Connectivity Strategy
What is ecological connectivity?
Ecological connectivity describes how easily species, seeds, water, and nutrients can move across a landscape.
Healthy ecosystems depend on this movement. When forests become fragmented by farmland, roads, or development, species can become isolated, reducing breeding success, genetic diversity, and long-term survival.
Connectivity needs differ between species:
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A tūī may be able to fly across open pasture.
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A pīwakawaka (fantail) may hesitate.
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A kōkako often cannot cross large open gaps at all.
For kōkako in particular, restoring connectivity between forest blocks is critical to ensuring populations remain viable into the future.
Why this strategy exists
The Ecological Connectivity Strategy maps:
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Existing forest habitat
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Potential movement pathways
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Strategic areas for restoration
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Gaps that limit movement
It is designed to support:
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Landowners wanting to understand where their property sits in the corridor
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Community groups planning planting or predator control
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Councils and agencies making land-use decisions
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Conservationists interested in landscape-scale outcomes
The goal is not simply planting more trees but planting in the right places to progressively reconnect fragmented landscapes.
How to use the interactive map
Click the link to open the Western Bay of Plenty Ecological Connectivity Strategy interactive map
Important: when the map opens...
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Turn on the Kōkako Connectivity Analysis layer
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Switch layers on one at a time, including those within the drop down on the connectivity analysis layer, to then to explore:
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Existing forest
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Potential corridors
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Least cost paths
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Priority areas
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Zoom into your property or area of interest to see how it sits within the broader corridor.
Important note
This current version of the tool covers the Ōtanewainuku–Kaharoa corridor.
Expansion to include Rotoehu and Manawahe is underway.
Learn more
You can learn more about ecological connectivity and watch a short tutorial explaining how to use the tool here: Learn more here
Acknowledgements
Thank you to Bay Conservation Alliance and Western Bay of Plenty District Council for supporting the development and hosting of this strategy.