Conservationists, Citizen-Scientists, Kleenex® Tissues and Timberlands Team Up to Help Save Vulnerable Kãrearea as Nesting Season Begins

October 18, 2016 /3BL Media/ -- Wingspan* has successfully rescued the first vulnerable Kãrearea eggs of the new nesting season. Earlier in September forest workers in collaboration with Wingspan, had sighted courtship activity of a Kãrearea pair thought to be making a nest (scrape) in a newly replanted area of Whakarewarewa Forest** next to a busy recreational area.

Wingspan was concerned about the potential risk presented by well-meaning people, some with dogs, walking through the forest close to the nest, so their team decided to take precautionary action and moved two of the three eggs to safety.

Wingspan is now caring for the two rescued eggs in incubators at the Wingspan Centre near Rotorua. The incubators and a brooder have recently been upgraded to the latest technology with a donation from Kleenex® Tissues. The team at Wingspan will see the rescued eggs through to hatch and will return the chicks to their parents in about 30 days when they are a few days old.

One natural egg and a decoy egg were left in the nest for parents Maia and Hatupatu to nurture in a parallel-hatch scenario, managed by Wingspan in its role as guardians of New Zealand birds of prey.

As the 2016 nesting season for Kãrearea (New Zealand falcon) begins, communities are being encouraged to be “citizen-scientists” and join efforts to help protect the threatened bird pictured on our $20 banknote.

Debbie Stewart, Founder and Executive Director of Wingspan, says Kãrearea, New Zealand’s fastest bird, are “often persecuted and deliberately shot at or harmed despite full protection as a threatened species.”

To identify the New Zealand Falcon, full details are at: http://www.wingspan.co.nz/report_new_zealand_falcon_sighting.html.

In support, Kleenex® Tissues have worked with New Zealand teachers to develop a new SneezeSafe® Healthy Forests lesson plan free for schools to download at www.sneezesafe.co.nz.

Debbie Stewart says that the highest population density of Kãrearea occurs in commercial pine plantations – in particular the Kaingaroa Forest. She says conservation support from Kaingaroa Timberlands and from Kleenex® Tissues, led by Kimberly-Clark New Zealand, is appreciated. She says it stems from their commitment to Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certification and also “to doing what’s right”.

FSC is a broadly-scoped, internationally-recognised hallmark of responsible forest management. MORE DETAILS BELOW.

Debbie Stewart says it’s known that only 25% of Kãrearea chicks live past one year.
“But with more education, awareness and sightings, an engaged community, continuing support from the forestry industry, and now new equipment from Kleenex® Tissues allowing us to expand our breeding and rescue programmes, we’re confident the chicks’ tricky pathway from hatching in the wild, to learning to fly, through to adulthood, is set to improve,” she says.

* Wingspan is a registered charitable trust and conservation programme. With no government or local body funding, its work is a ‘people project’ all about community engagement and conservation buy-in from everyday New Zealanders wanting to help falcons.

** Whakarewarewa Forest is a fully FSC- certified pine forest near Rotorua managed by Timberlands.

Released by Kimberly-Clark New Zealand in association with Wingspan Bird of Prey Centre

For further information, contact: Sally Elton Ph. 09 486 5256  / 0274 980 568;  Email sally@elton.co.nz    

Background

The Wingspan collaboration  
Wingspan works closely with forestry companies who manage and source wood from the FSC-certified pine forests to ensure that the falcons who nest and hunt there are safe. During the nesting season in spring and summer forest workers keep an eye on the falcons, move their machinery away from nest sites, and sometimes help Wingspan to rescue eggs. If eggs or chicks are in danger, these are transported to Wingspan where they are looked after.

In the intensive care unit at the Wingspan Centre there are incubators and brooders set up, ready for the arrival of any eggs or chicks that need special assistance. With the help of Kleenex® Tissues, Wingspan has recently been able to upgrade to the latest technology in infant bird care. Source: Wingspan

Why do Kãrearea choose to live in pine forests?
Kãrearea evolved in New Zealand without mammal pests such as feral cats, rats, possums, stoats and hedgehogs. Because of this, they often lay their eggs on the ground in a ‘scrape’ or nest which makes their eggs and small chicks vulnerable to being attacked.

The reason Kãrearea choose to live in pine forests is that new plantings and mature trees are used by the birds throughout their lives. The tall mature trees are great vantage points for falcons to watch over their territory, and watch for food to hunt. The ‘cut over’ areas, where trees have been cut down, are perfect for falcons to nest in because they have lots of little hiding spots. Those areas are also a great place for young falcons to start learning to fly and hunt. They will start by jumping up and climbing onto logs, and eventually flying up to the bigger trees. They chase insects and small birds, and the parent birds encourage their chicks to chase them holding food in their talons, or they deliver food to the nest. It pays to be the biggest, loudest and fastest falcon chick in the nest. Source: Wingspan

FSC in Brief:

• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international, independent, non-government organisation based in Germany with 112 member countries.
• FSC promotes sustainable, holistic forest management. It was established in 1994 to address deforestation which was known to be hastening climate change and destroying habitats of people and wildlife.
• Around a third of the wood pulp used in the production of Kimberly-Clark’s paper products for Australia and New Zealand is sourced from FSC-certified New Zealand pine forests. Other key sources are FSC-certified eucalypt from Brazil and FSC-controlled pine from North America.  
• According to FSC Australia and New Zealand CEO Adam Beaumont, New Zealand is one of the foremost FSC-certified countries in the world in terms of wood supply. Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/element-magazine/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503340&objectid=11534064

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