Skip to content

On the Thames Coast, around 20 years ago, vigilant locals knew that the local kiwi population was on the verge of collapse. Thames Coast Kiwi Care was formed in 2006 with the mission: “To protect and enhance kiwi populations on the Thames Coast”.

We wanted to ‘hear kiwi calling from backyards again’. This dream has become reality as Te Mātā and Tapu locals are reporting a significant increase in kiwi foot prints, calls and also sightings over the past few years.

We now have around 350 kiwi in our recovery area!

This is an incredible achievement by our community, with essentially ten times the 2006 kiwi population now present locally.

Wonderful Kiwi Footage!

We’re thrilled to share a short trail camera compilation from the burrow of sires Taringamā and his family. It captures adorable moments from their lives but also worrying has some unwanted cameo appearances from you know who.

Our Effort
400
Kiwi resident (approx)
5000
Hectares protected
4500
Volunteer hours per year

Trapping is crucial for protecting and enhancing the local kiwi population.

TCKC operates a comprehensive grid of traps targeting stoats, weasels, ferrets & feral cats over thousands of hectares. A team of committed volunteer trappers clear, service, and re-bait the traps 16 times per year.

1100
Traps deployed
60
Volunteer trappers
Project Area Trapping Data

This hexmap represents real-time trapping data from our project area. The more red the colour, the higher the number of catches or density of traps.

You can mouse-over the hexagons for breakdowns on species catches.  You can also use the top left red menu buttons to display subsets of data: by project, species or trap.

Massive thanks to the smart people at Groundtruth and Trap.NZ for this amazing resource!

Kiwi are prolific breeders given the chance.  If New Zealand had its predator problem under control, we’d be knee deep in kiwi!

Expanding to Habitat Protection

Our scope has expanded from solely protecting kiwi to a “whole of habitat” approach. Our updated mission is:

To work with our community to restore the habitat so kiwi and other native species thrive.

Rat and Possum Project

Thanks to substantial funding provided by the Waikato Regional Council’s Natural Heritage Fund we have also been targeting rats and possums in the project area since 2023. These self-setting AT220 traps work continuously each night, extending the existing DOC200 trap lines that focus primarily on mustelid control and providing a buffer zone to public conservation land. Trap lines are checked and maintained each month by our Rat and Possum Project Leader, and also our dedicated team of volunteer trappers that undertake their fortnightly DOC200 checks.

The trap design and the servicing of the AT220 traps is leading to great successes. In early 2025 we have approximately 200 traps working and almost 4000 possums have been removed protecting our native flora and fauna. In the next year we plan to set another 90 self-setting traps

Running alongside the active pest trapping are bird surveys, to help gain an understanding of the existing biodiversity of NZ birds in our project area. We hope to collect data on how the control of rats and possums can help bring about an increase in both bird numbers and also the range of bird species recorded in the project area.

AT220 NZ AutoTraps
AT220 photo courtesy NZ AutoTraps
Bat Protection

In early 2025 we installed three listening devices that all confirmed the presence of our precious pekapeka tou roa, native long tailed bats. They have the highest threat ranking of Nationally Critical and effective predator control is essential to their survival as well.

This is a new focus for us to raise awareness and add additional protection for New Zealand’s only native land mammal that is critically endangered.

Watch this space!

Want to know more about these fascinating creatures?  Visit the great New Zealand Geographic for a brilliant article: ‘Bat Signals’ by Jonathan Carson. Photographed by Rob Suisted.

Facebook Posts

Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

🌳Te Wiki O Te Taiao Conservation Week 🌳

This weekend TCKC volunteer trappers will cart these 850+ eggs & other enticing lures over 5000ha to bait our traps thanks to the generosity of Kaimai Eggs 👍🏽

20 years of consistent mustelid trapping has changed the landscape into a breeding ground for kiwi with 350+ in our project area.🙌🏼

And now with support from Waikato Regional Council we are focussing on rat & possum control too. 👌🏼

A big thanks to all our amazing trappers & volunteers..Local Legends! 💚

Tukua te kiwi kia tupu, Tukua te kiwi kia ora
Helping Wild Kiwi Thrive
... See MoreSee Less

🌳Te Wiki O Te Taiao Conservation Week 🌳

This weekend TCKC volunteer trappers will cart these 850+ eggs & other enticing lures over 5000ha to bait our traps thanks to the generosity of Kaimai Eggs 👍🏽

20 years of consistent mustelid trapping has changed the landscape into a breeding ground for kiwi with  350+ in our project area.🙌🏼

And now with support from Waikato Regional Council we are focussing on rat & possum control too. 👌🏼

A big thanks to all our amazing trappers & volunteers..Local Legends! 💚

Tukua te kiwi kia tupu, Tukua te kiwi kia ora
Helping Wild Kiwi Thrive

Photos from Birds New Zealand's post ... See MoreSee Less

Image attachmentImage attachment

Photos from Auckland Zoo's post ... See MoreSee Less

Image attachmentImage attachment+2Image attachment

FATHER'S DAY special gift surprise? How about the chance to win an @nzautotraps self-resetting multi species trap?? We've been having great success with our possum trapping using these traps. Purchase four or more raffle tickets by messaging us and I'll send an email on father's day to let your Dad know he's in for several chances to win a great prize 😁...and you'll help our conservation work too!
If you win, you will have to be able to collect it from Coromandel town. Prize will be drawn on Sept 14th at our next winter lecture at the Pepper Tree restaurant.
Good luck 😀
... See MoreSee Less

Our first giveaway! 🙀 To celebrate Conservation Week from 1-7th September, we're giving away 3 AT220 traps!

To enter, submit a photo or video of your AutoTrap with a possum, mustelid, or feral cat catch. We're looking for photos or trail camera footage of predator control in action: possum pileups, stoat slayings, and mustelid mayhem. We love to see it and know you do too!

We have one trap to give away for each of 3 predator categories: possums, mustelids, and feral cats. Every photo is another entry in the draw! You can enter all the categories as many times as you like.

Entries close September 7 at the end of Conservation Week, and the winners will be announced shortly afterwards.
Entry form link is in the comments below ⬇️
🎉 Send it in to be in to win! 🎬🎁📸
... See MoreSee Less

Photos from Save the Kiwi NZ's post ... See MoreSee Less

Image attachmentImage attachment+1Image attachment

What better way to kick off
Te Wiki O Te Taiao, Conservation Week, than with a good ol' fashioned working bee! 🔨💚🪛

A bunch of willing workers got together yesterday to restore a big pile of old DOC200 traps.

We repaired & water-blasted boxes, fixed the mesh & baffles all ready for shiny new stainless steel traps (when we fundraise for those - they are pricey! )

Once completed, these revamped traps are destined for the Tapu Valley, where kiwi are now dispersing over the ridge from Te Mātā. 😍

It's so important to keep up predator control in areas with kiwi because stoats take out roughly 95% of kiwi chicks before breeding age without it😢

We try our very best not to let that happen and keep up with protecting kiwi on the move... Every week is conservation week for us!

We're looking for a few more trappers, please get in touch if you think that might be you.

Happy Conservation Week
Te Wiki O Te Taiao
🐦‍⬛🌳🪺🪶💚🐟🦇🐸
... See MoreSee Less

What better way to kick off
 Te Wiki O Te Taiao, Conservation Week, than with a good ol fashioned working bee! 🔨💚🪛 

A bunch of willing workers got together yesterday to restore a big pile of old DOC200 traps.  

We repaired & water-blasted boxes, fixed the mesh & baffles all ready for shiny new stainless steel traps (when we fundraise for those - they are pricey! )  

Once completed, these revamped traps are destined for the Tapu Valley, where kiwi are now dispersing over the ridge from Te Mātā. 😍 

Its so important to keep up predator control in areas with kiwi because stoats take out roughly 95% of kiwi chicks before breeding age without it😢 

We try our very best not to let that happen and keep up with protecting  kiwi on the move... Every week is conservation week for us!  

Were looking for a few more trappers, please get in touch if you think that might be you.  

Happy Conservation Week
Te Wiki O Te Taiao 
 🐦‍⬛🌳🪺🪶💚🐟🦇🐸Image attachmentImage attachment+4Image attachment

TRAPPING TIP TUESDAY:
Nows the time to be checking your traps more regularly! Coming into possum breeding season they'll be more active and moving around more than usual. Native birds are starting to pair up for breeding season so get those traps firing and bait stations filled. 😎
... See MoreSee Less

Load more posts
Photo wall
Photo of kiwi Bindi-Sue
Photo of a kiwi's feet.
Photo of bush in project area.
Photo of kiwi Bindi-Sue
Beautiful juvenile kiwi
TCKC Coordinator Sheena Beaton demonstrates predator traps
Scanning for kiwi transponders
Kiwi chick Ngawari Tiwhiri
Sheena Beaton and Neil John, Ollie the kiwi's release 2021
Early trap line deployment, 2006.
Coordinator Sheena Beaton in kiwi costume
Trailcam photo of wild kiwi, Te Mata.
Bob Carr and Robert Mannes, trapline working bee
Wild kiwi print in the mud
Eggs mustered as part of Operation Nest Egg
TCKC Fundraiser 2017
Kiwi chick weighed, Operation Nest Egg, 2020.
Coordinator Sheena Beaton gives a presentation to local community