Wildbase About Recovery

NZ Harrier Hawk

For Rotary to build a better world, we must first stop our existing world from being further destroyed.

 

Rotarian Scott Bruce, of the Rotary Club of Milson, NZ, with the support of local New Zealand Rotary clubs, believed that the first step to effect a real change in environmental and conservational consciousness, was to start with an impactful experience for children. The barriers to this positive encounter are usually awareness, cost, access or proximity.

 

Wildbase Recovery, planned to be completed in 2017, is more than a rehabilitation facility for endangered wildlife; it will provide a free opportunity for visitors to interact and learn about the global fragility of our native species.

 

Set in Palmerston North’s Victoria Esplanade, Wildbase Recovery will provide a special place to observe native wildlife as they recover from illness and injury after treatment at Massey University’s Wildbase Hospital, New Zealand’s only dedicated wildlife hospital.

 

Patients will come from all over the country; their journey back to wellness will engage visitors directly with the conservation of some of NZ’s (in fact, the world’s) most endangered species. Rehabilitating wildlife will spend an average of six weeks at Wildbase Recovery before their release back into the wild, making every visit a unique and exciting experience.

 

The world-class facility will include: permanent breeding and inflight aviaries and 14 purpose built rehabilitation aviaries for species such as kākā, kea, and raptors; recovery pools for penguins and wetland birds; and ground-dwelling aviaries for kiwi and takahē. An education centre will provide hands-on and online learning opportunities.

 

Rotary led the formation of The Wildbase Recovery Community Trust. The Trust, officially launched in August 2014, is tasked with raising $5.69m that will be granted to Palmerston North City Council to build this community funded wildlife recovery centre. In a unique collaboration, Wildbase Recovery will be co-managed by Massey University’s Veterinary School, with the on-going support of the regional Rangitāne Māori iwi.

The Department of Conservation has provided a 30 year permit for care of native animals at the facility (the only one of its kind), as well as providing financial support. Fundraising is also Rotary-led with almost $2.6m raised to date, thanks to grants from Central Energy Trust, the Lottery Grant Board’s WWI Commemorations, Environment and Heritage Fund, the Lottery Grant Board’s Significant Project Fund, financial donations from the NZ Rotary Clubs of Awapuni, Milson, Palmerston North and Plimmerton, and NZ Lions clubs. 

In addition to the growing community support, Wildbase Recovery has the Governor General, Rt. Hon. Sir Jerry Mateparae as its Patron, with Ambassadors Sir Graham Henry, Urzila Carlson, Jamie Fitzgerald, Nicola Toki and Ian McKelvie all endorsing the project.

 

There is no other facility like this in NZ, so its direct connection with Wildbase Hospital and contribution to conservation efforts reflects the project’s national and global significance.

 

Together with Rotary, we can give our native species the best chance of survival and be a Gift to the World, now and into the future.  

Wildbase Recovery centre (artist impression)

www.wildbaserecovery.co.nz

Wildbase Recovery Give A Little https://givealittle.co.nz/org/wildbaserecovery

 Words and photos: supplied by Chrissie Morrison, Communications Adviser for Wildbase Recovery, NZ

Te Ara Piko Pathway Award a Natural!

The Te Ara Piko Pathway around the Pauatahanui Inlet is rapidly becoming a highly awarded project, In November 2011 both Plimmerton Rotary and the Porirua City Council won the Recreation Volunteers Award in the Encore Awards.

In 2012 Porirua City Council received a Highly Commended Award for Excellence in Compliance for Te Ara Piko. This award recognised Greater Wellington consent holders who exceeded their compliance requirements to reduce or avoid adverse effects on the environment.

On Monday 19 August 2013, Plimmerton Rotary won the Heritage and Environment Category of the Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards for Te Ara Piko Pathway at a prestigious awards ceremony held at Pataka in Porirua.

 

The idea of having a pathway around the Pauatahanui Inlet was first mooted in 2000.  It was not until 2005 that any visible work was evident and the vision became a project known as the Te Ara Piko Pathway.

The project has been developed jointly between Plimmerton Rotary and the Porirua City Council with both partners being enthusiastic supporters from the start.

Ron Lucas, President of Plimmerton Rotary noted how special it was to have been nominated for this award by Porirua City and that, by receiving it, the work of both project partners was recognised.

Around the world, Rotary is involved in projects that are designed to make a difference to people’s lives in all sorts of ways. This project is unique in that it is jointly undertaken by a territorial authority and Rotary with the objective of giving everyone access to a beautiful part of Porirua City for generations to come.

There is a long way to go on this project as it works its way around the Pauatahanui Inlet but already the completed sections are proving to be well used and as the Pathway mellows, the attention paid to heritage and environmental values as recognised by the Wellington Airport Regional Community Award 2013 is becoming increasingly evident.

To celebrate, several Rotarians, Inner Wheelers and even a small person, gathered at the project’s Ration Creek nursery for the final planting of the year. Several were deployed to Ration Point to plant more Oi-Oi grasses and release those already planted.

While others busied themselves at the nursery itself, weeding around the young plants that will be ready for planting out next autumn.

Hard work like this deserves its reward so a morning tea break was very welcome.

And although it was tea and coffee and not champagne, there was a moment of celebration when mugs were raised to the extraordinary vision of having the Te Ara Piko Pathway completed around the Pauatahanui Inlet.

 

Written by Phillip Reidy