Visiting Author Shares Stories on Native Wildlife Rescues

One of New Zealand’s best known natural history writers, for adults and children, and former Waiheke Island resident, Janet Hunt is sharing stories from her latest book 'How to Mend a Kea’, at an event on Sunday the 10th at Waiheke Island Library.

Janet Hunt is a writer, academic and graphic designer, currently living in Taranaki. One of her past books targeted at a younger audience, A Bird in the Hand: Keeping New Zealand Wildlife Safe, won Book of the Year and Best in Non-Fiction at the 2004 New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults; and the Elsie Locke Award at the LIANZA Children's Book Awards in 2004.

The book event coincides with a visit to Waiheke by Janet and is hosted by the local Native Bird Rescue team, Waiheke Library, and publishers Massey University Press.

‘How to mend a Kea and other fabulous fix-it stories from Wildbase Hospital’ is a children’s book featuring stories of ill or injured wildlife being treated at Wildbase, a native animal veterinary hospital. Attached to Massey University’s veterinary school in Palmerston North, Wildbase Hospital is New Zealand's only dedicated wildlife hospital.

Janet says her research for the book included spending time at the hospital “looking over the shoulders of the vets and technicians as they worked through a day, watching recent arrivals being ‘worked up’ and surgeries as well as the twice-daily rounds of care, cleaning, feeding, medicating”. She was impressed with the dedication and caring of the staff, not just for the patients but for each other.

Everyone who cares about our native animals and wants to know more about how they are helped when they are ill or injured will enjoy the stories of the little kaka that lost its way; the kereru with the broken wing; the tuatara that went floppy; the whio that couldn’t fly, and the kea with the broken foot.

Janet will share stories from ‘How to Mend a Kea’; and answer questions. Signed copies of the book will be available for cash purchase.

Waiheke’s Native Bird Rescue team will be available at the event for any questions about rescuing and caring for local native birds.

Event details: Sunday 10th December, 2.00pm-3.30pm, Waiheke Library. All welcome. Refreshments available. Signed copies of ‘How to Mend a Kea’ will be available for cash purchase or at Paper Plus.

ENDS

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