Lottie with her fundraising jar (Photo by Kate Graeme).
Nine year old Lottie Clarke, a KCC member from Tauranga discovered she had quite a fondness for weka after a trip to Able Tasman.
It was here that she shamelessly fed scroggin to a cheeky pair who hung around one of the huts.
Lottie was then very excited when she found out that Forest and Bird were going to reintroduce weka at their community project at Aongatete, in the Kaimai Mamaku Conservation Park.
She helped out feeding them during the 9 weeks they spent in the aviary while they got used to their new home.
The weka were then released into the forest at Aongatete but Lottie knew that this was when the hard work really began.
To help keep the weka safe from mustelids (stoats and weasels), Lottie put out fundraising jars at the local dairy and takeaways and raised $44 to buy a mustelid trap to put in the forest.
Ka pai, Lottie! I expect weka are now pretty fond of you too
Want to know more about Forest and Bird’s work at Aongatete? click here.
Lottie was keen to be involved in the weka release into the holding aviary (Photo by Kimberley Collins).
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