The Trust started its restoration work on Pomona and Rona Islands back in 2006. Since that time, we have faced a number of challenges but have had some memorable achievements along the way. Here are some of the highlights:
The Trust has raised more than $350,000 to fund its restoration work on Pomona and Rona. Over 370 different volunteers have completed more than 13,000 hours of work on the two islands.
2016 - present time
- Proud winner of the 2016 Southland Community Environment Achiever award for taking its pest eradication work on Pomona and Rona Islands to new levels.
- A celebration of ten years of restoration work on Pomona and Rona.
- Every single kiwi from the 2015/16 Haast tokoeka breeding season was resident on Rona.
- Mouse numbers on Rona remain at very low levels thanks to an innovative 25m x 50m grid of bait stations.
- There have been significant beech mast events in 2013 and 2019. Rat numbers on Pomona increased markedly but have been reduced to manageable levels with intense trapping and judicious use of poison in bait stations.
- Vegetation plots on Pomona and Rona re re-surveyed after ten years.
- Last five kilometers of track cut on Pomona.
2010-2015
- Ten kilometers of track cut to enable safer access for volunteers to service the traps on Pomona.
- Pomona becomes a permanent home for 19 Haast tokoeka kiwi.
- Volunteer collectively notched up over 10,000 hours on Pomona and Rona Islands.
- A network of 179 traps established on Pomona.
- Winner of the 2011 Ministry for the Environment Green Ribbon Award for "Protecting our biodiversity".
- 41 critically endangered Haast tokoeka chicks call Rona their temporary home.
- A female Woodworthia 'Otago large' gecko discovered on Rona.
- 42 mohua released onto Pomona Island.
- International profile of the Trust's work enhanced through presentations at the 2010 Island Invasives Conference in Auckland.
2005-2009
- 86 robins released onto Pomona and Rona Islands.
- Southland Trailer Yacht Squadron adopt the trap line on the mainland opposite Pomona.
- Rona becomes a kiwi crèche site for the critically endangered Haast tokoeka and temporary home to 34 kiwi chicks.
- Winner of the 2008 Environment Southland Community Group award.
- Friends of Pomona launched along with the new look newsletter Pomona Post.
- Aerial poison operation successfully completed to eradicate rodents from Pomona and Rona Islands in 2007.
- All deer and possums successfully eradicated from Pomona Island.
- Permanent vegetation survey plots were established on Pomona and Rona in 2005 by Professor Alan Mark and botany students from the University of Otago.
- Trust established in July 2005 with the aim of eradicating all pest species from Pomona Island and restoring it to its natural state.
