11 December 2018

Manawatu help revamp aviary for Kiwi breeding

Volunteering at Pukaha Mt Bruce Wildlife Centre. Over the course of three busy days, Palmerston North Brokers, Centralised Claims Team and Monument Finance descended on Pukaha Mt Bruce Wildlife Centre as part of their ongoing commitment to support NZ native birds.

The Wildlife Centre thrives with the help of volunteers with over 1000 hours of volunteer work required every year and the Palmerston North branch certainly contributes a good share.   

Pukaha is in the process of clearing and revamping an old aviary to use for Kiwi breeding. It's a massive project and they have mentioned that our help would be "a huge impact" for them.   On arrival the crews quickly put us to task demolishing and replanting a Kaka aviary, scrubbing moss from a predator fence, refurbishing a Kiwi enclosure and collecting excess vegetation litter to mulch.

The Wildlife Centre is home to the first white Kiwi (Manukura).  Some of the newbies enjoyed the rare opportunity to get up close and personal with the kiwi along with Kokako, Kaka, native eels, Tuatara and other species.

Pukaha were greatly appreciative of the work that the volunteers put in and are now more prepared to cope with the upcoming breeding season.  Everyone enjoyed being a part of helping the facility which is pivotal in the conservation of some of our great New Zealand native species.