THE GAME PLAN

The Kaharoa Kōkako Trust carries out a pest-control sweep ahead of the kōkako breeding season.

Maintaining tracks and bait stations wasn't always a walk in the park. Laurence remembers the early days when volunteers all piled into a 4WD to get through the rough forest.

“You couldn't get in and out any other way.”

The number of trails and bait stations has increased dramatically since the trust's inception. These days, up to 30 volunteers disperse themselves through the bush, each covering 2-3 tracks within the 803ha (1985 acre) conservation area.