Save the Kiwi staff checking on a kiwi at Pukeatua School on 11 April, 2024, ahead of a major project to move up to 300 kiwis off the Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari. Photo: RNZ / Libby Kirkby-McLeod
A unique partnership in Waikato is allowing local schoolchildren close up access to kiwi.
Over the next couple of months, up to 300 birds will move off the Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari to other parts of the North Island.
It is believed to be the country's biggest ever kiwi relocation project.
A health check for each bird was a core part of the process, but what made these checks different from any other is that they took place at Pukeatua School with the help of Save the Kiwi staff.
Teacher Elizabeth O'Kane said two students were able to participate in each bird health check.
"It's absolutely amazing, it's a unique experience for the children, and for the parents, and for the school. And we are loving it, absolutely loving it," she said.
Fletcher, 9, explained what the students did.
"You had to go have a look and you'd have like this board and you had to write what it was, if it was male or female, the size of it, how heavy it was, stuff like that."
For Gracie, 7, it was her first time seeing a kiwi up close.
"It looks cute, and lots of fluffy," she said.
Save the Kiwi staff checking on a kiwi at Pukeatua School on 11 April, 2024, ahead of a major project to move up to 300 kiwis off the Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari. Photo: RNZ / Libby Kirkby-McLeod
Barker, 12, noticed all the ways Save the Kiwi made sure the bird could be tracked once released.
"I saw them get to put a jab underneath their wing ... got to see them put a band on their leg to track them."
Helen McCormick is from Gallagher Kiwi Burrow, a specialist kiwi incubation centre which releases most of their chicks onto Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari to grow before being relocated.
The partnership with the school had been amazing, McCormick said.
"The kids have been really excited to be involved in this. So we've got them coming in each day - usually an older and a younger kid - so they come and take their own notes and they are so respectful and so excited to be there."
After all, these kiwi had until now been the school's neighbours.
"These are birds off their maunga that's producing this fantastic number of birds that we can translocation to other areas," McCormick said.
Helen McCormick, from Gallagher Kiwi Burrow, says the kiwi had until now been the school's neighbours. Photo: RNZ / Libby Kirkby-McLeod
Pukeatua School and Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari had a long running connection with each other and with the mountain.
Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari lead educator Phil Margetts said the school visited once a term as they were able to simply walk up.
"This is just another way for us to develop those connections and for us all locally to be in the same waka to share the mauri and the mana of the maunga."
Like everyone involved in the project, year eight student Enja hoped one day everybody in New Zealand would be able to have a close encounter with kiwi.
"It's really cool and if they ever got the opportunity, I would definitely do it - it's a wonderful experience," she said.
The Waikato relocation project was a collaboration between Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari, local mana whenua Ngāti Koroki Kahukura, Ngāti Hauā, Raukawa, and Waikato, and Save the Kiwi. The birds were going to new homes in the Wellington region, Tongariro and Taranaki.