History

Joshua Rutland was the first Ranger employed by the Crown in the Marlborough Province. He started work in June 1891.
Rutland saw the need to preserve areas for the sake of endangered species rather than for the area's scenic beauty. While settlers saw islands as ideal areas to farm - no need for boundary fences - Ruthland tried to obtain protection for them.
His first success in having an area reseved was on the mainland.
A number of Maori dwelling pits were discovered by Ruthland in Godsiff Bay / Matai Bay, Pelorus Sound. There were thought to be many hundreds of years old as one pit had a beech tree measurin three feet in diameter growing in the middle of it. As a result of this discovery the large peninsula was gazetted a Scenic Reserve in 1896.
There was a delay of many years before islands received such protection.
The early reservations and regular additions have since been amalgamated into the Marlborough Sounds Maritime Park Board. It includes over 5000 hectares of bush and scrub throughout the Sounds.

Conservation Today

There are many conservation projects in the Marlborough Sounds.

Conservation Park Tui Nature Reserve is made up of 42 hectares of mature and regenerating native bush, located in the Outer Pelorus, in the Marlborough Sounds on New Zealand's South Island. Thirty-eight hectares are legally protected as part of the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust, thus ensuring preservation for generations to come. As part of a peninsula with no road access, the Reserve will in time become one of New Zealand's few 'mainland island’ sanctuaries.

A shared vision with their neighbours is to establish a predator free fence in the future to isolate the peninsula from the mainland.

Tui Nature Reserve's poison-free pest management scheme is having its impact on the restoration of the native bush and its wildlife. Especially the KoheKohe is showing a huge improvement.

Tui Nature Reserve built safe reptile and bird enclosures on the reserve which house the Marlborough Green Gecko and Red Crowned Kakariki for breeding and educational purposes. This project is in line with Tui Nature Reserve's vision to create a ‘mainland island’ with its original wildlife.