Muriwai is home to some of Auckland’s most remarkable native wildlife, but its ecosystems face growing pressure from predators, vehicles, extreme weather and human activity. Behind the work to protect and restore this special stretch of coastline is the volunteer-led Muriwai Environmental Trust.
We spoke with Richard Wright from the Trust about its conservation work, the ambitious goal of returning kiwi to Muriwai, and how the Muriwai Half Marathon is helping fund that vision. From trail running to trapping, planting and donating, there are plenty of ways the community can get involved.
Q. For people who don’t know Muriwai Environmental Trust, who are you and what are you working to achieve?
A. Muriwai Environmental Trust (MET) has been protecting, enhancing and restoring Muriwai and Waimauku’s ecosystems and biodiversity for over 15 years. We are a community-led group of volunteers who hold a deep sense of kaitiakitanga (guardianship) for the Muriwai environment.
We have four key project pillars:
Feathered Fortress, and the Muriwai Penguin Project, protects kororā (little blue penguins), ōi (grey-faced petrels) and tākapu (gannets) that live and breed in the coastal and dune ecosystems.
Goldie Halo, and the Muriwai Kiwi Project, undertakes landscape-scale trapping around Goldie Bush and Te Taiapa, with the goal of reintroducing kiwi to the area.
Korowai Dunes advocates for and restores damaged beach and dune systems on Muriwai Beach.
Lastly, our Backyards programme includes a native plant nursery with over 8,000 plants, restoration of land damaged in Cyclone Gabrielle and since cleared, and a rat baiting and trapping programme.
Across all of the projects, we have hundreds of volunteers on the team.
Q. Why is Muriwai such an important place to protect and restore?
A. Muriwai is the most biodiverse hotspot in the Auckland region, with a range of rare and endangered animals, plants and ecosystems. Our coastal cliffs and forest are home to the iconic gannet colony, a thriving kororā colony and one of just a few mainland ōi colonies.
Our dunes to the north are home to the critically endangered korowai gecko, which is endemic to the area. There have been just a few dozen individuals ever observed. The dunes are also home to katipō spiders and tātahi skinks. Our rare kauri forest is home to a range of birdlife, including kākā and miromiro. We have wetlands with rare pāteke (brown teal) and mātuku-hūrepo (bittern). Our marine ecosystem supports and nurtures many of these animals and ecosystems and is home to critically endangered Māui dolphins.
However, all of these ecosystems are under threat. Climate change-induced storms, coastal inundation and marine heatwaves are having a huge impact. Four-wheel drives and motorbikes on the beach and in the dunes destroy these ecosystems. There were 85,000 vehicle movements on Muriwai Beach last year. Introduced mammalian predators such as stoats and ferrets threaten our birdlife. This place is also the most popular beach in New Zealand, with 1.4 million visitors each year. It needs our help and it is worth protecting, which is why we do what we do.
Q. Bringing kiwi back to Muriwai is an exciting goal. What needs to happen before that can become a reality?
A. It is a massive undertaking. Kiwi were once commonplace in the Waitākere Ranges but died out in the mid-60s due to predation from mustelids. Firstly, we need to ensure that our release area is a suitable kiwi habitat and that local iwi are supportive. The release area is an important and historic area for iwi, with “Te Taiapa” meaning “the fence”, referring to fortified pā in the area.
To keep kiwi safe, our trapping needs to be extensive and regular. All of our trapping is done by volunteers. Ferrets are the biggest threat, as a ferret can kill an adult kiwi whereas a stoat cannot, and our ferret detection and trapping needs to be gold standard. We are developing our own AI-powered, real-time trail camera system to quickly detect incursions and deploy resources to deal with them.
Dog management is the other big challenge, as dogs are one of the biggest killers of wild kiwi. As many dogs as possible in the area should be trained to avoid kiwi, which is a quick and easy process. Lastly, our community needs to be supportive of the vision, which they generally are.
Q. How did the Muriwai Half Marathon come about, and how does the event support the conservation work you’re doing?
A. The Muriwai Half Marathon was the brainchild of our ultra-running locals and master trappers Boyd and Cam Steel. Boyd and Cam drove the dream of kiwi reintroduction and have trapped extensively in Goldie, with birdlife exploding back into the area through these efforts.
At the beginning of last year, we missed out on a key funding application. Boyd and Cam came up with the idea of creating a fundraising running event through the amazing trails of Muriwai to keep the kiwi reintroduction dream alive. Boyd and Cam are Muriwai born and bred, and their dad, Mike, started the Muriwai Sea Slugs trail running group in the 70s. The boys have resurrected the group, and it regularly has 20 to 30 runners turning up every Sunday morning, so trail running is in their blood.
This year marks the second year of the Muriwai Half, and we plan to run it every year, with all funds raised going to the Muriwai Kiwi Project and keeping kiwi safe.
Q. What are some of the biggest challenges facing the area now, and where can the community make the biggest difference?
A. The effect of climate change has had a big impact on Muriwai. We lost over 70 houses from the effects of landslides caused by Cyclone Gabrielle, which also resulted in the loss of two lives. The Penguin Project lost 60% of our traps and nest boxes, and a lot of penguin habitat was damaged.
The huge impact of vehicles on the beach and illegal dune driving could drive both the toheroa and the korowai gecko to extinction.
Q. For someone reading this who wants to help, what are the best ways to get involved?
A. Joining the event is an awesome start. By all means, if you want to be involved, let us know and we will find something for you to do, whether it is restoration planting or trapping. Otherwise, donations are always appreciated, of course.
