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Made Possible through support of

Meridian Energy

Fiordland College

Board of Trustees
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About

Background

How it all beganbegan

Imagine a place made safe for NZ native plants and animals. A place where local children, young and old, learn about conservation through action.

From February 2021, the Kids Restore the Kepler programme is overseen by the Fiordland College Board of Trustees, with funding from the former Fiordland Conservation Trust, which previously ran the project since its inception in 2010. It forms the educational arm of a large restoration project within the Kepler Mountains.

In 2006 the Kepler Challenge mountain run entered into a partnership with the Department of Conservation to establish and maintain predator traps around the length of the Kepler Track Great Walk. Stoats, rats, possums and cats have a devastating impact on native plants and animals, so trapping predators increases their chance of survival.

This work raised awareness of the many special animals still resident in the area, including kiwi, whio/blue duck and bats/pekapeka. This inspired the set up of a restoration project within the Kepler Mountains. Kids Restore the Kepler is actively involved in educational aspects relating to the conservation benefits of this programme.

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Educational Partners

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Of land monitored

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Single set DOC-200 stoat traps

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Young people involved

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Map from: Hill, G.S. 2017. Kids Restore the Kepler – Pest Control and Monitoring Annual Report 2016-17. Contract report for the New Zealand Department of Conservation, Te Anau, N.Z. 31 pp. Map contain data sourced from LINZ Data Service and licensed by LINZ for re-use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand licence.

Where we are

Location Where

Kids Restore the Kepler is an award-winning project which engages schools, community, contractors and DOC in active stewardship of the Kepler Peninsula in Fiordland National Park. Combining conservation and education, the project mobilises local learning centres, businesses, council and community volunteers to help control pests and protect endangered native species.

Kids Restore the Kepler is actively involved in protecting 530 ha of native forest nested within the larger predator control area of nearly 3,000 ha, which is highlighted in yellow.