Imagine a place… where native plants and animals thrive, without threat from introduced pests. … alive with birdsong, where rare species such as kiwi, tuatara and kakapo roam freely. … where you can get involved and make a difference. … where visitors can see native flora and fauna close to home.
That’s a quote from the Brook Waimarama Sanctuary website :
The Brook Waimarama Sanctuary is a community-based initiative working to create a pest-free wildlife sanctuary close to the Nelson city centre in New Zealand. Integral to creating the Brook Waimarama Sanctuary is construction of a pest-proof fence 14km long, to enclose the area, and to eradicate all the pest mammals within it. This will enable the re-creation of a historic piece of New Zealand which today is only found on a few offshore islands. Resident birds, reptiles and invertebrates will flourish and species previously lost from the area will be re-introduced. The project was launched in 2004 and has strong community involvement and support.
The Rotary Club of Nelson has been a strong supporter of the sanctuary, providing volunteers and cash contributions. Our members have helped with tracks, filled bags with concrete mix for retaining walls, been traffic wardens for their fund-raising events, and assisted in many other ways.
