The setting up of CCET is to bring conservation to the Chinese community and to foster a love of New Zealand’s special place, plants, and animals. To this purpose, the trust has passed a resolution to make a donation of $2,000 to the Miranda Shorebird Protection Programme.

Miranda Wetland, as we all know, is an internationally important feeding ground for migratory wader birds in the Siberian/Alaskan flyway. The area and the large stretch of western Firth of Thames coastline from Miranda to Howick are prime shorebird habitat and are currently entirely unprotected from a range of predators. Exotic rodents (rat species), mustolids (stoats and ferrets) and hedgehogs are all threats to the survival of shorebird population.

The Department of Conservation have developed a co-operative partnership with ARC, the NZ Ornithological Society and Ecoquest to pioneer a predator trapping programme to protect the shorebirds at Miranda. Aside from direct removal of predators, much internationally significant critical data will be gained on bait, lure type and catch rate comparision.

The success of this programme will gather wide interest and increasing support, which will make the dream of getting the entire western Firth of Thames protected comes true.