Brook Sanctuary to re-open to the public

Tuesday, 3 July 2018

Brook Waimarama Sanctuary Trust chairman Dave Butler and general manager Hudson Dodd after one of the poison drops last year. They say they are 'thrilled' to welcome the public back in.

The Brook Waimarama Sanctuary will reopen to the public on Sunday, July 15.

Trust Chair Dave Butler said the sanctuary were 'thrilled' to be reopening following its predator-proof fence and poison drop programme to eradicate pests.

'So much has changed since we were last open to the public … Visitors will now get to experience a very special place – a site where native bird species are beginning to recover from daily predation by mammalian pests,' Butler said.

* Brook fence breach 'no biggie'

Brook Sanctuary will be open for the public again, after a year of development work.

* Volunteer excited to bring natives back**

'Our pest removal operation last year was followed by months of intensive monitoring, which has given us confidence of the operation's success.'

He said there were already increases in the population of tui, fantails, and tomtits.

To preserve biosecurity, visitors will be asked to check pockets and bags for any 'stowaway guests' before they enter the predator-proof fenced area.

Sanctuary general manager Hudson Dodd said it may sound unlikely, but it 'really could happen'.

The development work on the sanctuary will be ongoing, so entry will be on a koha basis only. The suggested donation is $5 per adult or $15 for a family.

'We'll be extending and developing the track network, including making a wheelchair friendly loop track so that everyone can experience the sanctuary, as well as providing interactive learning opportunities,' Dodd said.

'We also have very exciting work underway to plan our first species reintroductions, returning birds such as kiwi, kakariki and kaka back to the valley where they were once abundant.'

Dodd said the sanctuary was building towards becoming a 'significant visitor attraction' to Nelson.

The sanctuary will be open to the public from Sunday July 15 for the winter opening hours: Saturday, Sunday, and Monday from 10am to 4pm.