Tiritiri Matangi Island

01/06/2026

Congratulations to Liz Maire on being appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in the King's Birthday Honours!

We are delighted to celebrate Liz's well-deserved recognition for her outstanding service to conservation and environmental education.

A familiar face on Tiritiri Matangi, Liz has inspired thousands of students every year through the Education Programme and made an extraordinary contribution to the motu through her volunteer work. Through her ongoing commitment to environmental education, she has created meaningful opportunities for young people to connect with te taiao, helping to build a lasting conservation legacy through education.

The Education Programme is what it is today because of her passion, aroha, and dedication.

Liz's extensive knowledge of the motu, combined with her generosity, unwavering energy and enthusiasm, has made her an invaluable member of our community.

This honour reflects the lasting impact Liz has had on both people and conservation. We are incredibly grateful for everything she has contributed to Tiritiri Matangi and to conservation and environmental education in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Mā te huruhuru ka rere te manu.
Adorn the bird with feathers so it can fly.

Ngā mihi nui and congratulations Liz, on this well deserved achievement

Text credit: Sara Dean
Photo credit: Jim Eagles.

30/05/2026

Master of camouflage...

The kākāriki | red-crowned parakeet is a medium-sized parrot whose habitat is by now largely restricted to predator-free reserves and off-shore islands. Most often seen flying at high speed, they also spend a lot of time foraging on the ground, where the emerald plumage serves as excellent camouflage in grass and shrubs. The strong, black-tipped beak allows the birds to crack open seeds, though they also eat flowers, buds and fruit.
For a chance to hear their characteristic cackling and watch them go about their daily business, book your tickets to Tiritiri Matangi Island and perhaps a guided walk here: https://tinyurl.com/3eurr6cm
Photo credit: studiocadario.camera

27/05/2026

Take a sip.
All birds need water to survive, but the way they drink varies between species.
Most birds lack the complex throat muscles and cheeks needed to suck liquid into their throats. Instead, they drink by dipping their bill into water and then tilting their head back, using gravity to move the liquid into their digestive tract, a method known as ‘sip-and-tilt’ drinking.
Kererū and other pigeons are an exception and evolved a different method of drinking. Rather than tilting their heads back, they lower their bill into water and use their tongue like a piston. Pressed against the inside of the bill, the tongue helps draw water upward, almost like drinking through a straw, before specialised muscles pump it into the oesophagus.
Other birds have evolved different ways of taking in moisture. Raptors* and hummingbirds gain much of their water from the food they eat (though they still drink), while swallows**, swifts and skimmers skim the surface of ponds and streams, using their speed to take in water on the wing.
To book your ferry ticket to Tiritiri Matangi and book a guided walk to observe these processes in action, please copy or follow the link: https://www.exploregroup.co.nz/.../tiritiri-matangi-island/
*Kārearea/falcon, ruru/morepork, kāhu/harrier
** Warou/welcome swallow

Photo credit: Jonathan Mower

24/05/2026

A time of plenty.
As buds of Tiritiri Matangi's kohekohe flower, the sight of long branches and trunks draped with panicles of waxy olive-cream flowers is providing a stunning display for visitors wandering the island's tracks. It is also providing a seasonal bounty for nectar feeding birds, invertebrates and reptiles that lap the sugar-rich nectar from the centre of the small flowers.
Nectar-feeding birds such as this male hihi, along with korimako/bellbirds and tūī, have tongues tipped with brush-like bristles that soak up nectar and transfer it to the mouth. As they feed, pollen is carried from flower to flower, helping pollinate kohekohe and supporting the tree’s reproduction. Listen closely and you may hear the hihi’s sharp, distinctive calls as it moves quickly between flowers.
Viewing these feeding displays is made easier because kohekohe are cauliflorous (flower directly from heavy branches and trunks rather than at the growing tips.) This means flowering occurs beneath the canopy, where it is more accessible to wildlife.
In tropical forests, this trait is thought to benefit animals such as monkeys, squirrels and tamarins that forage through the canopy and move along their heavy branches. In Aotearoa/New Zealand, birds such as hihi, kererū, tūī and korimako occupy many of these feeding niches.
Even with this natural feast, the hihi population of Tiritiri Matangi still relies on supplementary sugar-water feeders to help sustain the population through the year. This is the case for all the hihi populations except for that of Hauturu-o-toi/ Little Barrier Island which is able to provide hihi with year-round food sources. (Thank you Chelsea sugar for donating Tiritiri Matangi's sugar!)
A stunning display by two of Aotearoa/ New Zealand's endemic species.
To book your ferry ticket to Tiritiri Matangi and perhaps also a guided walk, please copy or follow the link: https://www.exploregroup.co.nz/.../tiritiri-matangi-island/ Team Hihi SOSSI (Shakespear Open Sanctuary Society Inc) Chelsea Sugar
Video Credit: Scott Camlin

22/05/2026

Dogs with jobs.🐾
Meet Stella, one of the conservation detector dogs helping protect Tiritiri Matangi by searching for unwanted pests and predators that would threaten the island’s precious wildlife should they gain access.
From time to time, specialist conservation dog and handler teams visit the island to assist with biosecurity checks, using their remarkable sense of smell to detect predators and pests that people can easily miss. In Aotearoa/ New Zealand there are over 120 certified conservation dogs that work with their dog handlers to support DOC, councils, community groups, researchers, iwi, hapū, whānau, and others to do important work for our native ecosystems.*
Stella has been trained to search for plague skinks, an introduced lizard species that will outcompete endemic reptiles and disrupt fragile ecosystems if allowed to establish.
These working dogs and their handlers operate under the Department of Conservation’s Conservation Dogs Programme, which with the support of Air New Zealand oversees, certifies, and supports conservation dog teams working across Aotearoa to help detect pest animals, invasive species, and protect vulnerable wildlife.
For sanctuaries like Tiritiri Matangi, prevention is everything. Predator-free and carefully managed ecosystems rely on constant vigilance, and much of this work happens quietly behind the scenes. Conservation is not only about restoring wildlife, it is also about safeguarding what has already been achieved.
A big thank you to Stella, her handler Laura, and the wider Conservation Dogs Programme team for helping keep Tiritiri Matangi safe. 🐾
To book your ferry ticket to Tiritiri Matangi and perhaps also a guided walk, please copy or follow the link: https://www.exploregroup.co.nz/.../tiritiri-matangi-island/
Photo credit: Jonathan Mower
*https://www.doc.govt.nz/our-work/conservation-dog-programme/

16/05/2026

Haere rā!

What will you see when you leave Tiritiri Matangi Island? In a long-established tradition that never fails to bring a smile to visitors' faces, the Island's DoC rangers - and sometimes their families - gather on the wharf and go all out to wave haere rā to the departing ferry. In a final workout of the day, crew, guides and visitors reciprocate, arms aloft, until the treasured Island fades into the distance. It is a tribute, both touching and a little humorous, to the working relationship between the Department of Conservation and Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi.
To witness with your own eyes the magical sanctuary for endangered flora and fauna that this relationship has brought to life, book your ferry tickets here: https://www.exploregroup.co.nz/auckland/tiritiri-matangi-island

Photo credit: Eva Cadario .camera

11/05/2026

We are a winner!
Tiritiri Matangi has been awarded a 2026 Trip Advisor Traveler's Choice award ranking us among the Top 10% of Things to Do Worldwide!
Traveler's Choice Awards showcase the best experiences based on the reviews and opinions of millions of travelers from around the world so are the result of real-life traveler insights collected over a 12-month period on Tripadvisor.
Thanks are due to those whose reviews and feedback have led to Tiritiri Matangi receiving this award as well as the many people whose work and dedication have made the island the conservation success story it is today.
Ngā mihi mō tō koutou tautoko - Thank you for your support
To book your ferry ticket to Tiritiri Matangi and perhaps a guided walk, please copy or follow the link: https://www.exploregroup.co.nz/.../tiritiri-matangi-island/

Photo credit: Jonathan Mower

08/05/2026

Happy Birthday Sir David Attenborough.
Today, David Attenborough celebrates his milestone 100th birthday.
From hosting Zoo Quest in 1954 to inspiring generations through his lifelong dedication to the natural world, he has brought the beauty, wonder, and fragility of our planet into homes across the globe.
His oeuvre has shared a view of the living Earth in a way that is both intimate and powerful. This body of work revolutionised broadcasting and in doing so, moulded documentaries to an educational artform, brought innovation into film making ,and environmental advocacy into public consciousness.
Sir David visited Tiritiri Matangi twice, filming part of The Life of Birds there in 1996. In 2004, he said of the island: “It is a marvellous place and deserves to be celebrated.” He also wrote a handwritten letter to Anne Rimmer, author of Tiritiri Matangi: A Model of Conservation.
Thank you for a century of curiosity, compassion, and tireless advocacy for our natural world. Yours has been a life well lived.
*Tiritiri Matangi : A Model of Conservation. Anne Rimmer, 2004

On the eve of his 100th birthday on 8 May, Sir David Attenborough shares a message for us all 💚⁣Here in NZ, you can join the celebration by tuning in to BBC...

05/05/2026

"Ka whangaia, ka tupu, ka puawai”
That which is nurtured, blossoms then grows

The 'Growing Minds' education programme gratefully acknowledges the ongoing support of theJoyce Fisher Trust.

“Seeing a takahē and one baby was my favourite thing because I’d never seen a takahē before. I’d heard it in a story and I’d always wanted to see one ever since.”

Education on Tiritiri Matangi is about connection — connecting with te taiao (nature) and connecting with ourselves.
On Tiritiri Matangi, education goes beyond facts and figures, bringing classroom knowledge to life through powerful, real-world experiences that stay with students long after they leave the motu.
Through these moments of discovery, that seed of connection begins to grow — nurturing not just a love of nature, but a sense of responsibility to protect it.
“If we haven’t got a connection to te taiao, we don’t have a connection to ourselves. It plants a seed in the children for their connection to themselves to grow” – Adult helper
Through hands-on experiences, students see conservation in action and discover how they can make a difference in their own communities, helping today’s rangatahi grow into tomorrow’s conservation leaders.
Because it’s not just about what students learn today, it’s about nurturing lifelong learners and continuing a conservation legacy for generations to come.

The Growing Minds programme is made possible thanks to the generous support of Joyce Fisher Charitable Trust. If you, too, would like to invest in future leaders and help grow conservation-minded citizens, please consider supporting the Growing Minds programme.
To do so, visit https://www.tiritirimatangi.org.nz/ or via the link: https://portal.tiritirimatangi.org.nz/SoTM/Fundraising/Donate.aspx

Text: Sara Dean, Educator, SoTM
Photo Credits: SoTM file photos, Jonathan Mower