Connecting Communities Through Pekapeka Conservation

Over the past four months, communities across Rodney have come together to help uncover more about one of Aotearoa’s most elusive native species — pekapeka tou-roa / long-tailed bats.

The Forest Bridge Trust has now completed the Rodney Pekapeka Project, a large-scale community bat monitoring initiative that is helping build a clearer picture of where these remarkable native bats are found across the district.

Led by Forest Bridge Trust ecologist Dr Virginia Moreno and funded by the Rodney Local Board and Auckland Council, the project launched in January with a goal to better understand pekapeka presence across Rodney while building local knowledge and capability for bat conservation.

Community-Led Monitoring Across Rodney

From Kaukapakapa through to Pakiri, more than 150 bat surveys were completed across forests, wetlands, reserves and rural landscapes.

This work was made possible through the collective efforts of Forest Bridge Trust staff, volunteers and local conservation groups, who took part in a series of hands-on workshops focused on pekapeka monitoring and protection.

Across three workshops held throughout Rodney, participants learned about New Zealand’s native bats, how acoustic bat monitors work, and how to safely carry out surveys in their local areas. Community groups were then equipped with audio monitoring devices to deploy across the landscape.

Once returned, the recordings were analysed by Dr Moreno, revealing bat detections at 32 survey locations.

Exciting Discoveries

Some of the most significant findings came from the Tamahunga area, where pekapeka activity was recorded across multiple sites, including Rata Bush, Govan Wilson Road, Omaha Valley Road near the edge of the Tamahunga DOC reserve, the Schollum Road to Rodney Road public track, and sites near the summit track and Te Araroa Trail.

One standout discovery was a hotspot of activity within an old pine plantation, where monitors recorded more than 100 bat detections in a single night.

This finding highlights the important role modified landscapes can still play in supporting native wildlife, particularly when suitable roosting and foraging habitat is retained.

Bat detections were also confirmed near the DOC reserve in Kaukapakapa, adding to growing evidence that pekapeka are present across a much wider area of Rodney than previously understood.

Why This Matters

Pekapeka tou-roa are one of only two native land mammals in Aotearoa and are classified as Nationally Critical.

Threats such as habitat loss, predation and artificial light pollution continue to place pressure on populations nationwide, making monitoring efforts like this essential for informing future protection and restoration work.

Sharing Rodney’s Findings Nationally

In April, four members of The Forest Bridge Trust attended the 2026 National Pekapeka Hui in Franklin, joining more than 180 ecologists, iwi representatives, researchers, community groups and conservation practitioners from across Aotearoa.

The hui provided an important opportunity to share findings from the Rodney Pekapeka Project, connect with other bat conservation initiatives, and learn from national approaches to monitoring and protection.

Dr Moreno presented early insights from Rodney, helping contribute to a growing national picture of pekapeka distribution and research.

Building Momentum for the Future

The Rodney Pekapeka Project has highlighted the power of community-led conservation and created a strong foundation for future pekapeka research and protection across the region.

Dr Moreno says the level of community involvement across such a large landscape has been invaluable, with the early findings showing there is still much to learn about where pekapeka are living across Rodney.

By working together, we are not only building knowledge about these remarkable native mammals, but strengthening the connections between people and place that make long-term conservation possible.