$300,000 Grant for Pukaha Kiwi House

The grant by the Lottery Environment and Heritage Committee grant is the largest made by that committee to Wairarapa in many years and will assist the $1.5 million upgrade and extension to the nocturnal House and other outdoor facilities at the National Wildlife Centre.

“We are delighted with this substantial contribution towards a project which will create the most advanced nocturnal house and kiwi viewing facilities in New Zealand,” said Pukaha Mount Bruce Board chairman Bob Francis.

“The board has been working hard on fundraising which so far includes grants from Masterton and Tararua District Councils, Trust House and the NZ Tourism Facilities Development Fund.”

Mr Francis said three more major grant applications were currently being considered and others were in the planning stages.

“Of course we have also received fantastic support from the local community in their fundraising efforts which assisted the translocation of 30 kiwi, a related project,” said Mr Francis.

We are still receiving donations and know of a number of groups and schools still fundraising.”

The Lottery grant caps an extraordinary month for Pukaha and follows the successful translocation of 30 kiwi from Little Barrier Island to the Pukaha forest on 7 May – a move to boost the gene pool, and increase the population of kiwi already reintroduced to the forest.

Plans for the nocturnal house upgrade include completely renovating the kiwi enclosures, flood-proofing the structure, relocating the Operation Nest Egg kiwi programme into the nocturnal house and introducing new visitor viewing facilities.

“Our visitors tell us seeing a kiwi is the ‘must do’ on their visit to Pukaha,” said Mr Francis. “We plan to make sure that a visit to our nocturnal house exceeds their expectations.”

Visitors will be able to see into the incubation room and the brooders where the kiwi chicks hatch and are looked after until they are returned to the forest. A two-way intercom will enable visitors to interact with the rangers.

Theatre seating for up to 50 people will allow visitors to view a series of short films which draw the links between the Operation Nest Egg programme and the pest control and forest restoration work being undertaken at Pukaha. The films documenting this month’s kiwi translocation to Pukaha will be included.

The project is the second stage of an overall upgrade of centre facilities. Eighteen months ago the colours, sights and sounds of an ancient forest, inhabited by huia and moa, were recreated indoors as part of a double award-winning $1.4 million redevelopment of the visitor centre.

Source:  Pukaha Mount Bruce Board