Farmers for Whio is a community-powered project working to protect whio (blue duck) along the Motueka River and its tributaries, right where farmland, rivers, and wild places meet.
As whio numbers slowly recover inside Kahurangi National Park, more birds are beginning to spill into nearby waterways. That’s a hopeful sign, but outside the safety of the park, they face real danger.
That’s where this project steps in.
Why this matters
Once common throughout the Motueka catchment, whio are now in serious trouble. They are found only in Aotearoa New Zealand, and without active protection they would likely disappear from the wild altogether.
Whio rely on:
- Fast-flowing, clean rivers
- Healthy insect life
- Safe riverbanks free from predators
They are especially vulnerable to predators like stoats. Without trapping and protection, even a small number of predators can wipe out local whio populations.
What’s happening on the ground
Motueka Valley locals, many of them farmers, are taking action.
An extensive network of traplines now stretches across the catchment, protecting whio that move beyond the boundaries of the national park.
This is conservation at its most powerful:
local people caring for their local river, every day.
Through consistent predator control, the project is creating safer habitat and giving whio a real chance to survive and thrive, back where they once belonged.
How you can help
This work doesn’t happen by accident. Traplines need maintaining. Equipment needs replacing. Volunteers need support.
Your contribution helps:
- Keep traplines operating across the catchment
- Protect vulnerable whio adults and ducklings
- Restore balance to river ecosystems
- Back farmers and locals doing the mahi on the ground
👉 Volunteer or donate to Farmers for Whio and help protect one of Aotearoa’s rarest river birds.
Every dollar strengthens this network of care, and brings whio one step closer to a safer future in the Motueka.
