‘Meet the Locals’ planting day at Wellington Zoo, Saturday 9 May

Wellington Zoo has been hard at work designing and constructing Meet the Locals – the Zoo’s new walk-through New Zealand precinct, which will open in late 2015.

And this weekend the Wellington community will also have the opportunity to get involved and make their mark on the new precinct.

From 10am-3pm this Saturday 9 May, staff, volunteers, Zoo Crew members and corporate partners will be rolling up their sleeves and getting stuck in for the Meet the Locals planting day – with the aim to plant 4,000 native trees on the site.

Zoo visitors on the day are also welcome to grab a shovel and join in.

“Our visitors are an integral part of Wellington Zoo, and we’d love to have them here to help us build our future Zoo,” said Daniel Warsaw, General Manager Business and Partnerships.

Visitors to the Zoo wishing to plant a tree can do so on the day, with no need to register (standard Zoo entry prices apply).

“Just come along between 10am–3pm and bring water, sunscreen and appropriate footwear and clothing, as well as gardening gloves if you have them,” said Mr Warsaw.

About Meet the Locals

Meet the Locals is Wellington Zoo’s love story to New Zealand, and a way to celebrate our country and the amazing creatures and plant life that live here.

It is a place where we will celebrate the stories of who we are as New Zealanders, and what the land means to us. It is a launching pad for discussion around the New Zealand of the future – a land of sustainable living and harmonious integration of people and wildlife.

The precinct is being developed around four areas:

PENGUIN POINT

Evocative of our wild South Coast, Penguin Point will be home to Kororā, the Little Blue Penguin. Visitors will be able to get up close to this iconic native species, and find out what Wellington Zoo is doing, and what our community can do, to ensure their survival.

POHUTUKAWA FARM

Reminiscent of a Wairarapa farm, Pohutukawa Farm will be home to Kunekune Pigs, Sheep, Rabbits, Guinea Pigs, Bees and Chickens. An Eel Pond will house Tuna, our New Zealand freshwater eels. A distinctive barn will be a learning facility and discovery centre will let visitors get their hands dirty planting and harvesting vegetables, and get up close to farm animals.

BUSH BUILDERS

Celebrating our native bush, Bush Builders will be an exploratory journey through regenerating forest. Bush Builders is more than a bush walk – we want to encourage our visitors to think about the bush in a different way; as a place to discover, have fun and learn about ecosystems, animals and plants. Bush Builders will attract our Wellington locals – birds that fly in and out of the Zoo – and the reptiles that live all around us.

CONSERVATION CONNECTION

Conservation Connection celebrates the work Wellington Zoo does for our endangered New Zealand locals beyond the Zoo’s borders. Visitors will have the chance to fall in love with one of our most endearing and intelligent birds – Kea – and learn how we can protect them. Also see how we help to restore Kākā to the wild throughout New Zealand, and meet Grand and Otago Skinks – some of New Zealand’s rarest reptiles.

To find out how you can support Meet the Locals, email wellingtonzoo@wellingtonzoo.com.

ENDS

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