Pūkaha News

April is Takahē Awareness Month!

We’re celebrating all month at Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre Takahē colouring in sheets for the kids. Check out our Facebook page for fun facts and an online competition!

Junior Rangers are Back

The ever-popular Junior Rangers school holiday program will be back again during the Easter school holidays. 5-14 year olds can have fun exploring and learning about the ngahere with our passionate Rangers. Various days available 10:30-2:30pm so stay tuned to our Whānau Facebook page for details coming soon.

Te Wānanga Taiao Structure, Taking Shape!

The mahi Quality Builders are doing on Te Wānanga Taiao is starting to take shape. Thanks to the support of the provincial growth fund, and all our local partners for making the Wānanga happen.

Education will be at the heart of what our Wānanga provides to the community. What can I expect to see at the Wānanga, you ask? Our super excited Education Director Kelly can fill you in! “For the community, the wānanga means that we will be hosting day and noho (overnight) workshops and learning opportunities in our wharenui. For our schools, we are adding to our education session options to make sure we are helping them meet the needs of the curriculum. This means our sessions not only teach across different parts of the curriculum (from science to language) but also provide students with insights into Aotearoa’s history, Te Reo Māori and tikanga, and local knowledge. Schools can still participate in our two day-session options and will be able to select from more options in the future – we are currently trialing sessions on tracking and trapping, freshwater sampling, for example.” says Kelly.

A special mention must also be made to Juken New Zealand (jnl.co.nz) who have funded the timber for the build!

Kaka Chicks All Grown Up!

A lot can happen in a month at Pūkaha. Check out how much our kākā chicks have grown in that time. They get very well looked after by our captive breeding team.