High-flying support for a very special place.
In August we shared news of our new charity programme the Soar Initiative. Now we’re proud to introduce the first recipient of Soar – the Orokonui Ecosanctuary on the north coast of Dunedin.
The sanctuary was officially ‘closed’ in 2007 with the completion of the 1.9 metre high, nine kilometre long pest-exclusion fence. Since then the 307 hectares of Coastal Otago forest behind the fence has been carefully protected and sustained. Over the years a wide range of species have reintroduced to the area, many of them rare and endangered.
In 2020 Orokonui has become a flagship biodiversity project and a leading destination for visitors keen to experience the growing forest and meet the incredible flora and fauna.
The visitor and education centre is a must-do if you’re in the area or planning a trip to Dunedin. From tuatara to saddleback, takahē to kākāriki to kākā and more, there are some incredible sights to be seen here.
We love what the team at Orokonui are doing and are proud to support their efforts. While they have staff working full time now, volunteers founded the sanctuary – and it’s still reliant on the good work of those helping out with track maintenance, weed control, fence supervision and pest monitoring.
With the arrangement of Soar support we are now providing a financial donation made up from a percentage of online sales along with a ‘top-up’ from Topflite. Along with thousands of dollars in support we’ll also be looking at other ways we can help Orokonui. It’s a vital resource for New Zealand’s nature and a truly incredible place. If you haven’t been yet we highly recommend doing so!
Title image: Photo by Andrea Lightfoot on Unsplash
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