Long-Tailed Bat Conservation

Every adult bat/pekapeka adult t-shirt sold donates $5 to Cape to City in Hawke's Bay. 

Bat Conservation | Tumbleweed Tees

Cape to City was Launched in 2015, and its vision is 'Native species thrive where we live, work and play'. It is a collaborative large scale restoration project and covers more than 26,000 hectares of predominantly primary productive farmland in Hawke’s Bay.

Cape to City Landscape, Rod Dickson (this illustrates the type of primary productive landscape the project is working in)

Nearly 70% of New Zealand's landscape is used for primary production, and our remaining public conservation land struggles to cope with a continual re-invasion of mammalian pests. We, therefore need to include primary production into the conservation and predator free 2050 picture. Cape to City's long-term mission is to show that protecting and enhancing biodiversity values is compatible and complimentary to primary production, so that everyone can enjoy the benefits that biodiversity brings.

Bat Conservation NZ | Tumbleweed Tees 

Left: Wireless node on predator trap, Pouri Rakete-Stones. Right: Hohepa & Cape to City planting along Maraetotara River, Ben Douglas

Just like an ecosystem, Cape to City will thrive when all aspects – from running school workshops to teaching farmers about pest control – work together in harmony. The project includes:

  • Involving people through school and teacher training programmes, community events, working with hapū and iwi, offering volunteer projects and collaborating with local landowners.
  • Protecting and restoring diverse habitatssuch as working farmland, river corridors, lifestyle blocks and native bush reserves.
  • Protecting native wildlife by controlling a wide range of animal pests including rats, possums, stoats and feral cats – all which have a negative impact on both native species and livestock.
  • Improving the health of farms and providing economic benefits for farmers whose lands fall in the Cape to City footprint.
  • Monitoring native species like pekapeka (bats) and reintroducing species like toutouwai (North Island robins), miromiro (tomtits) and North Island kiwi.
  • Pioneering research in the fields of pest monitoring and control and native species regeneration.
  • Ensuring strong project governance through good project management and a solid structure so Cape to City can continue to grow.

Robin release into 100 Acre Bush, Lauren Buchholz

Together with Poutiri Ao ō Tāne (sister project), Cape to City is working to protect roughly 35,000 hectares of the region for species such as pekapeka (bats) kiwi, kākā, weta and kōkako, as well as vast numbers of native insects and plants.

Pekapeka (Bat) Conservation:

There are three species of bat endemic to New Zealand. They are classed as ‘critical/vulnerable’ and are in danger of extinction if nothing is done to reverse their population decline. Long-tailed bats are widely distributed throughout New Zealand and in the 1800 were common, but by the 20th century they were becoming scarce in many places. Their decline is mostly attributed to habitat loss and predation. One of their known locations in Hawke’s Bay is at Mohi bush scenic reserve and we hope to see them thrive and increase under the Cape to City predator control and habitat restoration programmes.   

 

Long-Tailed Bat, James Mortimer (not taken as part of project, as bat monitoring has not started yet)

Support the Cape to City's conservation efforts and buy an adult bat/pekapeka t-shirt