The “whio whistle” will be echoing through the Flora louder than ever, with 38 whiolings recorded in the Friends of Flora project area this year.
This is music to the ears of the FOF volunteers and is also a fitting soundtrack to Whio Awareness Week, which runs from 24 to 30 March.
FOF volunteer Sandy Toy says that the charitable organisation’s story begins with whio, following the near extinction of the endemic blue duck in the Flora Stream.
The FOF website states that by the year 2000, whio numbers in the Flora catchment had dropped to two lone males.
“Re-establishing a sustainable population of whio was one of our initial goals. Reducing stoat numbers to low levels was a pre-requisite and, with this achieved, reintroduction of whio could commence.”
Sandy says that the whio re-establishment project has been a huge success, thanks to the landscape-scale predator control which the volunteers have sustained since 2001.
“The rivers and streams of the Flora are full to capacity with whio and the area is now a nursery with ducks spreading into creeks in the surrounding areas.”
FOF’s stoat-trapping network covers 10,000 hectares, with volunteers checking the 1348 traps each month, Sandy explains. This is supplemented by 1080 drops as part of DOC’s national predator control programme.
Sister community groups Farmers for Whio and Friends of Cobb trap in adjoining areas to the east and west, helping to slow predator invasion into the core Flora area.
“The ‘whio’ whistle is a magical part of a walk down the Flora track and is testament to 24 years hard yakka by FOF volunteers.”
The group welcomes fit volunteers willing to do the “hard yards in some rugged country,” and it depends on the generosity of donors and supporters. To volunteer or donate visit https://www.fof.org.nz/support.html
