Bitterns, Beers and Burgers

What started as routine pest control at Pekapeka has become something far more enduring: a shared sense of pride, ownership, and care for one of Aotearoa’s most important wetland species.

The Karamū River Catchment Collective brought local shooters together for a simple evening of beer and burgers to acknowledge the work already being done on the ground to protect the Bittern. Many of the shooters had been trapping as part of their lease agreement with Hawkes Bay Regional Council without fully realising the wider impact of their efforts.

During the evening, DOC shared monitoring insights while Bernie from Bittern Conservation Trust spoke about the cryptic nature of the Australasian bittern and the significance of the Pekapeka swamp, now recognised as supporting one of the highest bittern populations in the region. For many, it was the first time their everyday actions had been connected to a species of national importance.

A simple act of sharing information shifted something. What had been compliance routine became something more personal, a sense of guardianship over a rare and endangered bird.

Importantly, stakeholders also experienced the value of these efforts: hundreds of hours of unpaid trapping and pest control work that had previously gone unacknowledged, but is now recognised as critical to the health of the wetland system.

Fish & Game also acknowledged the collective mahi on the night and contributed additional traps to support ongoing efforts reinforcing that collaboration, is what strengthens outcomes.

The lesson from Pekapeka is simple. When people take the time to talk about the work already happening, and recognise the wins along the way, stewardship deepens. Pride replaces obligation, and longevity follows naturally.