Conservation organisation Southern Lakes Sanctuary has today announced it will receive a significant funding contribution to help continue its predator-control work.

A $100,000 donation each year for the next three years from AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand kicks off a national fundraising mission for Southern Lakes Sanctuary. The environmental consortium requires urgent funding to sustain its critical work in protecting native species and increasing biodiversity in the Southern Lakes.

Southern Lakes Sanctuary project director Paul Kavanagh says they are thrilled to announce their first cornerstone funding partner as local businesses are a lifeline for the non-profit organisation.

“We are incredibly grateful to AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand for supporting us and recognising the importance of the work we are undertaking in the Southern Lakes,” he says. “Since we began in late 2021, the trapping network across our region has increased by 50 per cent and we are delighted to know that we are making a genuine difference for our wonderful landscapes and native wildlife. But we need to keep going, and contributions from businesses and organisations like AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand can enable us to do that.”

Southern Lakes Sanctuary works with a consortium of six conservation organisations across the Southern Lakes, bringing together the work of 90 volunteer groups, landowners, businesses and the Department of Conservation (DoC). It utilises cutting-edge conservation technology, including eDNA monitoring, smart traps and AI species recognition.

AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand chief executive David Mitchell says the tourism leader chose to support Southern Lakes Sanctuary after seeing that the organisation is producing real, tangible results in local conservation.

“We’ve been privileged in enabling support for Southern Lakes Sanctuary by providing the operational horsepower for their conservation project,” he says. “We believe in the benefits these dedicated people are providing to local conservation and we would like to see them continue. We are committing $100,000 per annum for three years for running the office and support networks needed by Southern Lakes Sanctuary and we look forward to other Kiwi companies recognising the benefits of backing people undertaking crucial conservation work.

“It is important for responsible tourism companies focusing on being regenerative in tourism, to not only do their part in carbon reduction measures but also support biodiversity issues.”

Southern Lakes Sanctuary was established as a result of the Workforce Alliance, which was launched by AJ Hackett Bungy NZ during the pandemic to keep Queenstown’s tourism workers in the area. The workers were deployed into new and existing community projects, including Southern Lakes Sanctuary.

With the resurgence of the tourism trade the Bungy crew have returned to their operational roles and we now have a team of more than 20 skilled conservationists,” adds Kavanagh. “Science and tech are important to our organisation to make us as efficient as possible, but it’s our people in the office and out in the field who are the real stars. We’re all deeply committed to preserving the Southern Lakes’ native taonga for future generations.”

The first of the three $100,000 contributions will be donated to Southern Lakes Sanctuary in July 2024.

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