Setpoint has entered into a partnership with the Department of Conservation in Otago and Canterbury to preserve and enhance one of New Zealand’s most distinctive herpetofauna species, the Jewelled Gecko.
The Otago and Banks Peninsulas are home to important populations of this threatened gecko, which is currently classified under the DOC classification system as Gradual Decline (human induced). In recognising its plight, Setpoint is sponsoring the project by making funding available for jewelled gecko conservation and research each year.
The funding is spent in several ways:
- On-going monitoring of key populations of jewelled geckos
- Surveying areas of potential habitat throughout Otago and Canterbury
- Providing funding and assistance to landowners to help them conserve jewelled gecko populations, by improving habitat and undertaking control of introduced predators
- Establishing predator monitoring and control at gecko sites
- Supporting efforts to translocate jewelled geckos into safe habitats
- Supporting research and initiatives to increase community awareness and participation in jewelled gecko conservation
Setpoint staff will also be involved in work days at jewelled gecko sites where monitoring and habitat improvement is taking place. We will work alongside DOC staff and local volunteers alike.
The aim of the whole project is to increase awareness of this very special South Island species and to ensure its survival in an area it has long been associated with. The Setpoint sponsorship will help ensure that this is the case.