A biodiversity group championing the hoiho yellow-eyed penguin is finding innovative ways to protect this much-loved but endangered taonga species.
Crowned Bird of the Year for 2024, the hoiho has won Bird of the Year twice and can count former prime ministers, such as Helen Clark, and famous conservationist Jane Goodall among its fans.
However, this shy bird is one of the rarest penguins in the world. Seabirds are sentinel species and their rapid decline in population is a result of significant stress on coastal ecosystems that impact food, shelter, and safety. Starvation, habitat degradation, predation and disease are some of the threats caused by climate change, biodiversity loss, coastal erosion, and industry.
The Hoiho Recovery Project, led by the Yellow-Eyed Penguin Trust, is one of 19 initiatives WWF-New Zealand, in partnership with the Tindall Foundation, is supporting this year through its Community Conservation Fund.
The Dunedin-based Trust recently appointed Anna Campbell to lead the organisation to accelerate measures to protect the hoiho. Anna is from Murihiku/Southland and has deep connections to the areas where hoiho nest along Te Wāhipounamu and Rakiura.
"When we solve the problems impacting the hoiho, we solve them for our children and our communities,” she says.
The team is exploring resourceful ways to help the hoiho thrive using a community-driven approach that uses science and technology.
“We’ve been exploring big ideas with innovators in energy and data science to weave smart solutions into a conservation context - we have some incredibly motivated people in Murihiku collaborating to achieve biodiversity and community outcomes. It’s really exciting.”
Alongside pest management and reforestation activities, the Trust also educates the public on penguin conservation and advocates for their protection.
"I am full of hope that we can restore nature - we are already doing it. Our mokopuna will walk along the beach alongside the hoiho,” says Anna.
WWF-New Zealand’s Fund supports communities to run projects that conserve and restore Aotearoa’s natural environment, while also educating New Zealanders about its importance.