Endangered kōkako to benefit from music festival fundraiser

Photo / Derek Tearne

The endangered kōkako is set to benefit from a music festival which will see thousands of dollars raised to help protect the it on Tiritiri Matangi Island.

Previously widespread throughout New Zealand, kōkako populations have been decimated by introduced predators; including possums, stoats, cats and rats.

There is now fewer than 1600 of the birds remaining.

Currently, there are 20-30 kōkako on Tiritiri Matangi Island, including middle-aged breeding pair Noël and his partner Rehu.

One dollar from every can of Native Hard Sparkling sold at music festival Sounds Like Summer will be donated to help support the care and protection of this pair.

Noël and Rehu have successfully fledged 10 chicks, and the new funds will be used to monitor their breeding, help locate nests and determine significant dates, as well as recording outcomes for the duo's offspring.

Spokesperson for Native, Brooke Hobson said the company supported a number of conservation efforts and had committed $500,000 to 100 individual native species over the next few years.

Photo / Martin Sanders

The business was founded with her brothers Matt and Guy and friend Luke McBride as a social enterprise.

"We grew up on a sheep and beef farm and so our parents instilled in us the importance of conservation and looking after the land," Hobson said.

"We saw that there was a gap in the market between people who appreciated the environment but didn't necessarily donate, so we have helped bridge that gap by creating a pathway for them to support."

Festival organiser Jade Atkinson said up to 3000 people were expected to attend the event which was an opportunity for music lovers to get together and also do their bit for the environment.

"We were actually approached by a number of companies wanting to partner for the festival but we chose Native because of their commitment to New Zealand wildlife," Atkinson said.