatly benefit from a dedicated ‘place’ to provide:

• A learning centre on site with educational resources and the opportunity to immediately practice what has been learnt.

• A base where scientific and academic experts can stay short term and therefore study on site, attracting high quality partnerships.

• A base for community conservation volunteers to meet, share knowledge and inspire others.

• Storage for predator control and H&S equipment.

• A base to help upskill and train other community groups and volunteers whether in predator control techniques; gps workshops; flora and fauna identification.

A resource consent has been secured, and we have raised 70% of the funding ourselves with grateful support from NZ Lotteries Commission, QEII National Trust, Pub Charity Ltd, Trust Waikato, Waikato Regional Council, private donations and the proceeds of a cake stall from our local pre-school, Riverlee.

We could really use your help (no matter how large or small) to raise the final budget required to make our dream a reality.