Shrouded in shrubbery and hidden from the public eye the small habitats might be, but for keen wildlife enthusiasts Conservation Week marks the chance pull back the branches and explore Mount Maunganui's wildlife landscape.

Mount Penguin Monitoring Group member and penguin researcher Julia Graham with a penguin. Photo: Tracy Hardy.

From tomorrow Mauao Area Wildlife Trust members will be hosting informative day and night-time tours of Mauao and Moturiki (Leisure Island), aiming to highlight the abundance of native wildlife the public may otherwise be unaware of.

Running in conjunction with the Department of Conservation's Conservation Week from November 1-9, the tours see up to four guides at a time educating groups on the wildlife, pests and other challenges facing the natural environment.

Mauao Area Wildlife Trust projects manager Dave Richards says the key message he hopes the public will walk away from the tours with is a raised public awareness of the city's 'amazing wildlife”.

'Because the biggest issue we face is people don't realise the treasure that is there – and because they don't know it's there, so they won't look after it.”

The walks, lasting up to two hours, will see tour groups walk around Mauao during the day taking frequent stops, while at night they'll be able to spot penguins, shags, oyster catchers and moreporks.

Already the 7.30pm tours of Leisure Island are fully booked, signalling the interest in wildlife enthusiast circles and through word of mouth.

Dave says along with the visually appealing sightings of the wildlife tour participants will be briefed on ways to further strengthen the areas wildlife habitat.

'We need more intensive predator control, so that we can eventually hopefully relocate birds that are no longer there back to the Mauao.

'For example, robbins, the diving petrels and the likes to come back. The list is endless if we can get the predator control under control.”

Tours of Mauao meet at the Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service and tours of Leisure Island meet on the roadside opposite the island entrance (Mt Drury area – look for Mauao Area Wildlife Trust flag).

Tours cost a gold coin donation, with each taking up to 20 people.

To book tours email your name, phone number and tour dates to: [email protected] or phone Dave on 07 543 4398.

Further north the Aongatete Outdoor Education Centre and Aongatete Forest Restoration Trust are hosting a Family Fun Day this Sunday.

The event from 9am-1pm at 834 Wright Road, offers a bush walk with birds and a barbecue at 11am via gold coin donation.

The walk, from 9am-10.30am, allows people to see how volunteers trap stoats, kill possums and control rat numbers.

The forest is flourishing, so walkers could spot tui, listen for grey warblers' beautiful song, and sight a big, fat kereru or teeny, tiny rifleman. People can view the centre and learn about outdoor activities.

To register, call Barbara, 07 549 0900 or email [email protected].

For a comprehensive list of events happening in the Bay of Plenty during Conservation Week click here.