6 August 2007 PRESS RELEASE

Volunteers wanted for little blue penguin housing project

Budding young builders are urged to come to the Island Bay Surf Club this Sunday 12 August and celebrate Conservation Week by lending their hand to the construction of nest boxes for little blue penguins on Matiu/Somes Island.

The nest-box housing project for the little blue penguin/korora is part of Forest & Bird's Places for Penguins campaign - and is designed to make Wellington a more penguin-friendly city and improve the quality of life for the capital city penguins.

The Kiwi Conservation Club (a Forest & Bird project for children) is overseeing the nest boxes initiative as part of the Conservation Week South Coast Safari from 10am-3pm this Sunday.

"Children are invited to put together pieces of the kit-set nest box puzzle. It's not too challenging, and a great way of including children in the Places for Penguins project," said Wellington KCC coordinator Donna Sherlock.

"Each nest box kit-set is pre-cut, drilled and ready for assembly. We've already had one day where KCC kids assembled the nest boxes and found it took most family groups around 15 minutes. "We really want to involve more of the community this weekend, not just rely on our members. Children can even write their own name inside, so that penguins will always know who made their homes" said Ms Sherlock. Younger children will be able to use screws to assemble the boxes and there are hammers and nails for older children keen to help.

The EcoPly timber for the project has been donated free from Wellington City Council's Southern Landfill. The wood is salvaged waste from the construction of Meridian Energy's head office on the Wellington waterfront.

Ms Sherlock, who is also the City Council's Waste Awareness Officer, says the timber has been stockpiled at the Southern Landfill for recycling - further enhancing the environmental benefits of the 'green' building's construction.

The nest boxes will be used on Matiu/Somes Island for a Department of Conservation little blue penguin survival study, organised by DOC Poneke Conservancy Technical Support Officer Dave Houston and DOC Ranger Rebecca Wolf.

ENDS

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