After a decade of ground work, supporters of the Brook Waimarama Sanctuary gathered to celebrate the first steps in the construction of a pest-proof fence.
It’s been 13 years since the first meeting in October 2001, when the idea of a sanctuary for valuable and threatened native species was first conceived.
Last Saturday’s ceremony included a dawn blessing, and was followed by the first ground breaking and local school children installing the first fence post.
“There has been so much work to get us to this stage, from our own amazing volunteers who have put in thousands of hours of trapping, monitoring, track cutting and weeding, from the many financial supporters, large and small who have helped us reach the target of $4.7million, and for all those who have helped in many other ways,” says chairman of the Brook Waimarama Sanctuary, Dave Butler. “This event marks the vision becoming a reality – Nelson is to have a wildlife sanctuary and visitor attraction on its doorstep, it’s a very exciting moment as we see fence construction begin.”
The actual earthworks for the fence will be starting in two weeks, with construction expected to last around 18 months.
Once completed, the 700ha fenced sanctuary will not only provide a safe environment for threatened species like the Kiwi and Tuatuara but supporters believe its benefits to the region will include it being a pristine native bush experience for visitors, research centre and outdoor classroom to connect people with nature.
