2026 Sanctuaries of New Zealand workshop: Wellington

Workshop schedule

Wednesday 19th – Science Day

Venue: Victoria University of Wellington, Kelburn Campus, MacLaurin Building Lecture Theatre 101

Time: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Speakers:

• Sandra Anderson, University of Auckland. Will she be right? Long term considerations for ecosystem restoration.
• Colin Miskelly, Te Papa. Changes in the forest bird community of Kapiti Island following rat eradication
• Bridgette Farnworth, Victoria University of Wellington. We Conquered the Night, But at What Cost? The Ecological Consequences of a Brighter New Zealand
• Sarah Herbert (co-authors – Florence Kelly, Elizabeth Panteleeva, Sydney Dean, Stephan Hartley, Nicky Nelson), Victoria University of Wellington. Short-term responses of terrestrial lizards to habitat enhancement in a pest-invaded landscape on mainland New Zealand
• Matt Maitland, Department of Conservation. Biological consequence and forensic resolution of pest incursions at Tāwharanui and Shakespear Open Sanctuaries
• Nicola Day, Victoria University of Wellington. Wildfire effects on plants and soils in Aotearoa
• Graeme Taylor, Department of Conservation. Seabird restoration opportunities for sanctuaries – where, when and why?
• Georgia Pringle, University of Auckland. Investigating the effectiveness of lures for feral cat detection in Northern Aotearoa
• Tirth Vaishnav, Victoria University of Wellington, Seasonality and plasticity in plant resource use by native birds in Zealandia Te Māra A Tāne ecosanctuary
• Fiona Gordon, Rotokare Scenic Reserve Trust. Maintaining mice at zero-density at Rotokare – reflections on 15 years of adaptive management
• Dan Markovitz. In the bag: leaf litter-filled artificial cover objects reveal urban habitat associations for predatory invertebrates (Onychophora: Peripitoides novaezealandiae and Araneae: Uliodon spp.)
• Carlos Lehnebach , Te Papa. The importance of above- and below-ground interactions in the conservation of threatened orchids

Social Drinks and Quiz: Hunter Lounge, 5:15 pm – 7:30 pm

Thursday 20th – SONZI Day

Venue: Victoria University of Wellington, Kelburn Campus, Te Herenga Waka Marae

Time: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Dinner: James Cook Hotel

Friday 21st – AGM and Field Trip

Venue: Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne

Time: 8:30 am – 3:00 pm

Notice of AGM and agenda is here.

Accommodation Offer

James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor is offering discounted accommodation in Terrace and Executive Rooms with free breakfast for SONZI attendees 18th–21st August. To book, go to https://reservations.travelclick.com/10799?groupID=5048883. Offer ends 28th July!

Tours

For SONZI attendees looking to get the most out of their time in Te Whanganui-a-Tara / Wellington, Zealandia is excited to offer private after-hours tours to our workshop attendees for a special price! There is the option to either join a Night Tour or Dawn Tour – please check your tour start time carefully when booking. Both options are 2.5 hours long.

Tours Available:

• Night Tour: Tue 18^th 6pm
• Dawn Tour: Wed 19^th 6am
• Dawn Tour: Fri 21^st 6.30am
  • Attendees are then on site for the start of Day 3: Field Trip
• Night Tour: Fri 21^st 6pm

You’ll get a link after registering (or contact us) to learn more about the tours and book your space.