Bay Harbour: June 09, 2021

Bay Harbour News Wednesday June 9 2021
4
NEWS
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Recognition a
Māori, disability and
group effort
• From page 1
Francis said that it was a nice
thanks for all they had done, but
it also held meaning for the next
generation, encouraging them to
continue the work to protect the
penguins.
Shireen said there are people
out there just as deserving of the
honours.
She said they were originally
inspired by their neighbour Mark
Armstrong and the predator
trapping he was doing on his
property.
They took up the protection
call, and after years of trapping,
making nest boxes, monitoring
and rehabilitation, the Helps have
stabilised the penguin colony at
Pōhatu Flea Bay.
Pōhatu Flea Bay now has 1260
breeding pairs, the single largest
little penguin population on the
mainland.
The Helps believe this success
is because of a collaborative effort
with the other farmers and the
Banks Peninsula Conservation
Trust.
Shireen said one of the highlights
of all their work was when
a rehab penguin they had nursed
back to health went away to sea
and then came back to successfully
go on and breed.
“We were told rehab birds
hardly ever survive,” said Shireen.
“It was great to have confirmation
what you’re doing makes a
difference.”
The couple run Pōhatu Penguins
on their property, a tourism
business offering penguin and
nature tours, kayaking and
accommodation. This provides
them with the revenue to continue
their conservation and
education work.
University students often
frequent the bay, focusing their
projects on penguin conservation.
Said Francis: “We appear to
have run a farm in a sensitive
ecological area with streams,
native bush, and wildlife all doing
quite well.”
His new concern is making
sure research is conducted on
how sea surface temperature
change impacts the penguins and
their wider ecosystem.
Francis said they will
keep continuing with their
conservation work for as long as
they can.
• By Samantha Mythen
THREE MORE residents from
Bay Harbour News area received
Queen’s Birthday Honours on
Monday. They have dedicated
their time and energy in a
diverse range of areas, including
Māori and disability advocacy,
and ESOL education for
refugees.
Yvette Couch-Lewis, from
Governors Bay, received an
Order of Merit for her services to
conservation and Māori.
Couch-Lewis is chairperson
for the governance board of the
Lyttleton/Whakaraupō Whaka
Ora Healthy Harbour Catchment
Management Plan, which
was created in 2018 under her
leadership.
RECOGNISED:
Yvette Couch-
Lewis on
the wharf at
Rāpaki.
PHOTO: TE
RŪNANGA O
NGĀI TAHU
The plan is a significant collaboration
between Te Hapū o Ngati
Wheke, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu
with Tangata Tiaki, Environment
Canterbury, the city council, and
the Lyttelton Port Company.
Its goal is to restore the
ecological and cultural health
of the harbour as a mahinga kai
(food gathering source) for future
generations.
Thank you for
helping your
community
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