Simon Runting and Richard Gardner from Kororā Te Henga Conservation group welcomed ten Envirogroup students, and teachers Tom Hooker and Jacinda Amies from Swanson school at the Te Henga carpark, to share a progress update on their work for the little blue penguins of the area.
Finding safe spaces for the nesting boxes
Kororā Te Henga are a conservation group who started in 2024 to monitor the status of penguins along the Te Henga/Bethells beach coast. To safeguard the habitat of kororā, little blue penguins, the year 5-8 Swanson school students built nesting boxes in 2025, and the students were about to put them in place before the nesting season.
A total of 60-70 nests of little kororā had been found along the coast. On a busy morning in the last breeding season, their team had observed the footprints of more than 100 birds heading out from their burrows along the shore. In March, the birds had mostly headed offshore, but a few were finishing their moult, their annual change of feathers to prepare for the next breeding season.
Students were curious to find out more about these small determined birds:
“Are penguins nocturnal?” – asked Ryder
They found out that in fact, while they are nocturnal on land, coming and going from the beach in darkness, they feed by looking for fish during the day.
Full of intrigue about these tiny tenacious birds, the group set off across the stream and into the dune area.
Richard and Simon explained what an ideal spot for nest boxes might look like, and small groups of children set off to scout out good locations.
“We’re putting the boxes in the right places so they can have a more relaxing time. It’s more protective for the penguins cos there’s lots of predators like cats and dogs. The boxes are designed to help so the cat or dog can’t get in while they’re resting and nesting.” – Felix, student.
Students pointing out signs to raise awareness of kororā nesting in the area
“It’s been so cool for our kids to work closely with such passionate and knowledgeable conservationists. The penguins have really captured their imagination and at Swanson this learning sits brilliantly as a part of our Outdoor Classroom programme with wider goals around building nature connection, a sense of place and rich, hands-on learning experiences.” – Tom, teacher.
Ka rawe, Swanson School and Kororā Te Henga! Your intergenerational conservation work enhances the mana of these taonga species, and bodes well for the future of the bird life of the west coast.
Contact Simon or Richard at kororatehenga@gmail.com for further information.
Intergenerational conservation work
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