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Aotea, Great Barrier Island is situated 100 km northeast of Auckland. It was the first island in the world to receive International Dark Sky Sanctuary status. It is the sixth largest island in New Zealand, at 285 square km and nearly 45km long, (28,000 hectares) and has a permanent population of approximately 1000 people. Of that The Aotea Conservation Park spreads over more than 12,000 hectares.  Aotea, Great Barrier Island is the ancestral home of Ngati Rehua-Ngatiwai ki Aotea who are the mana whenua; tangata whenua and people of the land.

Aotea, Great Barrier Island has diverse ecological habitats, including freshwater ecosystems, wetlands, estuaries, remnant kauri forest, fiord-like inner harbours and springs. It is a haven for many rare and threatened native species such as pateke (brown teal), Takoketai (black petrel), spotless crake, fern bird, Galaxiid fish, koura (freshwater crayfish). With large areas of regenerating forest, the island is considered a stronghold for the North Island Kaka and Kereru (wood pigeon). There are over 13 species of lizard, including the rarest skink in the region – the chevron skink. 

We are lucky that we don’t have some of the pest animals present elsewhere in New Zealand. There are currently no possums, mustelids (i.e. stoats, ferrets or weasels), hedgehogs, Norway rats, goats, deer or wallabies on Aotea. However, we do have other pest animals which we trap for; Ship rats, Kiore rats, rabbits and feral cats. These animals such as rats and cats threaten the survival of many native species such as wētā, snails, lizards and birds. They eat almost anything, including our native species and their food sources. In order to protect our native species from predation, to see and hear them flourish and so that future generations also get to enjoy and experience them,  we must all work together to protect, enhance and restore.