#recovery program

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Kākāpō

Scientific Name: Strigops habroptilus

Classification: Kingdom: Animalia > Phylum: Chordata > Class: Aves > Order: Psittaciformes >  Family: Strigopidae > Genus: Strigops > Species: habroptilus

Conservation Status: Critically Endangered; there are 153 as of 2016

Other Common Names: Night parrot, owl parrot, tarapo, tarepo

Average Length (wild): 23 – 25 in, 58 – 64 cm

Average Weight (wild): 2 – 9 lb, 0.95 – 4 kg

Average Lifespan: 58 years, but have potential to live into their 90s. Their exact lifespan is unknown. Researchers in the recovery program will know when the kakapo hatched in the recovery effort die of old age, which could be decades from now.

(Above: Historic range; Below: Current range)

Native Range: Used to live from the far north of the North Island to the south of the South Island. Now they are only found on offshore islands that are protected areas without introduced predators. It is not believed that there are any left on the main land of New Zealand, when the recovery program began they were all captured from the Fiordland National Park and brought to protected zones. They currently live on Codfish Island (Whenua Hau), Little Barrier Island (Hauturu ao Toi), and Anchor Island.

Naturalized Range: N/A

Natural Habitat: Formally from sea level to near tops of mountains. They are ground dwellers who live in forest substrate and scrubland.

Flock Size: They are solitary, gathering only to breed

Call: Loud screeching “skraark”

Breeding: They do not breed every year, as they will only breed when there is enough rimu fruit.

Breeding season starts around December and lasts until April

They engage in “lek” breeding, which is when the males compete for female attention. They are the only parrot species and New Zealand bird species to do this.

The male inflates like a balloon, and then emits a low boom which can be heard from up to 5 km away. This lets any females in the area know that he is ready to mate

After 20 -30 booms, the male emits a high-pitched 'ching', which pinpoints his position, allowing females to find him

This booming and chinging can last for 8 hours nonstop every night for 2-3 months during breeding season

(Above: Booming Sketch)

Nesting: The female lays 1-4 eggs. They are similar in size to chicken eggs and will hatch after 30 days. The female raises them by herself, and has to leave the nest at night to search for food. After 10 weeks, the fledglings leave the nest, but may still be fed by their mother for up to 6 months.

Wild Diet: The berries of the Rimu plant (see picture) are their favorite food. They also eat parts of other native plants, including the fruits, seeds, bark, bulbs, leaves, stems, mosses, ferns, fungi, and roots. Species include pink pine, stinkwood, Hall's totara, and mountain flax. When food species that are important to their diet become abundant, they feed exclusively on it.

    Currently, they are also fed pellets, freeze-dried and frozen fruit, walnuts, and pine conelets by the recovery effort.

Sexually Dimorphic: Yes, the males are larger

Description (wild): The upper side of their body is green with random black, brown, and yellow barring and mottling. Their underparts are a yellow-green and have irregular yellow and brown barring. The face is yellow-brown and the beak is grey and smaller in females. The primary wing feathers are tipped with yellow in males and green and brown in females. The tail is green and brown with yellow and black barring and flecks.

Color Mutations: N/A

Noise Level: Loud

Talking Ability: N/A

Personality: They are nocturnal and solitary and roost on the ground or in trees during the day. When disturbed, they freeze, trying to blend in with their background.

Behavioral Concerns: They are not equipped to deal with human intrusion and introduced predators, which caused their numbers to decline rapidly. By 1970, there were only 18 males left in Fiordland. In 1977, a small population of both males and females were found.

Health Concerns: Recently there has been an increase in cases of “crusty butt”, which is a viral infection that causes the cloaca to become inflamed, and presents like severe dermatitis. 

It is still unknown what is causing the virus and if it is infectious. There has been one death due to this infection, and treatment, a topical cream, seems to only help some individuals. 

As of now, it is only found on Codfish Island, and has been since 2002. 

It is being taken very seriously and is being closely monitored, with research being done to learn more about it.

Aviculture: N/A

History in Captivity: Some young chicks are raised in captivity as part of a Conservation attempt to save the species. Conservation and recovery of this species has been going one since 1977, when a population of both females and males were found on Stewart Island.

Fun Facts: They are the largest parrot species in the world (by weight) and possibly the oldest living bird!

Sirocco, a male kakapo born March 23, 1997, was raised in captivity due to a illness that required he be hand raised and quarantined from other kakapo. He now thinks he's human and is a conservation ambassador for the kakapo. 

He proved that kakapo can swim, after deciding to join one of the rangers' family who were swimming in the ocean. He jumped off the jetty and paddled around for a bit before going back to shore, completely nonchalant. 

He is also the kakapo who made his species famous after “shagging” Mark Cawardine on the BBC series “Last Chance to See”. 

You can follow him on twitter @Spokesbird

SYSTEMIC FAMILY INTERVENTION MODE | Recovery Program?

Do you have a family member whose life is controlled by their addiction, who needs to get into a recovery program? Addiction is the only disease where denial is a primary symptom. This is where I can help. I will lead a structured intervention on your friend or loved one that will help them understand your love for them, and that recovery is their last and best option.

I will take care of all the treatment placement arrangements and will meet with the intervention group (immediate family and close friends) in advance to explain the process and answer any questions. Talking to a loved one about their addiction can be extremely difficult. I can do this for you at a fraction of the cost that most Interventionists charge, which is anywhere from $5000 to $10,000 – not including the cost of treatment.

Collegiate recovery programs are a growing phenomenon on college campuses. These programs are designed to provide support to those struggling with addiction. There are several ways to make your campus more recovery-friendly, from establishing a recovery-supportive community to offering scholarships for students in recovery. Here are three strategies to help you get started:

Creating a collegiate recovery program

Creating a collegiate recovery program can have a variety of benefits. First, a recovery support group will help students connect with each other. It will give them a safe place to discuss their struggles with addiction. It will also provide a support group that peers can rely on to offer encouragement. Moreover, the program can help students with addiction stay in recovery.

Secondly, CRCs can serve as a liaison to other campus and community resources. For example, they can offer individual therapy, medication assisted recovery, and family therapy. They can also help students develop a more holistic sense of their social identity. Lastly, they can support academic advising and admission support.

Collegiate recovery programs can be aimed at a variety of issues, including eating disorders and mental health issues. The CRP can involve counseling-based work, social support groups, and peer mentoring. The program should focus on creating a culture of recovery in collegiate settings. This culture can take different forms, from a free-flowing community to a structured group of paid paraprofessionals.

Creating a recovery-supportive campus community

Creating a recovery-supportive campus environment is crucial for collegiate recovery programs. This will provide the students with the needed academic support, a sense of belonging, and a means of coping with feelings of isolation. Students will also benefit from on-campus meetings and support from campus staff. In addition, recovery programs can provide students with peer support, academic advising, and substance-free social events.

One campus that has taken the lead on creating recovery-supportive campus environments is Texas Tech University. The university has developed a curriculum that outlines the steps a campus can take to create an environment conducive to recovery. Campuses can use this model as a guide when developing their own programs. It is important to note, however, that different campuses may have varying needs and resources. This means that recovery programming can't be "one size fits all."

While collegiate recovery programs should be tailored to the culture of each college, they should strive to create a recovery-supportive community on campus. In addition to offering peer support, recovery-friendly communities should also offer opportunities for leadership and accountability. To create a successful recovery-supportive campus community, colleges should create dedicated space for recovery-supportive activities.

Providing scholarships for students in recovery

Collegiate recovery programs have become more common as a way to provide resources and social support to students struggling with addiction. Though not available on every campus, these programs provide a safe haven for recovering students who need financial support to continue their education. After years of addiction, pursuing a college education may seem like a daunting task, but scholarships for students in recovery can help these students get back on track.

The collegiate recovery programs at the University of Michigan, Oakland University, and Augsburg University are all examples of well-funded programs that offer support for students in recovery. Many of these programs offer dedicated residential areas on campus for recovering students. If you want to learn more about Augsburg University stepup program click here.

Beyond Rehabilitation: What To Expect From Someone In Recovery

The addict has finished an inpatient program and is clean and sober. You have gone through the hard part and think that the worst is over. I will discuss what you should expect, be aware of, and understand about recovery. 

What You Should Expect In Early Recovery

Becoming clean and sober is the first step in recovery. While at an inpatient rehab program held at the recovery church in Clarksville, the addict will only begin to think clearly and deal with why they use drugs. 

At this point, it is like the addict is waking up from a coma and is only starting from where they left off before the drugs took over. Emotions will be raw and the addict may not be able to handle too much at first. 

However, you do not want this opportunity of vulnerability to close. Helping an addict open up and deal with the underlying causes of their addiction is what recovery is all about.

The Bare Minimum

An addict should be in active recovery every day. Whichever program they choose, they should be:

In support group meetings

In psychotherapy (individual or group counseling)

And/or following a recovery protocol or relapse prevention plan

These actions need to take place every day for a minimum of one year. If an addict stops the actions needed to maintain sobriety, s/he can easily fall back into old patterns.

An Open Book

An addict who wants to be sober and live a clean life is very observable. If an addict is serious about recovery, their lives will be an open book. The will let you in and not keep secrets or disappear or refuse drug tests or make excuses for why they are acting different.

This is not to say that old patterns are easy to break… but if an addict is ready to move on with their life, they will want everyone to know they are clean and sober. They will not have a reason to hide from friends and family anymore.

 They may be shameful of their past behavior but honesty will be their number one priority. You will notice a sincerity you have not seen in them since maybe before they became addicted.

Increased Trust Over Time

Family members can expect to still have the old fears and rightfully so, but over time trust will be regained. It is completely normal fear to let an addict to go to the bathroom in your home with the door closed. These fears are real but you must trust your instincts because you will know the minute they are using again.

The Dry Drunk

What happens if the addict is clean and sober but their attitude remains the same? Some refer to this behavior in a recovering addict as a dry drunk. Just because a person can abstain from using drugs, their behavior may be the same as when they were drinking and drugging. A dry drunk is not committed to, nor participating in, a program of addiction recovery.

This could simply be an issue where the addict is angry and has no other way of coping. They might lack coping skills and that is why they used drugs in the first place. They may have underlying anger issues or problems they have yet to address, so they act out instead of use drugs. Most families are so relieved that the drug use is over, they will tolerate just about anything.

If this is the scenario you are experiencing with your sober loved one, then it might be a good idea to insist they seek therapy. You can still create boundaries, much like you did when they were using drugs. 

You have every right to not be a victim to this type of behavior. We know from experience that forcing an addict to get clean does not work and forcing a dry drunk to get help may not work either, so setting up boundaries and being clear about what you expect is a great way to not repeat the same old cycle you were in before.

The One-Time Relapse

An addict may also relapse. This is a common fear among family members and a very real one. If the addict is not coping in the real world well and finds life to be too overwhelming, their urge to use drugs will be too strong. However, a very high percentage of drug users relapse. It’s actually quite common.

If you find the recovering addict has relapsed, first know that you do not need to shut them out of your lives. You may offer them a way to go back into recovery. Life without drugs may be too much for them to handle. 

Most people go back to old patterns and what they know best when they feel lost, trapped, or hopeless. This is a sign that the addict may need more help or a different kind of help.  Recovering from a relapse can mean that a person can just get up and return to recovery, but there are addicts to which this behavior is chronic.

The Chronic Relapser

Different from a one-time relapse is the chronic relapser. This person will flip-flop between sobriety and using at a moment’s notice. They will play on your sympathies. They will start to move away from sober living and recovery programs. 

It is just a matter of time before this person will most likely go back to their full blown addiction. You will have to stay strong and recognize that this person is not ready for recovery. The key is to not let the merry-go-round of addiction and co-addiction start again.

MAIN TIP: Deal In Facts Only

A family may be asking how they will be able to navigate their loved ones recovery, alleviate old fears, and gain trust back. Sometimes, the fear that an addict is clean and will use again is overwhelming. 

You feel like you are walking on eggshells and you do not want to do anything to possibly set that person off. The truth is, if an addict really wants to be clean, he or she will not make excuses but will be honest and work at their sobriety every single day.

So, to conclude, family members must deal in facts only. So many promises have been broken and there is no trust in the addict and so the family has two things they must understand when an addict comes home.