Opinion: Kōkako release will boost island population

K Gurunathan helps with kōkako release on Kāpiti Island.

Weekly column by Kāpiti mayor K Gurunathan.

My memory flew to the past. Two decades back when, as a journalist, I travelled across the choppy waters towards Kāpiti Island.

Documentary maker David Attenborough was on board seeking footage for his new series on birds. Department of Conservation transport concession holder Ross Ledger had, the previous day, tipped me off that he had been booked by DoC to take the famous documentary maker and his camera crew to the island.

Growing up in a Malaysia I was deeply impacted by the black and white TV documentaries of Frenchman Jacques Cousteau.

A natural transition over time saw the rise and rise of Englishman David Attenborough, and his global impact on the conservation movement. During my interview, he said the relocated kōkako on Kāpiti Island offered him the best chance of filming the endangered bird.

I never dreamed that 20 years on I'd be travelling across the same waters of Rauoterangi Channel on John Barrett's Kāpiti Island Nature Tours boat with 11 kokako birds on board for release on the island.

These rare birds, translocated from Waikato's Pureora Forest, were accompanied by members of Ngati Rereahu. At every point of change on their journey the birds were spiritually transitioned by appropriate karakia chanted by these kaitiaki or guardians.

As the boat navigated through the really choppy waves pounding the boat the Rereahu women laid their hands on the holding boxes in prayer. On the island local mana whenua received the gift wrapped in ceremonial exchange.

From the beach, a sheltered cove at the southern end of the island, the holding boxes were carefully carried as the hikoi, chanting along the way, slowly trudged along a narrow path through thickening vegetation into a valley. Where the trees started shooting up into a forest the hikoi stopped and settled for the final stage.

The birds were farewelled and released one after the other with cameras gently clicking together like cicadas settling to sleep.

Over the next two years up to 35 North Island kōkako would be translocated to the island to inject genetic diversity into the local population of 92 breeding pairs. Thanks to a partnership between DoC and Fonterra, with mana whenua providing critical guidance as kaitiaki.

Two years ago, managing director of Fonterra Brands NZ, Brett Henshaw, met in my office to discuss Fonterra's decision to close its cheese factory. The wide ranging discussion included the need for Fonterra to recognise that the Kāpiti brand was intrinsically linked to the cultural, environmental and community significance of Kāpiti Island.

While Kāpiti Cheese and Kāpiti Ice Cream originated in Kāpiti, they are no longer made in Kāpiti. But the popular international brand, together with the logo of the island, still carries our district name and our iconic Island.

It's to the credit of Fonterra that they have negotiated a renewed contribution to the ecology of the island. The five-year arrangement will see the investment of $50,000 per year towards the kōkako conservation project on the Island.

From the Fonterra staff who accompanied the kōkako I learned of the corporation's commitment to respond to global market demand for sustainable products by initiating sustainable farming amongst its shareholder suppliers.

The highlight for me was being invited at the final stage to release the 10th kōkako. As I did, I whispered the name of my own future generation, Kiaan.

Given the challenges of climate change, it was a personal karakia giving hope flight that our future will include the haunting song of the kōkako echoing through our verdant native forests.