New fund to protect Kaharoa kokako

Kokako. Photo/File

The Kaharoa Kokako Trust has established a named endowment fund with the Geyser Community Foundation.

Trust chairperson Sue Williams said it was the trustee's intention to progressively transfer its Nest Egg Fund to the new Kaharoa Kokako Conservation Fund to be managed by the Geyser Community Foundation in perpetuity.

"Trustees formed the Kokako Nest Egg Fund in 2007 with the aim of raising $150,000 in 10 years so that the interest on the funds raised could be used to pay for pest control operations," she said.

"The new endowment fund managed by Geyser provides a special and powerful way in which a wide range of individuals, whanau, schools, and organisations can support the ongoing projects and activities of the Kaharoa Kokako Trust for the long term."

"All donations made to the fund, including bequests and endowments in people's wills, will be managed and invested by the Geyser Community Foundation on the Trust's behalf," said Mrs Williams.

Income earned on the capital may be used by the trust for charitable purposes.

The Kaharoa Kokako Trust was set up in 1997 at the end of an eight-year research by management project involving the Kaharoa Forest. It proved that pests such as rats, possums and stoats were the main cause of Kokako decline.

The last four years of the project meant Kaharoa Forest had no pest control resulting in a drastic drop in the population and two years of no successful kokako breeding.

The Department of Conservation had no immediate funds to continue with pest control at that time so a group of local people formed the Kaharoa Kokako Trust to raise funds and provide voluntary labour to help reverse the decline of the kokako - an endangered native New Zealand bird.

There were 173 birds consisting of 77 breeding pairs and 19 territorial single birds at the last census in August 2015.

Mrs Williams said the annual income from the new fund would enable continued development of projects and programmes which provide long term benefit for the increasing number of breeding and juvenile birds supported by the trust in Kaharoa Forest.

Donations of any size can be made to the Kaharoa Kokako Conservation Fund at any time and from anywhere by credit card on Geyser's website www.geysercf.org.nz or on the Kaharoa Kokako Trust's website www.kokako.org.nz

People can also make donations in cash or by cheque for the fund to the Geyser Community Foundation, telephone 07 349 7496 or email annette@geysercf.org.nz

Geyser will issue official donations receipts to all donors.