Auckland City Council
Media release
28 August 2008
Meet the locals at Zoo’s Conservation Week event
A family fun day at Auckland Zoo on Sunday, 7 September to celebrate the start of Conservation Week will offer visitors
the chance to meet some special wildlife locals, and participate in lots of other fun activities.
Auckland Zoo has joined forces with the Department of Conservation (DOC) and TVNZ 6, co-producers of the ‘Meet the
Locals’ TV show about wild places and their inhabitants, to give Kiwis a greater insight into the incredible wildlife
that’s unique to New Zealand.
The day (9.30am – 4.30pm) features exhibit encounters with fur seals, kea, frogs, and penguins, and at the Native Fauna
Encounter Centre at 2pm, the chance to see kiwi, tuatara, kaka, and other wildlife up close. In the Zoo’s Grassland’s
theatre, visitors can join ‘Meet the Locals’ presenter and DOC expert Nic Vallance, and the Zoo’s NZ Fauna expert Andrew
Nelson, get up close with more local creatures, and watch episodes of the show.
Within the Zoo’s second plaza, kids can get their faces painted (10am to 1pm), meet some Kiwi characters, enjoy live
Kiwi music, take part in fun games, and be in to win great spot prizes
Also in the plaza will be conservation group stalls, including DOC, Forest & Bird, Auckland Zoo Conservation Fund, the Motuihe Trust, Motutapu Restoration Trust, WWF, and Project Crimson –
offering visitors the chance to find out more about conservation projects happening in their local area, and how they
can get involved
Artwork entries for the Zoo’s inaugural ‘Trash to Taonga’ art challenge will be on display, and at 1.15pm, the winners
of this Conservation Week themed competition will be announced.
“Conservation Week is a great time for everyone to stop and celebrate New Zealand’s incredible natural treasures, but
also to look at how as individuals, we can all play a part in helping ensure we don’t lose what we have,” says Auckland
Zoo director, Jonathan Wilcken.
DOC’s brand and campaign manager, Stasi Turnbull says New Zealand is full of plants, animals and landscapes that are
found nowhere else on earth.
“Conservation Week is your opportunity to show them off, to learn more about them, and see them up close. So what are
you waiting for? Get out and meet the locals!”
Normal Zoo admission prices apply to this event. The full schedule for Conservation Week Family Fun Day at Auckland Zoo
can be found at www.aucklandzoo.co.nz . To find out more about Conservation Week, visit www.conservationweek.org.nz
ENDS