Hundreds at Pukaha’s open day fun

Pu¯ kaha National Wildlife Centre has been overwhelmed by the success of its second annual Community Open Day.

The centre opened its doors on Sunday, October 27 and allowed visitors to enter by koha (donation).

The weather was perfect and 1398 people from across lower North Island made the most of the opportunity, enjoying the reserve, learning about wildlife and participating in fun activities. Local artists, crafts people, and plant sellers were also dotted throughout the reserve. A special addition was a trio of skilled Ma¯ ori carvers, creating taonga (treasures).

Hundreds of icecreams were consumed, 150 rocks painted by young artists, 55 insect hotels built with the help of the Masterton Menzshed and over 500 wild seed bombs were made and taken away to germinate in fairy gardens.

The success of the day is put down to the Tararua and Wairarapa communities. Local councils, community boards, community groups, businesses and schools all made a contribution. “Community is at the heart of Pu¯ kaha,” Emily Court, general manager at Pu¯ kaha, said. “It is so important for our community to think of this place as theirs. We love opening our doors and making our wildlife and forest accessible to everyone. All of our staff and volunteers enjoyed meeting our visitors and sharing their passion for the place.”

The donations made help to support forest restoration, captive breeding and the release of native birds into the wild.

“Our Open Day is about connecting with our community and showing them what we do.”