A field trip to Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari
❤️ This a special event for our current, active volunteers. ❤️
Limited spots available, RSVP required through form below.
Come and experience for yourself the New Zealand environment the way it used to be – an ancient, vibrant forest alive with native wildlife including many of New Zealand’s rarest and most endangered wildlife. Step through the pest-proof gate into another world where ancient New Zealand forest towers majestically above well-maintained walking tracks and the air is filled with birdsong.
There are a variety of hikes and bush walks around this eco-sanctuary, and on Saturday 18 May, we will have the opportunity to partake in the Secrets of the Tautari Wetland Guided Walk and learn about why this conservation project is so special.
Nestled in the valley below the Manu Tīoriori visitor centre is the Tautari wetland. Protected by both a QEII covenant and a pest-proof fence, this picturesque wetland habitat is a safe haven for a growing population of tuatara and a family of takahē.
A knowledgeable guide will take us through the tuatarium in search of the well-camouflaged tuatara as they bask near the entrances to their burrows. Tuatara are the sole surviving members of an ancient group of reptiles found only in New Zealand. Encountering a tuatara for the first time can transport you to a pre-historic world!
We’ll observe the endearing takahē, a New Zealand conservation icon. Thought to be lost forever, takahē made history when they were rediscovered in the remote mountains of Fiordland in 1948. This large, flightless bird helped shape the future of conservation techniques in Aotearoa.
More about the Secrets of the Tautari Wetland Guided Walk
This opportunity is possible thanks to the Community and Volunteering Capability Fund and support from Maungatautiri Sanctuary Mountain. Ngā mihi nui!