Kōrure (Mottled Petrel) chicks arrived on Maungaharuru last week and were welcomed and blessed by Kaumātua Matiu Eru. The event was covered by Te Kāea Māori Television and Hawke’s Bay Today.
There is an opportunity to volunteer to help care for these special manu (birds). The mahi involves taking chicks from their burrows to the feeding station and back again, or if you’re really keen you can help with the feeding too. You can help for a day or stay the night/s at the Boundary Stream base house.
What is provided:
- Tea and coffee available.
- Transportation to the seabird site from Boundary Stream base, drivers will be experienced on this track and will use a 4WD vehicle
- Kitchen – has all the pots/pans/cups etc you could need. Fridge and Freezer, BBQ
- 2 showers, 2 toilets, washing machine, dryer
- Communal area for dining and living
What your day will look like (roughly):
- 7-8am – make the sardine smoothie (volunteer house)
- 8-8.30 – drive up to the site
- 8.30 – burrow checks by a couple of people, check fence line, prep of feed room
- 9 – start feeding, 4 people in the hut, 2-3 carrying birds from the burrows to the hut
- Continue feeding, breaks when required, usually worked around how much sardine smoothie is left in each container (will make sense when you get there).
- 3 ish – complete feeding, clean up, back to base
- 3.30 – hot soapy wash of all gear, must be very sanitary
- 4.30 – finished for the day
Your team leader is Cathy Mitchell, a trained vet who runs the feeding of the birds, please follow her instructions.
Petrol vouchers: DOC can offer you $30 in gas vouchers per return trip to assist with travel costs (if you are doing several days in a row we would prefer you stay the night, we would also recommend car pooling were possible). If you would like to take up this contribution, see Mark on site before you leave as he will disperse them. If you forget or don’t find Mark, let me know and ill send them out to you.
Phones: Telecom cell phone reception is no-longer present on site, there is some for Vodafone. Telecom reception can be found at Lake Opouahi. A land line is available at the base.
If you are interested or have any questions, please contact Kelly at keaton@doc.govt.nz and cc hayley@tangoio.maori.nz
