Lake Ohia, Te Hiku Community Hui & Habitat Assessments

The Love Bittern Project travels into every region of New Zealand empowering people to raise awareness for Bittern, help protect Bittern and to restore their wetland homes.

Check out our Spring 2025 road trip here!

9 August 2025

James and I travelled together to Lake Ohia in the Far North to hold a workshop supported by DOC Kaitaia for the Te Hiku Community.

We had 16 people attend the workshop representing DOC, iwi, community groups and landowners.

After the workshop we had a site visit beside the ' Coca-cola' Lakes ( Lake Rotopokaka ) and DOC told us about all of the work they were doing there to protect (remove pests, resuce disturbances) and monitor using acoustic recorders.

Matuku-hūrepo have been seen foraging in farm drains and wetlands in Te Hiku Community / the Karikari peninsula.

We visited several sites while there ..most public conservation land under management...and one on private land. 

The aim of the visit was to assess the habitat and make recommendations for improvement / to be more suitable for Matuku-hūrepo.

The habitat was amazing! Such a rare opportunity to a variety of wetlands and boglands with unique cultural and biodiversity values.

The private landowners are working incredibly hard to look after and improve biodiversity on farm.

After the assessment we weren't sure if the water would stay long enough to keep reed beds wet through the breeding season, what fish were there (and if they had everything they needed to be in abundance) and where the foraging opportunities were on farm with water levels fluctuating.

Here are our recommendations:

-retain water levels for 90 days between Sept-Dec in reed bed areas (to help breeding females nest and raise chicks). To do this it may mean trying to retain water into the summer (Dec, and if we could Jan)

-increase foraging access as part of drain maintenance regime so Bittern have ramped access into drains and can feed even when water levels fluctuate.

-get to know what native fish/eel species are present and make sure they have everything they need to be abundant=a sustainable food source for bittern.

Good on you Te Hiku for supporting the ABs!