10th Birthday for Karori Wildlife Sanctuary Trust

29 April 2005 marks the 10th birthday of the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary Trust. Over 2005 the Sanctuary will celebrate this milestone with a number of activities. The first being the Sanctuary’s 10th birthday party on 29 April. At the event there will be talks from Sanctuary staff and volunteers on some of the popular bird species in the valley and an orienteering activity for the kids with prizes to be won!

The Sanctuary will also provide a birthday celebration for one lucky child who was born on or near the 29 April 1995. The parents of any such child who may be interested in celebrating their joint 10th birthday with the Sanctuary on the 29 April can contact the Sanctuary on phone 04 920 9200 or email birthday@sanctuary.org.nz.

The inaugural meeting of the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary Trust was held on 29 April 1995, marking the origin of this charitable trust organisation charged with the responsibility of returning the Karori Reservoir valley back to its pre-human condition. The Sanctuary Trust’s vision for the valley’s restoration spans 500 years – the time it will take to re-establish a thriving forest ecosystem with tall emergent trees like rata, rimu and totara. “When these giants reach maturity and are reproducing successfully, and the natural diversity and structure of the forest has been reinstated, the restoration programme will be complete,” says Sanctuary Conservation Scientist Raewyn Empson.

Although the time horizon is distant, a lot of significant work has been done in these first 10 years. Already this world-first conservation attraction is home to over 30 native bird species. Some, like the little spotted kiwi, North Island saddleback and hihi having vanished from the main islands of New Zealand over the past 100 years.

The Karori Wildlife Sanctuary is open every day - weekdays, 10am to 4pm. Weekends and public holidays 10am to 5pm. Their Visitor Centre is at the end of Waiapu Road, Karori, Wellington (first left after the Karori tunnel). For further visiting information please visit the web-site http://www.sanctuary.org.nz.

ENDS

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