I was sending some Christmas cards to family and friends in England and wanted to add a gift – something flat, light, useful…
Then I thought about Oxfam Unwrapped and the Tear Fund who offer gift cards with a purpose, a chicken, a goat, clean water etc where they are most needed. Then I thought I’d like to do the same but with a conservation purpose and I found the WWF symbolic adoptions, and then, getting closer, the Phillip Island adopt a (symbolic) penguin.
I thought you might like to do the same – for Christmas gifts to those near or far, by post or electronically, for as little or as much as you like.
You can
- donate using our credit card donation page,
- Donate by direct credit to West Coast Penguin Trust 38–9011–0518009–00 (please drop us a line if you’d like a receipt)
- Or drop some cash into a donation box, for example at J’s Cafe and New World in Westport or Photo Corner, Wilderness Gallery or the Kiwi Centre in Hokitika
Here’s the card I made, to include in an email, print onto 6″x4″ photo paper, or copy and print onto some paper, make a card, cut out etc.
DOWNLOAD HERE: Christmas penguin – donation in lieu of gift card
And I’d like to thank Kim McLeod – I borrowed the image from these lovely ‘printables’, which you might also like:
https://www.thebestideasforkids.com/free-penguin-christmas-card-printables/
While materials were chosen that would stand up to the harsh coastal conditions, those same coastal conditions are conducive to plant growth! Occasional checks of the fences have been carried out by volunteers and rangers so that any maintenance needs can be identified and remedied. The never-ending need for maintenance is managing the vegetation that can grow through the fence, for example gorse, blackberry and hydrangea, pushing it to breaking point in places, or flop over causing damage from the weight of rank grass, rushes and weeds such as montbretia.
Volunteers recently spent a few hours tidying up the main fence along Woodpecker Bay north of Punakaiki so a big shout out to them - thank you Fiona, Jony, Reef, Katrina, Mandy, Marty, Teresa and Deb! Flax had been pressing down on the fence, but now the fence has been freed up by these wonderful volunteers - and they picked up a fair bit of rubbish too.
Volunteer Natassja Savidge has offered to check and help maintain the Hokitika penguin protection fence and joined Ranger Lucy Waller and Manager Inger Perkins in May to inspect the length of the fence. Some minor issues were found but the main finding was the extent of the vegetation growth that was damaging the fence in places. Big thanks to Natassja!
