BPCT exists to serve the community. We work closely with landowners, mana whenua, community groups, researchers and schools to create and sustain a thriving, biodiverse future.

Returning locally extinct species is a powerful way to engage the community in conservation.

In 2009, tūī were reintroduced to the peninsula in partnership with Ngāi Tahu, and local agencies.

The Tūī Reintroduction Programme has enabled tūī to re-colonise the peninsula, and they are increasingly making their way to Christchurch city and beyond. Building on this success, we are currently undertaking feasibility work for future reintroductions – kiwi, takahe, tuatara, and other species are being considered.

The impact of our community engagement work is best understood through the stories it creates — stories of species returning, landscapes healing, and people reconnecting with the natural world. The return of tūī to Banks Peninsula is a powerful example of this work in action.

Believed to have become locally extinct in the early 1990s, tūī were reintroduced to the peninsula in 2009 by BPCT in partnership with Ngāi Tahu, and local agencies.

From the original 72 birds translocated, there is now a well-established resident population of these ‘boisterous showoffs’ delighting residents and visitors alike. We receive reports of regular tui sightings in Akaroa and the surrounding bays, Lyttelton Harbour, the lower reaches of the Port Hills, and most recently, as far afield as the Rakaia Huts.

Community engagement is one of the reasons the Tūī Reintroduction Programme is successful. From the very outset, community members were involved in the planning, preparation, and fundraising work that preceded the actual reintroduction. Families, businesses and community groups sponsored birds, the community gathered to help with annual bird counts, banding and weigh ins. Our community-based monitoring programme has established the most comprehensive data set for a reintroduction in New Zealand.

The joy people share with us - in their stories of encountering tūī in their back yard, or hearing them on a forest walk, or seeing one for the very first time – is humbling and heartwarming. This is the true value of the work we do – knowing that we are returning what has been lost, so that future generations get to experience a peninsula rich in flourishing biodiversity.

See our Tui Project page.

Most of the the peninsula’s native biodiversity is in private ownership on farmland. Our Farm Biodiversity programme supports farmers to manage native biodiversity in a way that enhances both ecological and primary production values. We are currently supporting landowners and catchment groups across more than 50,000 ha of the peninsula.

BPCT was founded by farmers and continues to have strong farmer input with six of our trustees coming from large peninsula farms. The success of the Farm Biodiversity programme is testament to Banks Peninsula farmers’ commitment to on-farm biodiversity protection and land stewardship.

If you’re interested to find out more about our Farm Biodiversity programme and how it might benefit your farming operation or catchment group, please get in touch: farmbiodiversity@bpct.org.nz

We inspire, connect, and empower individuals and groups by hosting around 30 community and volunteer events annually. They include opportunities to be involved with restoration planting, weed control, and biodiversity monitoring. We host biodiversity workshops and field days, we work with the Enviroschools programme and directly with local schools, and partner with researchers from Lincoln University and University of Canterbury.

We know that putting people in touch with nature inspires them to take care of it. Through this work, BPCT is building a movement where knowledge, responsibility, and care for the natural environment are passed from one generation to the next.

If you’re keen to know more about our volunteering opportunities and community engagement events, please get in touch: enquiries@bpct.org.nz