Breakfast with the Gulls Maketū & Coastal Bay of Plenty Wildlife Events

One of the eastern Bay of Plenty's most memorable community conservation mornings returns on Saturday 14 November 2026 with Breakfast with the Gulls Maketū, hosted by the Maketū Ōngātoro Wetland Society alongside Maketū Rotary and the Maketū Surf Lifesaving Club. Paired with a hands-on coastal bird identification workshop in Maketū and a kororā habitat working bee on Moturiki (Leisure Island) in Mount Maunganui, the next two Saturdays offer brilliant local field experiences for Bay of Plenty kaiako, whānau, and community conservationists.

Pictured: Golden hour over Te Puke orchards in the Western Bay of Plenty[cite: 5]—home to next Tuesday's (10 November) Futures 2036 forum alongside coastal field days at Maketū Estuary, Ōtanewainuku, and Moturiki Island.

Inside Breakfast with the Gulls Maketū & November BOP Field Days

Every spring, Maketū Spit becomes a vital breeding sanctuary for both tarāpunga (red-billed gulls) and the critically endangered tarāpuka (black-billed gulls—the world's most threatened gull species). Attending Breakfast with the Gulls Maketū gives locals and educators a rare, guided boat trip right out to the spit's nesting colony after a cooked breakfast at the surf club.

Here are four standout coastal Bay of Plenty ecology and sustainability events happening over the coming fortnight:

1. Moturiki Working Bee — Western Bay Wildlife Trust (Saturday 7 November)

• Location: Moturiki (Leisure Island), Mauao / Mount Maunganui, Tauranga

• What's On: Join the Western Bay Wildlife Trust from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM to clear weeds and restore coastal nesting habitat for kororā (little blue penguins) and native shorebirds. Tools and morning tea nibbles are provided.

• Details: Moturiki Working Bee Event Page
  

2. Introduction to Forest Ecology at Ōtanewainuku (Saturday 7 November)

• Location: Ōtanewainuku Forest, Western Bay of Plenty

• What's On: A practical Bay Conservation Alliance field training course exploring native bush structure, indicator species, and forest monitoring in one of the region's most treasured unlogged kauri and podocarp forests.

• Register: Bay Conservation Alliance Training Courses
  

3. What Will It Take for the Coastal Bay of Plenty to Thrive in 2036? (Tuesday 10 November)

• Location: Te Puke

• What's On: Hosted by the Te Puke Economic Development Group, hear freshwater ecologist Dr Mike Joy and coastal marine scientist Prof Chris Battershill discuss environmental resilience, water quality, and the next decade for our coastal Bay of Plenty ecosystems.

• Details: Coastal Bay of Plenty Futures 2036
  

4. Breakfast with the Gulls & Identifying NZ Birds in Maketū (Saturday 14 November)

• Location: Maketū Surf Lifesaving Club & Maketū Estuary, Western Bay of Plenty

• What's On: Enjoy a community breakfast followed by a boat trip across the estuary to view the nesting gull colony on Maketū Spit (book via Maketū Ōngātoro Wetland Society). On the same day in Maketū, the Bay Conservation Alliance is running its hands-on Identifying NZ Birds field course (register here).