Photo: Photo by Sara Tansy for the Capital Kiwi Project
A life in the bush pig hunting, and on the farm shearing have led Willy Marsh to become one of the country's foremost kiwi aversion trainers for dogs. Willy is Tuhoe and grew up around Waikaremoana before his work took him to end up living in the remote North Island town of Woodville. It was there his dog handling skills and teaching were noticed by Department of Conservation staff in Palmerston North, and he was soon contracted to carry out courses in bird aversion training.
He's more recently been working as a dog trainer for the Capital Kiwi Project, teaching dogs on the Terawhiti Station west of Wellington to avoid kiwi. Willy uses models of kiwi, some with the real fur and scent of the bird attached, laid throughout the bush in conjunction with a vibrating collar to teach the dog to avoid the bird. It's not just kiwi - he's also working to teach dogs to avoid kororā (little penguins) and their nests.
Photo: Sara Tansy for the Capital Kiwi Project
