Tawharanui Open Sanctuary Society Incorporated

15/06/2026

🦔 TĀWHARANUI TRAPPERS WINTER GATHERING 🪵

Whether you’re a seasoned pro on the trapline or completely new to conservation, we would love for you to join us! Come along for an informal morning get-together, grab a cuppa, and see how you can help protect our beautiful sanctuary.

🗓️ When: Sunday 12 July at 10:00 AM

📍 Where: Matakana Community Hall (Meeting room at the back)

What’s on the Agenda?
For Current Trappers: Our team will share recent trapping updates, run a quick refresher on keeping traps in top working condition, and open the floor to your ideas for improvement!

For Newcomers: TOSSI is looking for awesome volunteers to help with animal pest control. If you love Tāwharanui and want to give back, just a half-day or full day each month makes a massive difference!

Find Your Perfect Volunteering Fit:
We have roles for absolutely everyone—no matter your schedule or comfort level!

🌲 Out on the Trapline: Love fresh air and don't mind dealing with dead critters? Help us clear and re-bait traps.

📸 Trail Cameras & Track Maintenance: Prefer the fresh air but less keen on the critters? Help us maintain trail cameras (replacing batteries/SD cards) or keep our traplines accessible.

💻 Indoors & Flexible: Prefer to stay warm or only have free time at night? You can review camera SD cards for pest images or do vital data entry into Trap.NZ from the comfort of home.

🛠️ The Handy Type: Love fixing things? We always need help repairing traps and other equipment.

Rest assured, you're in good hands! All operations are fully supported by Auckland Council rangers and TOSSI volunteers, with all necessary training provided.

Bring yourself, a friend, or a neighbour who wants to make a difference. We can't wait to see you there for morning tea! ☕🍪

05/06/2026

Don't forget to join us this SUNDAY, 7TH JUNE for our first annual planting day. The amazing team from Fulton Hogan have spent the morning putting out all the plants. The plants are now waiting for you to come and put them in the ground on Sunday. See your then.

03/05/2026

Another successful Sunday in the Park. Thanks to the 40+ volunteers who turned up and put in the mahi. Your energy and effort is what keeps Tawharanui looking its best.

Of course, hard work deserves a reward, and the kitchen team delivered. The sausages and hash browns were sensational.

Thank you to everyone who played a part. See you all at the next one.

30/04/2026

Weather on Sunday is looking amazing for Sunday in the Park. Can't wait to see you.

24/04/2026

Exotic Caulerpa (an invasive seaweed) has been found within the Tāwharanui Marine Reserve.

This species spreads easily and forms dense mats on the seafloor, smothering native seaweeds and threatening marine life and kaimoana.

Ngāti Manuhiri have placed a rāhui over the affected area.
The rāhui will apply for an initial two-week period from 24 April to 8 May 2026 while a response to the infestation is developed and implemented. To help prevent the spread of exotic caulerpa, please do not enter the marine reserve during this time.

More information:

The Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust has placed a rāhui across the Tāwharanui Marine Reserve. This rāhui is in response to the detection of exotic caulerpa in the reserve on Thursday 23 April 2026.

24/02/2026

Huge shout-out to our amazing crew! 💚

A strong group of 15+ TOSSI volunteers spent the morning in the nursery pricking out seedlings, repotting cordyline, and collecting kahikatea seeds. The nursery is looking absolutely spectacular and is right on track for our annual planting. What a way to start the day!

30/01/2026

Sunday in the Park, tomorrow Sunday 1st February 2026!

Free tomorrow morning? Join us for the first Sunday in the Park of the year at Tāwharanui — a relaxed chance to spend some time caring for your favourite park, get into corners of the sanctuary most visitors don’t see, and enjoy being among native birds, plants and trees. No experience needed — just turn up.

Meet at the Woolshed, 9.00am, rain or shine
Tools and gloves provided, kids welcome, lunch afterwards

No need to register, just come along. There's lunch back at the Woolshed afterwards as a thank-you for your help.

Hope to see there tomorrow!

20/11/2025

Hear strange calls overhead at night? It might be tītī / Cook’s petrels, and the Seabird Trust need your ears!

Most of the world’s tītī fly right over our region at night on their way back to Hauturu/Little Barrier Island. The Seabird Trust is running a citizen-science project to map this amazing overland flyway, and your report could make a real difference.

👉 Listen to the call: https://shorturl.at/9j91K
👉 Find out more and report what you hear: https://www.nzseabirdtrust.com/our-species-projects

If you’re outside after dark between now and January, take a moment to listen skyward. Heard a tītī? Tell the team! Every record helps track their nocturnal journey across the Auckland/Northland isthmus.

13/10/2025

Tāwharanui’s wildlife doesn’t stop at the fence!
Our neighbours at Takatu LandCare are helping build a stronger buffer around the Open Sanctuary and protect the wider peninsula. Their upcoming Spring Celebration, with a guest speaker and the chance to meet other like-minded folk, is a lovely way to connect and be part of the wider conservation effort. Well worth popping along!

Unique opportunity to join our TLC conservation community for our Spring Celebration at Tawharanui Lodge and a talk by Christian Bay local Frances Valintine.

01/10/2025

Happy birthday, Tāwha! 🎉

If you’re walking around Tāwharanui this weekend and spot Tāwhara, our resident takahē chick, wish her a big “happy birthday!”

Born last summer, Tāwhara officially turns one today. On 1 October all chicks are added to the official tally - and Tāwha helps brings the population to an estimated 529 takahē.

As takahē are increasingly being released into the wild around Whakatipu in the South Island, making monitoring harder, she’ll be one of the last to be counted using the old system.

It’s a milestone worth celebrating - for Tāwhara, for Tāwharanui, and for all the rangers and volunteers who keep the park a safe haven for taonga like Tāwha.

Find out more:
Happy hatch-day, takahē | DOC Blog: https://blog.doc.govt.nz/2025/10/01/happy-hatch-day-takahe/