Southern Lakes Sanctuary
Southern Lakes Sanctuary Trust’s Returning Takahē to the Rees Project: Committed to the long-term protection of the critically endangered takahē, SLS is preparing for a release of these iconic birds in February 2025. Their project focuses on habitat protection through predator control and the creation of the "Impact100 Turk" in the Rees Valley to aid monitoring efforts during this vital initiative.
Southern Lakes Sanctuary's two-year project aims to prepare the upper Rees Valley for a February 2025 takahē release, a significant milestone in the long-term protection of this taonga species against the very real threat of extinction.
The release will be in collaboration with DOC and iwi. The release area has been identified by DOC as the best location for the next release of takahē in the wild. The installation of predator traps is underway, and will continue this summer. The next step is to fly in, and fit out, a Turk for use by the project team over the summer, ahead of the birds' release, and thereafter, for the life of the project. This structure will be called the Impact100 Turk.
Having a weatherproof shelter will be invaluable for the Health and Safety of staff, facilitate monitoring and control activities, reduce staff time and resources (by allowing overnight stays), and amplify the habitat protection mahi which is essential for the overall success of this project.
In Year 1, if SLS was to be successful, the grant monies would be part spent: on the Turk, mustelid traps, staff labour costs for predator control and monitoring work (including telemetry to track the takahē), heli transportation (for the Turk and the project team), baits, lures and the lease of an appropriate vehicle to access the upper reaches of the valley.
In Year 2 the balance monies would be applied to heli transport, staff labour costs for ongoing predator control and monitoring work, baits/lures and lease costs.
https://southernlakessanctuary.org.nz/