Ken and Sue Laurent were both appointed members of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to wildlife conservation. Photo / Supplied
Ken and Sue Laurent were both appointed members of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to wildlife conservation. Photo / Supplied
Whakatāne couple Ken and Sue Laurent are probably seen more frequently by a pair of bird's eyes than by a pair of human eyes.
For almost 25 years the couple have traipsed into the bush, somewhat obsessively according to their children, to ensure the wellbeing of native birds around thearea.
Today all eyes are on them as the pair are both appointed members of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to wildlife conservation.
"We're very emotional about it I must admit," Sue said.
"There is a lot of people with us that do it, it's just fabulous we are getting it, but we are a team and accepting it on their behalf really."
Being out in the bush was something Ken had always enjoyed, so becoming involved with the Manawahe Kōkako Trust in the 1990s was a plus.
There are 1600 pairs of kōkako in the North Island which are now considered at risk but recovering. Photo / NZME
But that wasn't enough and just over 10 years later the couple couldn't resist the hills closer to home, and were soon out monitoring the health of local kiwi.
The trust monitored eight kiwi when it began in 1996. Now there are more than 350.
Now retired, Ken spends his days as an education guide, leading "Kiwi Tracker" walks and helping Sue, a qualified kiwi practitioner responsible for overseeing the daily signal monitoring of kiwi and maintaining her team's capability for Whakatāne Kiwi Trust.
At the same time, both are members of the executive team for the Manawahe Kōkako Trust and help co-ordinate all predator control operations and other operational activities including track clearing, census and nest monitoring, and the translocation of birds.
However, it hasn't all be smooth sailing, Ken says.
"We had a terrific start to the kōkako programme, the numbers developed quite rapidly. And then all of a sudden we had a drop-off, a really, really bad drop-off."
Predators were not to blame for the decrease in numbers but abandoned nests and infertile eggs were a recurring theme - some sort of genetic problem.
"We've had quite an exciting time two years ago with translocation of three pairs of kōkako from Kaharoa. We were able to release these birds to increase the bloodlines in the area.
"The first year one new pair had a chick which is exactly what we wanted."
Now into their 70s, the couple are able to spend a bit more than just their weekends helping the birds. However, they worry there won't be many following in their footsteps once they decide it's time to step back.
"This is a big issue - it's the time factor, young people have to make some money, you have to raise your family so there's not an awful lot of young people coming in.
"We'd like more. But it's just 60-pluses that seem to be doing a lot of work at the moment."
For now, the pair don't mind - Ken said as long as he has legs he'll be going into the bush - and with the fruits of their labour singing around them, it's easy to see how it's become an addiction.
Plus, doing everything they can to eliminate pests has benefitted all native birds in the area, Ken said.
"The birds are now really taking off and they're in town. We have kererū, we've got bellbirds and kākā. We've got weka running around the place, in our garden. We have kiwi on our backdoor step, people can hear them calling at night.
"It's rather lovely, birdlife bursting into life is just a wonderful feeling. It's very special."
