Through surveys, storytelling, and community connection the Mangatarere Restoration Society is building both knowledge and care for this taonga species.
The WWF-New Zealand’s Community Conservation Fund, in partnership with the Tindall Foundation has made it possible to undertake the most comprehensive series of long tailed bat surveys yet conducted across the upper Mangatarere catchment. Using acoustic recorders across 18 properties over two survey seasons, the project confirmed consistent bat activity throughout the foothills of the Tararua Ranges. Nearly 3,000 bat passes were identified and entered into the national DOC bat database, filling critical gaps in our understanding of where pekapeka forage and how they use this rural landscape.
This data will help inform predator control priorities, shape conversations with landowners and councils, and contribute to regional discussions about developing a bat strategy for the Wairarapa. It has shown that even highly modified catchments still support pekapeka, reinforcing the message that farms, lifestyle blocks, and small wetlands all play a role in bat survival.
Through partnerships with Wairarapa Pūkaha to Kawakawa Alliance (WaiP2K), Enviroschools, councils and local sponsors, the project created multiple opportunities for people of all ages to encounter bats in surprising and memorable ways. Tanya Batt’s Bat’s Incredible family show brought pekapeka to life through humour, participation, and storytelling, demonstrating the value of nature storytelling as an educational tool for learning in early childhood centres and schools.
During the combined Dark Sky Awareness Week and Conservation Week, the “Nature at Night” talk highlighted how light pollution directly affects bat activity: the brighter the night, the fewer bats we can expect to see. Talks such as Under the Night Sky – The Secret Life of Bats introduced new audiences to pekapeka ecology, drawing directly on the Mangatarere survey data and reinforcing the idea that protecting bats means protecting whole night time ecosystems.
The fund also supported the Wairarapa’s first-ever public bat spotting evening. Despite challenging weather conditions and minimal advertising, community interest was so strong that registrations filled immediately. On the night, families gathered in the Mangatarere Valley to see survey maps, listen for bats, learn about moth–bat relationships, explore predator control, and experience the landscape after dark. For many, it was a completely new way of engaging with nature. As one participant put it, it was “the most extraordinary way to spend a Friday night.”
Through the fund, Mangatarere Restoration Society has helped take pekapeka from hidden flight paths in the darkness to shared community knowledge, pride, and action. The foundation is laid for ongoing bat monitoring, predator control, habitat restoration, and education, ensuring that these quiet taonga continue to survive in the Wairarapa.