Miranda Shorebird Centre

About

Miranda Naturalists Trust

Funding support: self funding

Number of staff: 1.25

Number of visitors per year: 20,000

Overall aims of the centre

Established in 1975, principal aims of the Trust include raising public awareness of coastal ecology and advocacy for shorebirds and their habitats.

Description of the centre

The Miranda Shorebird Centre is a public information and education centre located on the south west corner of the Firth of Thames. It is owned and operated by the Miranda Naturalists’ Trust.

The Firth of Thames is an internationally important site for shorebirds, both New Zealand breeding species and trans-equatorial migrants

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Work Areas

Main CEPA work areas

The Centre hosts school and other community groups who visit the centre for an interpretive talk on the ecology of the area and the birds that live in the coastal area. The Centre is a base for research on the bird populations of the Firth of Thames, both resident and migratory species. This includes a bi-annual census, along with bird banding to learn more about their ecology, population dynamics and their migrations.

Top three successes

Established a sister site agreement with officials of the Yalu Jiang National Nature Reserve in China.

Organised a delegation to North Korea( Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea), and established a joint memorandum of understanding.

Constructed bird hides and educational trail from centre.

Top three challenges

We have progressed slowly and hence able to adjust to changing circumstances.

The real challenge is raising sufficient money to enable us to develop programs and improve the facilities.

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