Top 5 ways you can help kiwis

Photo / Getty Images.

Save Kiwi Month is New Zealand's national campaign to raise awareness of the plight of the kiwi. Let by Kiwis for Kiwi - an independent charity supporting community-led kiwi conservation projects - Save Kiwi Month raises funds to support grassroots efforts to save our national bird. Here's how you can help..

Hold a Great Kiwi Morning Tea
Be a part of the biggest Great Kiwi Morning Tea by registering to hold your own morning tea event in the name of protecting our national icon. The official date for the morning tea is Friday October 27, but keen beans can hold their event at any time during the month of October and early November. Head to www.kiwisforkiwi.org to register now.

Make your patch predator-free
Keep your home free of predators that could further endanger the kiwi. In suburban areas, you'll probably only need to protect against rats. But if you live on a lifestyle block, bush reserve or near the coast, you'll need to protect against rats, stoats and possums - which means you'll need bigger traps. Head to www.predatorfreenz.org for more information.

Volunteer at a kiwi project near you
There are more than 80 community-led projects - many involving iwi - aimed at saving endangered kiwis in New Zealand. Join an existing project or find out how to start your own community-led kiwi conservation project at www.kiwisforkiwi.org

Have your dog kiwi-avoidance trained
Dogs are a huge threat to New Zealand's kiwi population. Luckily there are plenty of kiwi avoidance training days for dogs throughout the country - head to kiwisforkiwi.org to find a session near you.

Buy a Kuwi the kiwi product for the kids in your life
The Kuwi the kiwi illustrated children's books aren't just great stories - they're educational tools that teach kids the importance of kiwis and their conservation. Author, Kat Merewether, donates a portion of every book sale to Kiwis For Kiwi.

[Source: www.kiwisforkiwi.org]