Campbells Bay Urban Sanctuary NZ

17/08/2026

Sediment from construction sites can have a devastating impact on our streams and wildlife. Please read, stay vigilant and report sediment runoff when you see it.

Did you know that all sediment must remain on site during construction? That includes mud, dirt and sediment laden liquid. If it runs off the site, it will end up in our stormwater network and streams, coating the natural stream bed, smothering aquatic plants, insect habitats and eggs, while clogging the gills and eyes of fish, making it impossible for them to breathe or see. If you see sites like this, call the Auckland Council Pollution Hotline on 09 377 3107 and they'll send their team out to investigate.

22/07/2026

A fantastic initiative from Viv Walker and the team at Restore Hibiscus & Bays.

In Campbells Bay we’ve seen first-hand the devastating impact pollution can have on our local streams and wildlife. Education and prevention are key, and this campaign is a simple way everyone can help protect our precious awa.

Congratulations to Viv and everyone involved in bringing the ‘No Paint In Drains’ campaign to life.

Please take a moment to read, share and help spread the message.

09/07/2026

✨ What a magical way to welcome the Māori New Year.

A wonderful crowd gathered before dawn in Centennial Park this morning for our fourth annual Matariki sunrise celebration. On a crisp, clear winter morning, the Matariki stars sparkled brightly overhead before giving way to a spectacular sunrise over the sea.

Thank you to everyone who joined us, and especially to Kendall Fricker for leading us in karakia, sharing the significance of Matariki, waiata, and a tree planting. It was a meaningful morning of reflection, connection and community, finished with warm drinks, kai and great conversation.

As Matariki reminds us to remember those who have passed, celebrate the present, and look ahead with hope, it also invites us to reflect on our responsibility as kaitiaki of Papatūānuku. In light of the recent pollution event in Campbells Bay, the morning was a timely reminder of the importance of caring for the natural environment that sustains us, and of the role we all play in protecting it for future generations.

Mānawatia a Matariki. ✨

03/07/2026

Hundreds of eels and fish have been found dead after chemicals were flushed into an Auckland creek volunteers had spent decades restoring.

03/07/2026

A huge thank you to our wonderful committee member and Restore Hibiscus & Bays Community Activator, Viv Walker, for being such a passionate voice for our local environment.

Viv represented our community on national television, speaking with Ryan Bridge about the devastating pollution spill that killed hundreds of native tuna (eels) and fish in a Campbells Bay stream.

Please take a moment to watch the interview below 👇🏽

If you saw anything unusual in Campbells Bay last weekend, or if you ever witness pollution entering a drain or stream, please report it to Auckland Council’s Pollution Hotline on 09 377 3107. All reports are confidential.

Thank you, Viv, for your passionate mahi and advocacy 💚

'Conservationist and catchment activator, Viv Walker says they'd been working for decades to restore the waterway. Video / Ryan Bridge TODAY

30/06/2026

A devastating day for Campbells Bay 🥲
So sad to witness the loss of so many taonga species.

89% of NZ's native freshwater fish are threatened with extinction, or at risk of becoming threatened. Please think before disposing of chemicals or waste down outside drains.

If you see pollution report it immediately, record evidence and report it to Auckland Council.

OUTSIDE DRAINS LEAD TO THE STREAM AND THE SEA

29/06/2026

How many birds visit your backyard?

The 20th New Zealand Garden Bird Survey is underway, and we’d love our Campbells Bay community to get involved!

By spending just one hour counting the birds you see or hear in your garden, local park or school, you’ll be contributing to Aotearoa’s largest and longest-running citizen science project. Every count helps build a better understanding of how our native and introduced birds are doing and supports conservation efforts.

It’s simple:
- Choose one hour between 27 June and 5 July
- Count the birds you see or hear
- Submit your results online

Whether you’re an experienced birdwatcher or simply enjoy seeing tūī, pīwakawaka and kererū around the neighbourhood, your observations matter.

Find everything you need, including tally sheets and bird identification guides, here: https://gardenbirdsurvey.nz/

Let’s help build a clearer picture of the birds that call our community home 🐦♥️

18/06/2026

The last Bird Count of Autumn 🍂 - Enjoy!

Thanks to Jenny Chamberlain for her beautiful words and Viv Walker for the stunning photos.

Centennial Park Bush Society Bird Report for 26 May 2026, 7:15am to 10am

The pre-dawn temperature was 9 degrees but felt colder when Liz, Viv and Jenny set off up Park Rise to meet Richard for the last walk of autumn. On the way we met the beautiful, heavy-duty Barnevelder hen, which freely roams the berms at the top of Park Rise. Being domesticated it doesn’t feature in our stats of course but a few years ago we were amused to meet a regular chook along the Zig Zag Track, which Liz later caught and returned to its owner.

Liz quickly noted mynahs, blackbirds, tui, two grey warblers and wished I she had gloves to warm her hands for note-taking. Thrushes, which have been practising their winter singing for a couple of weeks now, were still a-bed and the golf greens were mostly bird-free. Viv took photos into the blazing eye of the rising sun and we knew birdrise would be soon; meantime the pond was still and chilly-looking and across East Coast Road feral pigeons were assembling on their customary power line, landing carefully one by one like planes on a runway.

Soon Liz was hearing greenfinches and thrushes were starting up, Richard saw a kingfisher and magpies were calling. Magpies are problematic Aussie migrants but in their homeland they have just come top in the 2026 Australian survey of urban bird species. Interestingly, Birdlife Australia has been gathering annual citizen science bird data for 12 years but 2027 will mark the 20th since CPBS began doing the same thing (monthly) for Centennial Park*.

At Greenfinch Bridge thrushes were loud, greenfinches and chaffinch were heard and fantails began to be numerous. It was so good to look down and see banded kokopu in the little stream here, their habitat having been rescued from paddling dogs by Viv’s amazing stream fencing programme. Thank you Viv and thanks to every dog owner who keeps their pet(s) on-leash along the park’s fragile track and stream-edge networks.

As the sun warmed the forest, trees and bushes released their fragrance, a life-giving blend of teatree flowers, wet leaves, damp earth, and a hundred other scents. Someone should bottle it. And there were numerous silvereyes in a totara, a large tui feeding in a garden gordonia, carpets of coffee-coloured fungi in the wattle grove, rosellas in a liquidambar and, when we looked up, eight tui flying way up high all in the same direction. Where were they going? Why? We will never know!!

Busy Richard left us along the Aberdeen Track and we walked across sunny Morton Meadow noticing grey warblers and silvereyes threading in and out of flowering teatrees. Viv and Jenny peeled off at 9:20am, by the yellow gum in Sandford Street Clearing and, as we farewelled Liz, Viv saw two kereru gliding above the kahikatea trees. Liz carried on from here and finished the walk at 10am, with 19 species in her notebook including: 42 tui, 41 silvereyes, 26 blackbirds, 21 thrushes, 12 fantails and one welcome swallow.

*Liz, Richard and Jenny have been surveying and recording birds monthly in Centennial Park since November 2007. Please get in touch if you would like to undertake bird training with us: [email protected]

- Jenny Chamberlain 26/05/26

16/06/2026

This National Volunteer Week, we’d like to thank the many people who help care for Campbells Bay Urban Sanctuary and our wider local environment.

The bush, tracks, streams and wildlife that make Campbells Bay such a beautiful place to live don’t look after themselves. They thrive because of the time, effort and care of volunteers who turn up throughout the year to plant, w**d, monitor wildlife, maintain tracks, control pests and support the sanctuary in countless other ways.

Whether you join us regularly or can only spare an hour now and then, every contribution makes a difference.

Conservation is built on many small actions, and we’re grateful for every one of them.

Our working bees are held every Wednesday morning and on the first Saturday morning of each month. If you’d like to get involved, or are interested in helping with predator control or other activities, we’d love to hear from you.

A sincere thank you to all our volunteers. Your care helps make Campbells Bay an even better place for people and nature 💚🌿

14/06/2026

🌿 Join us for our AGM and Special Guest Speaker Evening 🦇

Wednesday 17 June
🕖 7.00pm for a 7.30pm start
📍 Pupuke Golf Club House, 231 East Coast Road

Following a brief AGM, we are delighted to welcome Fredrik Hjelm (Freddie!) from Living Tree as our guest speaker.

Freddie is a field-based practitioner in canopy ecology and environmental operations, working throughout Aotearoa in native bat (pekapeka) conservation, kauri protection, canopy research, and large-scale forest surveys. His work focuses on collaboration with mana whenua and local communities, and he is the handler of Hawke, part of Aotearoa’s first certified bat conservation dog team.

In this fascinating presentation, Freddie will explore New Zealand’s only native land mammals – our precious pekapeka. Learn about their ecology and behaviour, the challenges they face, and the practical conservation efforts helping to protect them. Topics include habitat restoration, roost design, monitoring techniques, and strategies to support this unique and threatened taonga species.

Everyone is welcome. We look forward to seeing you there!