After the Fire

Article from Forest & Bird magazine November 1999

Forest and Bird's yellow-eyed penguin reserve at Te Rere, in Southland, is gradually recovering from the devastating fire which swept this isolated coastal area four years ago. More than two-thirds of the 100 or so birds were burnt alive as fire swept through the coastal forest, and enthusiasts who orginally worked to secure the reserve have had to replant it again.

Over a period of 20 years, through fluctuating fortunes, Forest and Bird has invested considerable funds, volunteer time, and much physical effort into the 70-hectare reserve.

Te Rere is near to the southernmost point of the South Island, and ideal location for penguins to access a rich, oceanic feeding area. This is an extremely rugged and wave-battered coastline, much of it cliffed and inaccessible, but at Te Rere itself a small sheltered inlet, and a sloping rock shelf on a narrow lee shore, provide two landing places for penguins. Here the birds are able to surf in on the ocean swells sweeping the coast and then, as they gain a foothold on the slippery rocks, scramble to the safety of the bush. Te Rere has no doubt provided a haven to thousands of generations of these long-lived birds.

Unique among penguins, the yellow-eyed prefers to live and breed in the cool shelter of forest. Here, individuals live to more than 20 years, consistently raising an annual brood of two chicks with their long-term partners. The long, arduous work of chick raising occupies the warmer months from October to March and is shared equally by both parents.

Until the 1970's, the penguins at Te Rere had a relatively secure home in forest which swept right down to the seashore. They could also gain easy access to forest further inland, by swimming up the small, gently flowing Te Rere stream. They had plenty of habitat to spread into. Pairs of birds found private nesting sites beside enveloping tree fern, under twisting rata and among the roots of giant rimu trees. The penguins throve in this environment and the local people tell of them 'being everywhere'.

The remote security of the penguins was shattered, however, in the late 1970s when a new owner of the land started clearing the forest for farmland. About this time, members of the Southland Branch of Forest and Bird became aware of the situation, and an urgent effort to save some of the penguins' habitat was initiated. Fortunately for the penguins at Te Rere, support for saving them came from several sources. The farmer allowed an area on the coast to be fenced off for them, and the Wildlife Service provided fence materials. Penguin researcher John Darby provided information and support, and Forest and Bird provided co-ordination and physical effort to erect the fence and start replanting.

Within a few months the fence was up and the future of the birds looked secure; but all was not well. Rapid forest-clearing outside the fence brought a greater risk of fire. Possums, deer and hares ravaged new plantings. Stoats were common. Most significantly, closer examination of the area revealed that the new fence only protected about half the penguins in the colony. To secure the colony, a larger area was needed and longer-term security of land tenure guaranteed.

It was at this stage that the project became a national one for Forest and Bird. The colony was recognised as one of the most significant on the mainland, (a Cousteau team filmed here) and in 1987 the Society found the money for a land purchase on the basis that Southland Branch could raise funds for fencing. Fortunately, there was a new owner of the land who was willing to sell in order to help the penguins. The purchase agreement was made in 1988 and the Te Rere Penguin Reserve established. From that time many organisations and individuals contributed to the effort by the Southland Branch to fence the larger area and start the huge task of replanting the forest habitat.

Other hazards remained however. Browsing animals continued to set back regrowth, and in February 1995 fire devastated the reserve. Starting in smouldering stumps several kilometres away, the flames were fanned by exceptionally strong winds and swept through half-cleared forest and into the penguins' home. The vegetation was explosively dry as a result of a two month drought and more than two-thirds of the 100 adult penguins at Te Rere were killed outright. There were fledgling chicks still on shore and these, and more adults, suffered and died over the next few days despite rescue efforts by Department of Conservation. The birds were particularly vulnerable because some were ashore moulting while others were still feeding their chicks. With a total world population of about 3500, the losses caused by the fire were extremely serious. To the people of Southland who had invested so much time and effort in Te Rere, the destruction by the fire was a devastating blow.

Recovery since the 1995 fire has been slow and penguin numbers are still only in the thirties. The fire disrupted normal nest sites and penguins that survived often had to find new long-term mates. This led to low breeding success for Te Rere birds and, in addition, the 1998-99 season was not very good for most yellow-eyed penguin colonies on the mainland. It is thought this was because of a downturn in the food supply.

Recovery of the land habitat has progressed more favourably. A detailed plan now guides management. A caretaker employed by the Society visits the colony each month to observe the penguins, and maintain possum, stoat and hare control. Firebreaks and an emergency water supply pond have been constructed. Thousands of flaxes have been planted in exposed places and a variety of native shrubs in more sheltered locations. The planting has been done by volunteers of the Southland Branch of Forest and Bird assisted by many others. John Darby and the caretaker have maintained watch on the birds, while the adjacent farmer developed the firebreak.

Southland Forest and Bird is optimistic that Te Rere will be re-established as a major mainland penguin colony. As one of the principal aims of management at the reserve is to keep it as natural as possible, access is generally restricted. However, the Southland branch invites visitors to take part in one of the regular working bees.