New Zealanders will all have heard of Tiritiri Matangi and all know about the Karori wildlife sanctuary. Since they were established, over 100 more wildlife sanctuaries have sprung up, all round New Zealand, where control of predators has meant that endangered native birds can breed safely. Many now have such abundant birdlife that the stock is harvested every year for release in other sanctuaries to build up their populations. The approximately 135 sanctuaries include those at Maungatautari near Te Awamutu, Ark in the Park in the Waitakeres, Little Barrier, Tawharanui near Leigh, Purakanui near Dunedin, in Nelson and on the Barrier.
And new ones will continue to emerge now scientists have worked out the most effective way to bait and trap to keep possums, rats and stoats etc out. Some are fenced and others keep predators under control or out totally by regular baiting round the perimeter. Around the country thousands of New Zealanders volunteer to support and run them. They are helping turn the tide of extinction and are a successful attempt to protect native birds and also to reintroduce them to areas where they had been extinct. This inspirational book tells their story.
David Butler is a highly respected New Zealand scientist, biodiversity consultant, and author, who has a strong background in species conservation and forest restoration. He has written several books, including The Black Robin: Saving the Worlds' Most Endangered Bird, which he co-wrote with legendary conservationist Don Merton, and Quest for the Kakapo.
Tony Lindsay has spent a lifetime working in the conservation and environment sectors. He has planted trees, trapped pests, raised funds (over $1 million to date), acted as a campaign advocate and even sailed on the Rainbow Warrior. 30 years of working in, observing and supporting the New Zealand conservation sector led Tony to propose a book celebrating the conservation movement. Paradise Saved is the result.
Janet Hunt is an acclaimed writer, academic and graphic designer. In 2004, her study of New Zealand wildlife won Best in Non-Fiction and Book of the Year at the New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, as well as the Elsie Locke Award at the LIANZA Children's Book Awards. In 2008, her Wetlands of New Zealand: A Bitter-Sweet Story won the Environment Award and the Montana Medal for Non-Fiction at the Montana New Zealand Book Awards.