Almost 2000 ANZ staff contribute regular amounts to the bank’s staff foundation charitable trust, matched by ANZ NZ at a rate of $2 for every $1 donated by staff.
Charities can apply for a grant, and the West Coast Penguin Trust is one of the latest recipients in a long line of giving. Over $7 million has been donated to more than 870 charities and community projects since 2000 and, for the second time, the ANZ Staff Foundation team really see the value in the education programme and have generously provided their support.
Their previous generous grant helped us to expand our education programme to more schools, to more children, and ANZ so loved our story that they created a video to share it and other work of the Trust.
This time, the grant will fund around 80% of the cost of the education programme for six months, predominantly supporting our Education Ranger, Lucy Waller, to help teachers and other educators introduce penguins through a variety of activities aligned to the NZ Curriculum. Penguins are an opportunity to introduce nature and conservation to young minds and encourage the development of conservation values at a crucial age where such values are most likely to be formed.
We are hugely grateful to the ANZ Staff Foundation. Teachers and children love working with us and it’s great to know you value us too.
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!
