Southern Lakes Sanctuary

11/06/2026

The crew from Southern Lakes Sanctuary recently joined us for a couple of days in scenic Rees Valley, helping to check on the local wild takahē and retrieve some GPS tags.

⚖ We’re pleased to report that every adult bird we caught had gained a healthy amount of weight since they were released. One particularly chonky pair stood out on the scales: female Puarangi at 3.1 kg and male Feldwick a hefty 3.7 kg - well above what we’d expect for other adult birds.

🐣 We also managed to catch the three juveniles known to have hatched there last year. They are the first Rees Valley-born takahē, and they’ve now been fitted with bands and transmitters so we can track their progress.

🛰 The GPS tag data, taken from a cross section of takahē in the valley, will give us valuable insight into how they are using the habitat. This research will help shape the future of this site and inform future site selection for takahē.

Since February last year, 86 birds have been released into the valley. It’s early days and there is still a lot to learn about the site but for now, seeing the first locally hatched chicks thriving as juveniles (📸 4&6), and strong weights from the adults overall (📸 1,3&8), is a promising start.

10/06/2026

Any moth-frothers out there? Come along to hear about our collab project and find out how you can be involved🦋

07/06/2026

❤️ A huge milestone for takahē recovery in Aotearoa! 💙

The Rees Valley is now home to the largest wild population of takahē outside the Murchison Mountains – a remarkable achievement made possible by years of predator control, monitoring, partnership and community support.

Proof that when we work together to give nature a chance, it can recover. 🪶🌿

A massive thank you to Takahē Recovery, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, Routeburn Dart Wildlife Trust, Rees Valley Station, volunteers, and supporters including Fulton Hogan, New Zealand Nature Fund, AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand, RealNZ, Impact100 Whakatipu, Queenstown Lakes District Council, Patagonia, Heli Glenorchy, Lotteries Environment and Heritage Fund, Stout Trust (proudly managed by Perpetual Guardian, and the many philanthropic donors and community members helping make this possible. 💚

Years of predator control and trapping in the valley near Glenorchy has made it home to the largest wild population outside their original Fiordland habitat.

07/06/2026

Last week we were lucky enough to host legendary Cam Speedy, with some of our volunteer trappers joining him for a walk-through of one of our trap lines and the opportunity to learn from decades of hands-on experience.

We had Cam spend a day with volunteers from Whakatipu Wildlife Trust, then the following day he went over the hill to go out with the Predator Free Wanaka team. Such a great opportunity for our staff and volunteers to upskill, chat to each other about issues or conservation wins.

One of the biggest takeaways was the importance of being active trappers, not just trap checkers. This means stopping to really look at each set, opening traps up, refreshing or changing the bait regularly, burying old Erayz, scuffing around entrances, and using plenty of blaze to make trap lines stand out to the predators we’re targeting. If it’s not catching anything, change something.

Cam also reinforced the importance of understanding the pests we’re trying to control, including knowing the difference between rat species, as ship rats and Norway rats behave differently and often prefer different habitats and baits. Predator Free NZ has a great guide on rats here: https://predatorfreenz.org/toolkits/know-your-target-predators/rat/ -do-NZ's-rats-look-like

For those wanting to dive a little deeper, Cam also advocates for trapping by the moon. Check out this fascinating article: https://predatorfreenz.org/stories/predator-trapping-by-the-moon-the-influence-of-maramataka/

If you missed out, you can also watch a very informative webinar by Cam Speedy’s here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWnMNgyqMuQ

04/06/2026

🌏 World Environment Day 2026 🌿

This year's theme focuses on climate change — on the urgent signals the Earth is sending, and the signals we choose to send back.

Every trap checked, every native tree planted, every volunteer hour contributed, and every predator removed is a signal that we care about the future of our environment. Healthy ecosystems are more resilient ecosystems, helping native species adapt and thrive in a changing world.

World Environment Day is a good reminder that conservation isn't just about protecting what we have today — it's about building resilient ecosystems for tomorrow.

31/05/2026

🌟 Two very special honours for two very special people 🌟

Today we're celebrating the recognition of our long-serving Co-Chairs, Dr Leslie Van Gelder (ONZM) and Greg Lind (MNZM), in the King’s Birthday Honours.🎖

Both have been part of Southern Lakes Sanctuary since the beginning, helping grow an ambitious idea into a movement that is restoring and protecting wildlife across the Southern Lakes.

Anyone who knows Leslie and Greg will know they would be the first to point to the many people who have made this work possible. These honours recognise decades of commitment to conservation, but they also reflect the efforts of mana whenua, volunteers, landowners, supporters, funders, scientists, community members and of course our incredible team of staff and trustees who have walked alongside them.

We're immensely grateful for their leadership, passion and belief in what is possible when people come together for nature. 💚

Please join us in congratulating Leslie and Greg on this well-deserved recognition. 👏

Read their story here: https://southernlakessanctuary.org.nz/southern-lakes-sanctuary-co-chairs-receive-kings-birthday-honours/

📣 We'd love to hear your memories, stories or congratulations for Leslie and Greg in the comments!

29/05/2026

Predator Free Wānaka have been quietly working away over the last 7 years and hitting some serious milestones.

Growing from an idea and a small backyard trapping effort, Predator Free Wānaka has now grown into a network spanning the Upper Clutha. With a 130 active volunteers, over 1200 traps and ongoing wildlife monitoring.

The culmination of hard mahi, great community and countless hours of effort from dedicated volunteers all paying off!

Predator Free Wanaka has just launched its new social media page here so chuck them a like and see what the legends are up to next! 🥳

If you would like to get involved or sign up to their epic new newsletter you can also reach them here - [email protected]

27/05/2026

We've dissected a few feral cats lately... they didn't just have feathers and fur in their tum tum tums! Feral, stray, and companion cats are all capable of serious ecological harm. Consider keeping your kitties indoors — for their sake and our wildlife's! 🐈

25/05/2026

144 people. One shared mission for nature. 💚

On Friday we were proud to host the Southern Regional Predator Free Hui alongside Predator Free New Zealand Trust, bringing together community groups, Councils, agencies, landowners, scientists, funders and practitioners from across Otago and Southland.

The day covered everything from feral cats and landscape-scale predator control to cutting-edge tools and technologies — including devices that can detect stoat smells, audio lures, and even the science behind creating “possum nightclubs”!

Alongside the innovation was a strong focus on collaboration, community-led action and the urgency of protecting our native species.

One line from the day summed it up perfectly:
“Doing nothing is an extinction ticket for our native species.”

Huge thanks to everyone who attended, exhibited and contributed, and to Predator Free New Zealand Trust for their ongoing national advocacy and support for the sector.

The future for nature depends on all of us - and together, we’re building something extraordinary. 🌿

📸 David Lewis, Predator Free New Zealand Trust