Pekapeka-tou-roa
We’re lucky enough to have one of New Zealand’s two native mammals – pekapeka-tou-roa (long-tailed bat — Chalinolobus tuberculatus) – living in Kirikiriroa and in our wider landscape, including the Waipā, Waikato and Matamata-Piako Districts. They are a tāonga species to mana whenua of the Waikato region and are classified as threatened, Nationally Critical (the highest threat category for a New Zealand species). The three direct threats to our pekapeka-tou-roa are tree felling (mainly roost trees), invasive mammalian predators (like rats, mustelids, possums and cats), and land development and subdivisions which results in loss of roost trees, loss of darkness through housing and street lighting and the removal of shelter belts and vegetation cover.
We can help protect them by
- controlling predators,
- protecting old mature trees including exotics like eucalyptus,
- undertaking restoration planting, creating shelterbelts and keeping waterway quality high to increase habitat connectivity and to provide flyways and foraging grounds (they need forest patches, but they love linear structures to fly along), and
- working together to raise awareness about their importance and the threats to their habitat.
Bat Tours
We collaborate with Hamilton Gardens to deliver a night of magic, exploring the hidden world of the native pekapeka (long-tailed bats). These fascinating creatures are a vital part of our ecosystem, and this tour offers a unique opportunity to to explore the hidden world they inhabit.
2025 Tour dates and times:
- Thursday 30 January – 8.30pm arrival
- Tuesday 4 February – 8.30pm arrival
- Thursday 13 February – 8.15pm arrival
Tour start time: Varies based on daylight savings, arrival times noted with dates above.
Cost: Adults $27.00 Children (8-15years) $17.00
Meeting Point: Outside the Gallagher Visitor Centre, Hamilton Gardens, Hungerford Crescent, Hamilton
Annual Bat Survey
We work with a number of organisations, including Hamilton City Council, Department of Conservation, Waikato Regional Council, The University of Waikato and other stakeholders to carry out the annual long tailed bat survey. in Kirikiriroa. The purpose of this monitoring is to identify, map and track changes in bat habitat use through bioacoustic surveys and build on findings of earlier city-wide bat surveys which illustrated the importance of maintaining and restoring connected bat habitats within the city. If you are interested in supporting the survey in 2025 please email Ellen@goeco.org.nz