Marlborough Express - Weekend Express
Volunteers key to sanctuary success
A sanctuary where juvenile kiwi wander under native flora is all thanks to volunteers and a supportive community, its coordinator says.
But the Kaipupu Point Mainland Island Society also runs conservation projects that flourish beyond the predator-proof fence that keeps the endangered rowi kiwi safe.
Co-ordinator Rachel Russell says while more than 80 regular volunteers keep the sanctuary running, what is really impressive is how the Picton community supports their wider conservation projects.
The mainland island sanctuary is free of rats and stoats thanks to the work of volunteers, but the society has many households in Picton signing up to trap wasps, plant natives and eradicate plant pests in their own backyards.
More people are becoming concerned about preserving native species, Rachel says.
‘‘I think the national goal of being predator free by 2050, it’s been great for groups like ours. There’s been a huge buy-in from the community as they realise what we could achieve.’’
The society’s entries in the community innovation category of the Cawthron Marlborough Environment Awards is acknowledgement of the community’s contribution, she says.
Deputy chairwoman Chrissy Powlesland says caring about conservation is ‘‘a Picton thing’’.
‘‘I think living in such paradise has heightened our awareness about what we’ve got to lose.’’
The society has a diverse membership, with former teachers and youth workers creating educational programmes for groups ranging from school children to tourists.
- Jennifer Eder