North Shore Times (New Zealand)
Sailor Cook releases kiwi at Motuora
The round the world yacht race has expanded its green theme, helping conservation efforts in New Zealand to increase the number of native kiwi birds.
New Zealand sailor Bianca Cook helped release two kiwi chicks to a reserve on Motuora Island in the Hauraki Gulf during the current Auckland stopover.
The Volvo Ocean Race has dedicated this version to helping achieve sustainability in the world’s oceans.
The name of Cook’s boat, Turn The Tide On Plastic, says it all as they look to reveal and publicise the horrors of pollution in the seas they are racing on.
She took a break from her sailing duties to get involved with the Department of Conservation project, alarmed that the flightless bird, New Zealand’s trademark symbol, is decreasing at an rate of two per cent each year.
‘‘I remember seeing kiwis at the zoo but I’ve never seen one in the wild so this is pretty incredible. It was a very special moment for Turn The Tide On Plastic to be involved in this. It was such a beautiful bird,’’ she added of handling one of the chicks as it was taken out of the travel box and placed into a burrow.
The three-week old Northland Brown chicks were incubated and hatched at Auckland Zoo and then transferred to the predator-free island.
Last weekend sailors and shore crew from Turn the Tide on Plastic,
‘‘I remember seeing kiwis at the zoo but I've never seen one in the wild so this is pretty incredible.’’ Bianca Cook, Kiwi sailor
plus Vestas 11th Hour Racing, Team AkzoNobel and Team Brunel, cleaned up Takapuna Beach (page 3).
The sailors have described what they have been witnessing over the first half of the latest race as ‘‘humbling’’ and ‘‘a disaster’’.
‘‘I’ve seen the horrible reality of pollution in our oceans. We want to create awareness to change the way people think and act,’’ Turn The Tide skipper Dee Caffari said.
The British sailor is contesting her second VOR and has witnessed increasing pollution during her adventures on the seas. She has also competed in the Vende´e Globe, the Global Challenge, the Barcelona World Race and four transatlantic races. She is the only woman to have sailed solo around the world in both directions as well as being the only female to have sailed around the world three times, non-stop.