Join Ben Paris, Senior Conservation Advisor at Auckland Council, as he talks about the ongoing conservation efforts to help Aotearoa's only native land mammal, the pekapeka, survive into the future.

Pekapeka (Image supplied by Ben Paris)

TUES 8 APR, 7PM
TE MATA TAIRONGO AUDITORIUM, LEVEL 2
$20 MUSEUM MEMBERS

Pekapeka, the only native land mammals in Aotearoa New Zealand, are largely unknown due to their small size, rarity, nocturnal habits, and elusive nature. However, awareness and interest in these unique bats is gradually increasing.

Before 2010, little knowledge was known about long-tailed bats (Chalinolobus tuberculatus) within Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. Over the last fourteen years, with the assistance from community groups, Auckland Council Te Kaunihera o Tāmaki Makaurau has been able to build a picture of long-tailed bat habitat across the city’s mosaic of urban, rural, planted-exotic and native land-use parcels. Using acoustic monitoring, over 100 locations across a range of habitats and land uses have found pekapeka, particularly in the south and west of the city limits, igniting significant interest from landowners and community conservation groups. This is proving to be particularly useful at a time where in a growing Auckland, pekapeka habitats are under pressure from an expanding human population.

Join Ben Paris, Senior Conservation Advisor at Auckland Council, as he talks about the ongoing projects aimed at ensuring the pekapeka has a better chance of surviving into the future, and how you can get involved in your community.

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Ben Paris
ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Ben Paris, Senior Conservation Advisor, Auckland Council

Ben Paris graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Technology) from The University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato and started working at the Waikato Regional Council, where he played a pivotal role in the highly successful Hamilton Halo project, naturally reintroducing Tui to suburban Hamilton. It was during this time that Ben's fascination with New Zealand's native bats began, leading him to co-lead the establishment of Project Echo. Transitioning to Auckland Council Te Kaunihera o Tāmaki Makaurau, Ben contributed significantly to launching a bat awareness movement through his adeptness in research and science communication.

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Header image: Long-tailed bats can be seen at dusk flying along bush or forest edges. Image credit: PFNZ

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Exhibition courtesy ROM