Te Rere Guided Tour
Ko te manu e kai ana i te miro, nōnā te ngahere. Ko te manu e kai ana i te mātauranga, nōnā te ao. The bird that consumes the miro berry, theirs is the forest. The bird that consumes knowledge, theirs is the world.
Waikawa Community Nursery’s inspiration comes in large part from Chris and Brian Rance’s Southland Community Nursery where they grow local Southland plants and offer a range of workshops and educational opportunities to community groups undertaking restoration projects. Chris and Brian have a long association with a local project, Te Rere Yellow-Eyed Penguin Reserve, owned by Forest and Bird. Brian’s been involved with Te Rere since the 1980s and has deep and practical knowledge of restoration ecology in Southland, inclduing how to recloak harsh coastal sites like Te Rere.
It was a treat to head out on a guided tour which Brian put on for the Waikawa Catchment Group on Friday 27 March - we were able to hear about the challenges of the site, the difficulties of trying to protect hoiho | yellow-eyed penguins (Threatened - Nationally Endangered) and also some of the successes and surprises over the years. Cheryl Pullar (DOC penguin ranger) also gave an informative talk about her work with hoiho at this site over the last 25 years.
Posted: 29 March 2026
