Wink is a one-eyed Conservation Dog from Invercargill with an important job: detecting pests and sniffing out Spartina grass.
His well-tuned nose has brought him up all the way up to Hauraki and Coromandel.
Initially, Wink missed out on a heading dog role due to his eye problem, but a career change saw him go through the intensive training to become a certified Conservation Dog, thriving on using his strong sense of smell.
Since 2018, Wink and his handler John Taylor have been working across Aotearoa, searching for the pest plant spartina (Sporobolus anglicus, Sporobolus alterniflorus) in estuaries and waterways on behalf of the Department of Conservation (DOC) and councils. The duo has recently supported spartina control efforts in the lower Firth of Thames and Eastern Coromandel.
Introduced to Aotearoa in the early 1940s to stabilise estuaries and riverbanks, spartina has since overtaken natural habitats. DOC Hauraki Biodiversity Ranger, Ken Brown, says its impact in our waterways is far-reaching.
“Spartina grows rapidly and destroys intertidal habitats by converting wetlands into dry grasslands. This impacts the whole ecosystem, including wading birds, shellfish, and fish species that rely on wetlands,” says Ken.
Spartina removes the habitats of protected shorebirds including kuaka/bar-tailed godwit, moho pereū/banded rail, and tūturiwhatu/dotterel. Unchecked, its dense growth can also reduce wetlands’ natural flood control benefits by raising the ground level.
For humans, spartina is easiest to spot during seeding. Dogs, however, can sniff it out all year round. And that’s where Wink comes in. He can cover ground faster than any human can by foot, especially over mudflats, and he can detect even the smallest parts of the plant – the seeds. He bounds, he leaps, he sniffs, always on the search for that familiar smell.
Ken says Wink’s skill in detecting spartina has been invaluable for control in the Firth of Thames.
“Wink’s ability has been the difference between success and failure. Humans simply cannot do it alone.
“We will be walking along what looks to the human eye like a native sedge patch and Wink will put his nose amongst it indicating he has detected sometimes even just a single blade of spartina.”
Wink and John’s efforts have already had a massive impact on the South Island waterways, with more than 99 per cent of spartina now being cleared.
Ken hopes this can be achieved in the Firth of Thames: “We had about 900 sites of spartina, though thanks to Wink’s detection some of these are now down to zero density.
“Over the years, we have repeatedly monitored and sprayed spartina sites. It is only in the following years, after Wink located small hidden patches, that we’re beginning to find fewer and fewer sites. We are well on the way to eradication, which before, wasn’t feasible due to the nature of the salt marsh,” says Ken.
On the eastern side of the peninsula, Wink and John have detected spartina in Waikawau estuary and Whangapoua harbour.
Throughout the year, the duo will travel across the country, spending their days walking the intertidal zones and mudflats together on a common mission: to find any traces of Spartina and help rid Aotearoa of this destructive weed.
DOC’s Coromandel team will be engaging with the community about upcoming Spartina control in the area. More details to come.
You can find out more about the Conservation Dogs programme here.
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