Kicking off the Kukupa Campaign

Forest and Bird, Issue 296, 1 May 2000, Page 42

Kicking off the Kukupa Campaign

Renewed campaigning to save the kukupa from extinction in Northland will be funded from a legacy received from the estate of the late Jacqui Barrington and a Lotteries Environment and Heritage grant. Kukupa is the Northland name of the native pigeon, known elsewhere as kereru, kuku, and on the Chathams as the parea. As northern field officer for Forest and Bird, in the mid1990s, Jacqui Barrington campaigned for the bird which is reportedly often shot for food. The Save the Kereru poster (shown on right), and a matching display more than two metres high, builds on a continuing campaign, begun in Northland to protect the bird. A coloured brochure in Maori and

English underscores the message. Forest and Bird will conduct the campaign with the support of its branches, along with the Department of Conservation, schools and the wider community. The brochure notes that native pigeon are dying before they can successfully breed. It suggests six action points, including spreading the word about risks to the bird, growing suitable native food trees, fencing forest blocks, predator control, and active protection by the community. Loss of habitat is a major threat to the survival of the bird. Donations can be made to the Jacqui Barrington Memorial Kukupa Fund, c/- Forest and Bird, PO Box 631, Wellington.