Mahakirau Forest Sanctuary

07/06/2026

🌿🏆 Huge congratulations to Andy Barker on receiving Butterfly Conservation's Special Recognition Award.

Chosen from nominees across the United Kingdom, this award honours individuals who have demonstrated long service, extraordinary dedication to a species or landscape, or have significantly advanced understanding within their field.

Andy was recognised for an extraordinary 36 years of volunteer service, including his transformative leadership as a regional coordinator and his foundational work at Magdalen Hill Down Nature Reserve since 1989. Under his guidance, the local butterfly monitoring network expanded by more than 400%, growing from 34 to over 200 monitoring sites and contributing around 10% of all UK butterfly monitoring data by 2025. Alongside this scientific contribution, he has led practical conservation projects, authored management plans, mentored future conservation leaders, and inspired countless volunteers along the way.

For those fortunate enough to know Andy, these achievements come as no surprise.

We have been privileged to work alongside Andy on Forest Ringlet research in recent years and have seen first-hand the depth of knowledge, generosity, patience, and enthusiasm he brings to everything he does. His influence extends far beyond any single species or project. He has a rare ability to encourage others to look more closely, ask better questions, and share in the wonder of discovery.

Recognition such as this reminds us that conservation is built not only on grand moments, but on thousands of hours accumulated over a lifetime. The patient recording of species, the mentoring of others, the willingness to share knowledge, and the enduring curiosity that drives understanding.

A richly deserved honour and a fitting acknowledgement of a lifetime spent championing nature and inspiring those around you.

Congratulations, Andy. 🦋💚🐛

Andy said: "Given the many outstanding volunteers who have been previous recipients of this award, I feel deeply honoured to be recognised for my contribution. Thanks to the collective efforts of many volunteers we can be rightly proud of our achievements. Teamwork is undoubtedly the key to success."

06/06/2026

✨ Some people don’t just notice nature… they quietly dedicate decades to recording it.

Congratulations to landowner Tony Steer on the publication of Moths from Mahakirau Forest Estate, Manaia, Coromandel, New Zealand, 2015–2026: an annotated list in the latest edition of The Wētā.

Over years of night surveys, light trapping, observation, recording, and verification, Tony and Robert H***e documented an astonishing 423 moth species from Mahakirau - now recognised as the richest Lepidoptera list recorded from a single restricted site in northern New Zealand.

What we love most about this work is that it reminds us biodiversity isn’t only found in the large and charismatic. Entire universes exist in the small, the fleeting, the easily overlooked. This study has helped reveal one of those hidden worlds, and in doing so, significantly expanded knowledge of Coromandel fauna.

Some particularly outstanding observations deserve special mention, not just because they are beautiful or rare, but because they expand what we know about their distributions and frequency, habitat requirements and associated foodplant. 🌿🦋

✨ Highlights include:
• Hippotion scrofa : an Australian migrant hawk moth, the first record for New Zealand, discovered at Mahakirau in February 2025 before a second individual was later observed in Whangārei.
• Tatosoma agrionata : a mistletoe feeder and hence threatened, recorded much further north than previously, extending the species’ known range.
• Tatosoma apicipallida : another species observed at the very northern edge of its known distribution.
• Amblyptilia deprivatalis : an exceptionally mysterious moth with almost no modern published records since its original description in 1864.
• Pasiphila sp. cf. magnimaculata : Unnamed 'Jade Green' pug whose larvae feeds on Brachyglottis kirkii var. kirkii flowers, a threatened NZ native, found throughout Mahakirau Sanctuary.
• Numerous unnamed or unresolved species, highlighting how much remains undiscovered within our forests.

Perhaps most inspiring of all is the reminder, once more, that major scientific contributions can emerge from long-term community contributions, deep curiosity, and simply paying close attention to the life around us. And that none of this would be possible without a healthy ecosystem.

💚 Download the paper here: https://weta.ento.org.nz/index.php/weta/article/view/467/450

🌿 View iNat observations here:
https://www.inaturalist.nz/projects/mahakirau-forest-ecology


🦋 Image credits: T.Steer, A.Parkinson, S.Purdie, W.Brockelsby, I.Preece, D.Hegg, A.Barker, C.Knox, SaRa

05/06/2026

03/06/2026

🌿💚 A huge thank you to this top crew.

Last Monday's public holiday wasn't exactly inviting. The rain was relentless, conditions were miserable, and most sensible people would have chosen a warm fire over a soggy forest. Yet this wonderful team still turned up, ready to help protect Mahakirau's taonga.

What impressed us most wasn't simply the sheer effort, but the attention and care.

Before entering the forest, they took the time to study maps and understand where they could and couldn't operate. They cleaned their gear through the Kauri Dieback station, familiarised themselves with vulnerable species and their host plants, and approached the day with a collaborative, strategic mindset.

This is conservation done well. Not simply removing pests, but doing so with respect for the wider ecosystem and the many species that depend on it.

The results of good pest control are often measured in what survives rather than what is removed. Every frog shelter left undisturbed. Every sensitive plant avoided. Every decision made with the bigger picture in mind.

We are incredibly fortunate to have people of this calibre contributing their skills, experience and energy to the cause.

From all of us at Mahakirau, including the tiny caterpillars and the frogs quietly tucked into a grass blade or beneath rocks throughout the forest ... thank you. 🐸🌿

Your professionalism, teamwork and duty of care do not go unnoticed.

Behind the camera:✨🙏🏽❤️ - also part of the hardcore team!
Best in the business:🙏🏽
Support team: 🙏🏽🐸 Sa Ra

28/05/2026

🦋 A quiet discovery… with potentially significant implications for one of Aotearoa’s rarest butterflies.

The latest edition of The Wētā has published a new Mahakirau-led observation documenting the first recorded host association between the introduced parasitoid wasp Meteorus pulchricornis and the Forest Ringlet butterfly (Dodonidia helmsii).

During routine monitoring at Mahakirau, we discovered a suspended “basket cocoon” attached beneath a Forest Ringlet larva, with a clearly visible exit wound where the parasitoid had emerged.

We have now uncovered six observations of this parasitoid association, throughout the Sanctuary, suggesting the interaction may be more widespread within the local population.

What makes this particularly significant is that this appears to represent the first documented case in New Zealand of a butterfly being used as a host by Basket-cocoon parasitoid (Meteorus pulchricornis).

The Forest Ringlet was recently elevated to Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable, making every newly identified pressure important to understand.

This is exactly why long-term monitoring matters. Quiet observations made over years can suddenly reveal hidden ecological relationships that would otherwise go unseen. The more we look the deeper we see.

📖 Paper: First host record of the parasitoid wasp Meteorus pulchricornis from larvae of the Forest Ringlet butterfly Dodonidia helmsii
The Wētā 60: published 09-05-2026
Sara Smerdon, Dr Andy Barker

https://weta.ento.org.nz/index.php/weta/issue/view/53

Image credits: SaRa

25/05/2026

🐸 Publication

Huge congratulations to Tobia Dale et al on the publication of 'Suitability of radio telemetry for Aotearoa | New Zealand’s only extant semi-aquatic frog, Leiopelma hochstetteri' in the New Zealand Journal of Ecology.

Tobia was the fourth MSc student hosted through Mahakirau collaborations (with the University of Otago and DOC Frog Recovery Group), and an absolute pleasure to work alongside. Her field approach was meticulous, thoughtful, organised, and always grounded in the wellbeing of the frogs first and foremost.

This short-term study was carried out on private land and entirely fueled by volunteer effort, with the original goal simply being to test whether miniature telemetry could safely help us better understand Hochstetter’s frog ecology. Along the way, the team also gained valuable new insights into habitat use, retreat sites, movement patterns, and behaviour.

Importantly, the study worked closely alongside veterinary guidance and animal ethics processes, with continuous welfare assessment built into the methodology.

The paper openly discusses both the potential and the limitations of the technique, including recommended refinements to improve future studies.

Among the fascinating observations:
• 182 repeat observations were recorded from tracked frogs.
• Frogs showed strong fidelity to retreat sites, sometimes remaining in the same refuge for days.
• One individual moved 16.9 metres between fixes overnight, highlighting a greater movement capacity than often assumed for this ancient semi-aquatic species.
• Frogs were found utilising a surprisingly diverse range of microhabitats including stream banks, seepages, rocky debris, and side channels.

What we love most about this work is that it reflects the power of careful, community-supported science. No large institution. No commercial agenda. Just passionate people, collaborative partnerships, long nights in cold, wet gullies, and a shared desire to better understand and protect one of Aotearoa’s most ancient and remarkable lineages. Thank you to the incredible devotion of all involved.
🌿💚

https://newzealandecology.org/nzje/3628

22/05/2026

✨ Some covenant inspections hit a little differently.

Our wonderful QEII Trust representative Jason joined us this week for Mahakirau’s biennial covenant inspection... and at our suggestion, wisely packed a torch.

What followed was one of those nights that fills your cup right to the brim.

Not only were we able to show him a Forest Ringlet larva out browsing after 9pm… but we also gave #163 "BLESS" the Stripey a gentle health check. This time last year she was heavily gravid, and it appears she may be entering the early stages of pregnancy once again - incredibly valuable insight into the life history of this beautiful Coromandel endemic.

For Jase, this was only the second time laying eyes on the Northern Striped gecko. His first encounter traces right back to the earliest days of the species’ discovery journey, meeting the VERY FIRST gecko found, alongside the legendary late Tony Whitaker and our dear friend Rob Chappell, who has walked beside this species ever since those first remarkable encounters in the 1990s.

To pause and reflect on how far this journey has come - from mysterious chance encounters to decades of protection, research, monitoring, and advocacy - feels deeply special.

These are the moments that remind us why covenant protection matters. Not just lines on paper… but living forests, ancient species, and stories still unfolding in the dark.

Now that’s how you do a covenant inspection. 🌿🦎💚

22/05/2026

Ahhhhh! Been climbing under, over, around ever multiplying storm fall for years... so this is certainly a welcome sight for a tired jungle gymnast on a trap line.

Did you know you can contract the Predator Free Hauraki Coromandel Field Team to help with track clearing? They are not cheap, infact the rate is almost 3x our own Rangers but they have the tools, skill and accreditation to tackle the big stuff. The guys do an exceptional job, always with a big grin... and honestly we can really use the help. This week their contractual work only scratched 1% of the mahi needed. It's still a long way to recovery, each tree at a time.

11/05/2026

In the fine mosaic of scales lies an identity as distinct as any fingerprint - allowing us to know "Dot" not simply as a "Stripey", but as a member of a living lineage. Each head pattern becomes part of a growing archive, helping us recognise, monitor, and protect individuals across years and generations.

Northern striped gecko (Toropuku inexpectatus) photographed and monitored under research permit as part of a long-term study spanning more than a decade.

10/05/2026

🦋✨ What are the odds?!

The latest edition of The Wētā Journal was released yesterday… and 2 of the 4 scientific papers stem directly from Mahakirau research and observations.
https://weta.ento.org.nz/index.php/weta/issue/view/53

For a small, community-led sanctuary tucked into the Coromandel Range, that feels pretty special. A reminder that long-term grassroots conservation, curiosity, collaboration, and simply paying close attention can genuinely contribute to national knowledge.

Huge congratulations to Tony and Robert, whose paper presents a comprehensive list of moths recorded at Mahakirau since 2015. An incredible 423 species are now documented - representing the longest species list so far recorded from a single restricted site in northern New Zealand. The paper also highlights several particularly significant finds.

And congratulations to Sara and Andy, whose short paper shares alarming evidence of an introduced parasitoid association affecting the rare endemic Forest Ringlet butterfly.

We’ll share the individual stories separately over the coming week, because each deserves its own spotlight. 🌿💚🐛