Five Department of Conservation sanctuaries help ensure the survival of kiwi.
Kiwi Recovery Group

In its early days, when kiwi’s future fell largely to the Department, the group was a small hub of research and operational experts, more likely to be out in the field doing kiwi work than sitting in a meeting room talking about it.
Today the landscape has changed completely. As awareness of the kiwi’s plight has grown, and more communities and agencies have joined the efforts to save the species, the role of the recovery group has also changed and adapted. It is less of a doer and more of a co-ordinator and enabler, and its membership has broadened, recognising that today much kiwi expertise lies outside the Department.
While still administered by the Department, the recovery group now plays more of a strategic role, networking between projects, community groups and other agencies to provide advice and share best practices, and encourage innovation and research.
By bringing together people with knowledge of the ecology and management needs of kiwi, it helps ensure efforts to save kiwi are co-ordinated and complementary.
An important part of the group’s work has been developing the Kiwi Recovery Plan 2008-2018. This presents the national goals, objectives, issues and actions, so that everyone working with kiwi has a clear understanding of what needs to happen.
Read about recent advice and information in the Dec 2011 edition of the Kiwi Recovery Group newsletter.
Meet the Kiwi Recovery Group’s members
Kiwi can get all the water they need from their food – earthworms are 85% water – allowing them to live in dry places. Being nocturnal also helps – they don’t get hot, bothered and dried out by the sun.













