# Event Details

- **Event Name**: Pekapeka: Inside the Hidden World of New Zealand's Native Bats with Fredrik Hjelm
- **Event Start and End Date**: Wed, 30 Sep, 2026 at 10:00 am – Wed, 30 Sep, 2026 at 12:00 pm (+13:00)
- **Event Description**: What do you really know about New Zealand's only native land mammals?

New Zealand's native bats, or pekapeka, are among our most mysterious and least-seen native species. Small, elusive and uniquely adapted to life in Aotearoa, they play an important role in our forest ecosystems — yet many people know little about the challenges they face.

Join Fredrik Hjelm for a fascinating introduction to the ecology and behaviour of our native bats, exploring their remarkable biology, the threats facing their populations and the conservation work underway to protect them.

Drawing on extensive field experience, Fredrik will share practical conservation work and fascinating insights into the lives of these extraordinary animals. Discover how bats navigate, feed and communicate, and what it takes to monitor and protect them in the wild.

And this time, Fredrik will be joined by a very special member of his conservation team — Hawke, a six-year-old Malinois and certified conservation detection dog.

Hawke is Aotearoa's first DOC Conservation Dog Programme certified bat detection dog, specially trained to support conservation teams through highly accurate scent detection. Together with Fredrik, Hawke helps locate and monitor bats during environmental assessments, impact monitoring and species protection projects.

This is a chance to look at New Zealand's natural world from a different perspective and discover more about one of our most fascinating — and often overlooked — native species.

Meet Fredrik Hjelm & Hawke 🐕

Fredrik Hjelm is a field-based practitioner in canopy ecology and environmental operations with Living Tree. He works across Aotearoa in pekapeka conservation, land protection, canopy research and large-scale forest surveys, with a strong focus on practical, field-led approaches to environmental care.

His work is grounded in collaboration with mana whenua and local communities. Fredrik is also the handler of Hawke, forming Aotearoa's first certified bat conservation dog team and supporting the monitoring and protection of New Zealand's threatened native bats.

Hawke is a six-year-old Malinois, Belgian Shepherd and certified conservation detection dog. As Aotearoa's first DOC Conservation Dog Programme certified bat detection dog, Hawke provides a specialised tool for ecological monitoring, biodiversity protection and environmental management.

Hawke's highly accurate scent detection skills support work across wind farms, environmental assessments, impact monitoring and species protection projects. Beyond bat conservation, Hawke is also certified to detect additional invasive target species and contributes to biosecurity and eradication programmes in partnership with DOC, MPI and research organisations on pest-free islands.

What We'll Explore

• The fascinating world of New Zealand's native bats, or pekapeka
• How our native bats have adapted to life in Aotearoa
• Bat ecology, behaviour and their role in forest ecosystems
• The challenges and threats facing native bat populations
• How conservation teams monitor and protect pekapeka
• How a specialist conservation dog like Hawke works in the field
• The practical realities of field-based conservation work
• How scent detection can support biodiversity monitoring and species protection
• Why protecting native bats matters for New Zealand's natural environment

📍 Location: Eden Garden, Epsom
📅 Date: Wednesday 30 September 2026
🕙 Time: 10:00am–12:00pm
☕ Refreshments: Tea and coffee included
🎟️ Tickets: $55 per person

👥 Hosted by Love Heart
Warm, welcoming learning experiences designed for people who enjoy discovering new ideas and meeting interesting people.
- **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/auckland/pekapeka-inside-the-hidden-world-of-new-zealands-native-bats-with-fredrik-hjelm/200030592228209
- **Event Categories**: meetups, art, fine-arts, dog
- **Interested Audience**: 
  - total_interested_count: 8

## Ticket Details


## Event venue details

- **city**: Auckland
- **state**: AU
- **country**: New Zealand
- **location**: Eden Garden Society Inc.
- **lat**: -36.87676
- **long**: 174.76744
- **full address**: Eden Garden Society Inc., 24 Omana Ave, Epsom, Auckland 1023, New Zealand, Auckland

## Event gallery

- **Alt text**: Pekapeka: Inside the Hidden World of New Zealand's Native Bats with Fredrik Hjelm
  - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events1/banners/bc732be2e48dfd36e1f22d8b8f43d1fe7be94ff3cce2bd1285740abae21fde15-rimg-w1200-h500-dc183808-gmir?v=1788200338

## FAQs

- **Q**: When and where is Pekapeka: Inside the Hidden World of New Zealand's Native Bats with Fredrik Hjelm being held?
  - **A:** Pekapeka: Inside the Hidden World of New Zealand's Native Bats with Fredrik Hjelm takes place on Wed, 30 Sep, 2026 at 10:00 am to Wed, 30 Sep, 2026 at 12:00 pm at Eden Garden Society Inc., 24 Omana Ave, Epsom, Auckland 1023, New Zealand, Auckland.
- **Q**: Who is organizing Pekapeka: Inside the Hidden World of New Zealand's Native Bats with Fredrik Hjelm?
  - **A:** Pekapeka: Inside the Hidden World of New Zealand's Native Bats with Fredrik Hjelm is organized by Love Heart NZ.
- **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me?
  - **A:** Pekapeka: Inside the Hidden World of New Zealand's Native Bats with Fredrik Hjelm is ideal for art lovers, collectors, creatives, and anyone inspired by visual arts, installations, and exhibitions. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Auckland, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. If Pekapeka: Inside the Hidden World of New Zealand's Native Bats with Fredrik Hjelm sounds like your kind of event, don't wait - spots fill up fast.

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