On Saturday, volunteers turned out en masse to clean up the little penguin sanctuary next to South Bay Harbor in Kaikōura.
The reserve was developed over four years ago by the Kaikōura Ocean Research Institute (KORI), in collaboration with the community.
The colony was fenced to protect the penguins from dogs, cats, hedgehogs, rats and people.
KORI director Dr. Jody Weir said fall is the ideal time for an annual cleanup.
''This is the time of year when the penguins have completed their annual molt and it takes a month before they start breeding.
“Once the eggs are laid, there are always penguins on land, so this is the time of year when penguins are not seen during the day.”
Dr. Weir said the penguins went through a “catastrophic molt” when they lost all their feathers and a lot of weight at once because they couldn't go to sea to feed.
''Their feathers are like a wetsuit. They don't even feel the water.”
Volunteers cleared the nest boxes of feathers and penguin droppings, and carried out weeding and general maintenance.
Dr. Weir said removing the undergrowth meant there was nowhere for rats and mice to hide.
The Kaikōura lions joined in to repair the fencing.
The colony is fenced to deter predators, with the penguins accessing the breeding area via a tunnel.
Before fencing the colony, Mr Weir said dogs and other predators were seen running through the breeding area.
''The dogs love the penguins because they squeak.
“People who are just curious can pose a threat if they open nest boxes and take a look.”
In the busy harbor area penguins could be killed at sea, on the road or under houses, so providing an enclosed space offered some protection.
The South Bay colony is believed to be the only small penguin colony along the Kaikōura coastline.
The fencing was funded by grants from Kaikōura District Council, Ryman Healthcare and Kaikōura's two Lions clubs.
''It's nothing special. I think a cat could get over it and someone could climb over it, but it's a deterrent,” Dr Weir said.
Volunteers used traps in the fence to catch predators that did enter.
Signage has been created by local schoolchildren, including a billboard with a cartoon story about the life cycle of a penguin.
KORI has been running a penguin education and awareness program with local schoolchildren, community groups and visiting university students for the past twelve years.
''We sit outside the colony and talk about the penguins, the threats and what we can do to help them,'' Dr Weir said.
''And we take small groups to see the penguins.
“The penguins are not allowed to be touched and they may only have 10 seconds to look at a penguin, but the kids love it.”
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
■ LDR is local journalism, co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.