News Highlights

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

**2023**

Performance Report for 2022 – FOMI, April 2023

One house, two people and some rare flightless birds: welcome to Mana Island – The Guardian, January 2023

**2022**

Performance Report for 2021 – FOMI, May 2022

Nigel the no-mates Mana Island seabird immortalised in song – Stuff, May 2022

**2021**

Donn Binney Painting of Mana Island to be sold at auction for the first time  – Stuff, December 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