I’m delighted to be part of this exhibition drawing attention and funding to the pekapeka-tou-roa, the long tailed bats which live in the Waitakere ranges to the west of Auckland. In January this year I got to accompany some bat conservationists into the forest at night to catch, weigh and tag some bats and had the enormous privilege of rereleasing one back into the wild.

I have a few works in the show including a limited number of gicleé prints of this image. More info on the show below.

The exhibition arose out of a collaboration between the arts community and Community Waitākere, who invited a select group of artists to take part in a research project based in Te Wao Nui a Tiriwa (the Waitākere Ranges) in January.

A portion of sales generated through the exhibition will go towards new bat detectors and a citizen science initiative which will research pekapeka tou roa populations in and around West Auckland.

Featuring art work by artists Mandy Patmore, Jermaine Reihana, Charlotte Graham, Sophie Watson, Rosanna Raymond, Josh Paki, Ruth Woodbury, Numa Mackenzie, Erin Forsyth, Melissa Hastings and Joshua Solomon.

These tiny mammals, roughly the size of your palm and weighing about as much as a couple of two dollar coins, are facing a slew of threats including introduced pests, kauri dieback, tree removal and poor water quality (they feed on insects that come off streams). The pekapeka tou roa is cirtically endangered, just like the kakapo, and their population is set to drop 70 per cent if we don’t intervene.

The Wise Collective, a collective of former refugees and migrants, is also involved and will be working with Community Waitākere to make bat stuffed toys available for purchase during the exhibition. The tiny stuffed bats will sell for $10 and raise money for pekapeka conservation.

Corban Estate Arts Centre is a ten minute walk from the Henderson train station. Where possible, please try and use public transport or carpool to visit the exhibition.

**MORE INFORMATION ABOUT COMMUNITY WAITĀKERE'S PEKAPEKA TOU ROA O WAITĀKERE PROJECT**
The project aimed to radio-track pekapeka tou roa to get more information about the behaviour of this little-known species, including where they roost, how kauri dieback is affecting them, and information about their breeding status. The project also trained local volunteers and conservationists to undertake bat radio tracking, and raised awareness about pekapeka and their habitat.