Project Island Song
A Peaceful Wildlife Sanctuary in the Iconic Bay of Islands
For us, the Bay of Islands is a truly beautiful place to live and work and we want to keep it that way. We help to protect and restore the unique natural habitat and wildlife on these beautiful islands as we look to bring back the birdsong louder than ever.
Every time we glide our way through the emerald channels of Northland, and before the anchor even drops, the echo of birdsong greets us as we reach Project Island Song Wildlife Sanctuary. This is our special place, on the island of Ipipiri – the cluster of seven major islands that make up the eastern Bay of Islands. At this truly special wildlife sanctuary, you can experience some of the unique and endangered animals and plants only found here in New Zealand.
The Project
When you venture ashore to discover for yourself the spectacular scenery of these islands, you will understand why we are so proud to support the ongoing success of Project Island Song. Through Project Island Song, local Hapu, together with the Guardians of the Bay of Islands (community group), and the Department of Conservation all work to return rare and endangered wildlife to the island sanctuaries.
We invite you to set sail with us and explore Project Island Song’s work to protect and restore the unique natural habitat and wildlife of these beautiful islands. We can give you an understanding of why invasive pest mammals were removed from the islands in 2009, and help familiarise you with the islands’ rich and long history.
It gives us great pleasure to report that due to Project Island Song’s tireless efforts, well over 30,000 trees have been planted in the region and the natural ecosystem is being restored.
Additionally, this collaboration manages ongoing pest control to maintain a ‘pest-free’ status necessary to protect the delicate ecosystem found in this region. Through Project Island Song, six endangered native species have been reintroduced to the island already, and at least fifteen more species are planned.
Project Island Song Focus
As outlined on the project website there are ongoing efforts to restore this island to its natural state for future generations to enjoy, including:
- Pest control/monitoring to maintain pest-free status (the islands were made pest-free in 2009)
- Species reintroductions
- Ongoing native tree plantings
- Weed Control
- Promoting bio-security to all those visiting the islands
- The floating classroom – educating future generations of kaitiaki (this term is a Māori term used for the concept of guardianship for the sky, the sea, and the land)
- Working with mainland pest control groups to minimise pests swimming to the islands
Book a Tour & Contribute
If you’re looking for things to do in Northland, New Zealand then you can help us to support Project Island Song wildlife sanctuary. We donate a portion of every ticket from our Island Hopper Day Cruise to this wonderful project. Together we can continue to support Project Island Song and their goal in restoring Ipipiri’s beautiful bird song, note by note.