Here is some of the latest news about the island and FOMI’s activities, including stories in the media:

2024

Conservation dog-survey for breeding petrels on Mana Island, December 2024

Sniffing out seabirds on Mana Island, Te Papa blog by Colin Miskelly, 13 December 2024

2023

Ecological monitoring trip reports from 2023 – particularly seabird monitoring and flax weevils.

2021

White-faced storm petrels, 2021 translocation – RNZ National, March 2021

2020

Shore plovers translocation efforts by DOC – DOC news release September 2020

Critter of the week, the white-faced storm petrel – RNZ National, July 2020

Shore plovers get essential flight to new home – Stuff, April 2020

Critically endangered shore plovers released on offshore refuge – Stuff, February 2020

2019

40 fern birds moved to Mana Island – FOMI newsletter April 2019

Mana Island greets the return of the white-faced storm petrel – Stuff and DomPost 16 February 2019

Seabirds make 800km journey – by boat, plane and helicopter – to predator-free oasis in New Zealand – TVNZ 12 February 2019

Sardine smoothies for Mana Island’s newest petrel chicks – RNZ National 11 February 2019

Seabirds released on Mana Island to establish breeding population – Stuff and DomPost 12 February 2019

Tiny seabirds transferred 800km from Chathams to aid conservation – FOMI news release 11 February 2019

Hear two of our volunteers talk about their experiences of volunteering on Mana Island – RNZ National, 7 January 2019

2018

Mana Friends notch up 20 years of bringing back the birds– Stuff and DomPost, September 2018 – written by FOMI volunteer Gillian Candler

FOMI exhibition – front page of Whitby Newsbrief, August 2018

Exhibition opens at Pataka – 2 August 2018

20th anniversary – 2018 was our 20th anniversary and we had some exciting activities- a picnic on the island (was in March), exhibition at Pataka (3 Aug-2 Sept) photo competition (closed 30 June). Read all about them

Sunday short talks programme – at Pataka Art + Museum in Porirua – every Sunday in August 2018

Photo competition – the winning entries were announced on 26 August.

New FOMI video on YouTube – “Celebrating our Volunteers” – for FOMI’s 20th anniversary

New FOMI President and Executive Member elected at 2018 AGM

20th anniversary picnic – see photos from this event on 25 March 2018

Native lizards fitted with radio backpacks – Stuff, 10 February 2018

For everything about Nigel the gannet – news articles, poems, photos, videos

International media have produced dozens of stories about Nigel dying and his love for his concrete mate (February 2018) – FOMI has featured in many including – New York Times, The Guardian, Evening StandardBBC News.

The wrong ending: Nigel the lonely gannet, found dead beside his concrete love – Stuff story, January 2018

Gannet with a heart of stone: he’s got live company, but he prefers a concrete decoy – Stuff video and story, January 2018

2017

The conservation dog that searches for any predators, visited Mana Island  – Stuff video and story, September 2017

FOMI wins heritage & environment category of Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards 2017 – Porirua – July 2017

Name a takahe competition – results, April 2017

Information from the 2017 AGM – President’s Report, FOMI’s 2016 Performance Report, and draft Strategic Plan

Talk about takahe on Mana Island by DOC ranger – at FOMI AGM, 15 March, all welcome. 

2016

Seabird survey finds what could be Wellington’s largest colony of little blue penguins – Stuff and DomPost, 15 December 2016

Letter of congratulations from DOC on funding for seabird translocation projects – November 2016

Nigel the lonely gannet finds love with a concrete decoy on Mana Island – Stuff and DomPost, 9 September 2016