Wildlife park gives new lease of life to unwanted items
A new second-hand store will give unwanted items another life, while supporting Nelson’s only wildlife sanctuary.
Natureland manager Ruth Seabright, who has a background working for charitable organisations, said the purpose of the New To You store was to increase Natureland’s revenue, while also raising its profile.
‘‘So people understand who we are, what we do and we can tell our stories about conservation work.’’
The shop was also an opportunity to inspire people to think about how they live and what changes they could make in their daily lives to reduce their footprint and support the environment, she said.
The New To You store, which was previously two different offices, has entrances on Buxton Square and Hardy St. Staff and volunteers have been busy in recent weeks preparing the shop for its opening this weekend.
Many of the fixtures and fittings have been made by a volunteer using pallets from McCashins Brewery.
‘‘We have really done this on a shoestring, using recycled, upcycled and donated items,’’ Seabright said.
‘‘We’ve had thousands of volunteer hours go into setting this up, businesses donating services and products.’’
Seabright said people had been dropping off goods to the store since March 22, but it was still in need of more donations, along with volunteers to staff the shop.
Along with organisations like the SPCA, St John, Red Cross and Nelson Tasman Hospice, Seabright said it was one of many that made a difference to society and the environment.
‘‘I am really passionate about community organisations and the value not-for-profits add to society because without the sector, the community just wouldn’t be what it is,’’ Seabright said.
‘‘I’ve been really humbled because people have been so supportive and I think there is a lot of love out there for Natureland. I think a lot of people really want to support the organisation to support itself and that’s what this is about.’’
The Ta¯hunanui-based wildlife park first opened in 1966 and was managed by the Nelson City Council for several decades until its operation was taken over by the Abel Tasman Trust in 1999 and later the Orana Wildlife Trust.
There was significant public backlash when council considered closing Natureland in 2009.
Following the Christchurch earthquakes, Orana said it was unable to continue operating the park. A non-profit conservation charity, Natureland Wildlife Trust, took over the zoo in 2013.
In 2019, the council voted against increasing the park’s funding by $78,000 a year, which led to the organisation ceasing to do wildlife rehabilitation.
For the last five years, Natureland has worked with the Department of Conservation and Project Janszoon to breed native birds for release in the Abel Tasman National Park and other conservation areas.
The Natureland New to You store, between Buxton Carpark and Hardy St will open its doors to the public today at 10am.