A big day is in-store for us! Our students were ready on time (they’re
fantastic like that, really!), but we faced an immediate obstacle to our day:
the high winds from yesterday blossomed into a full ‘southerly’ (a gale-force
wind blowing to the south). To boot,
torrential rain accompanied the wind later in the morning, which eliminated
doing anything outdoors!
Our guide for the day, Russ, a facilities manager, gave us
an introduction to the history of animals in New Zealand, the geology and
formation of the ‘sinking’ continent of Zealandia (only 5% of the continent
remains above water; that land is known as New Zealand!), and the ways in which
the conservation goals of the sanctuary are achieved. Russ was a witty Kiwi and kept our students
smiling as the lesson proceeded. We
learned that the major predators of the birds and reptiles of New Zealand,
weasels, stoats (similar to our long-weasels), ferrets, and rodents (mice and
rats), were eliminated from the sanctuary over the period of 1990-1995, and then
the reintroduction of native species began, as the land was now free of
predators. Today, several hundred Brown
Spotted Kiwi, North Island Saddlebacks, and North Island Robins inhabit the
Karori Sanctuary. The sanctuary serves
as a beacon for what many Kiwi (inhabitants of New Zealand) ultimately hope for
the country: to be rid of introduced predators and the recovery of the precious
birds and reptiles whose populations were decimated after humans arrived in New
Zealand.
Following Russ’ presentation, our group had a walk through
the informative multi-room display in the main building, which included an
amazing movie on the history of New Zealand from the time before humans arrived
until the present. The students were
captivated by the portrayal of the mighty Moa, a group of 11 species whose
largest species stood at 9 feet (3m) tall!
We had the chance to ask Russ more questions about the species of bird
now inhabiting Karori following our visit of the exhibit and it was impressive
to hear our students ask such detailed, informed questions. Right on!
Score points for Mount Saint Mary College students! A clearly-impressed Russ had bad news for us,
though: the howling wind was now accompanied by torrential downpours, which
would preclude any work taking place outside.
Rats (pardon the pun)! Our second ‘service’ project was thwarted! Ah well, we should score points for our good
intentions!
The rest of the day was spent dodging rain drops. Many students focused on completing their
main assignments for the trip (daily journals and journaling on the activities
that we participated in, e.g., listening to Russ’ presentation at Karori in the
morning), or jockeyed for the few washing machines found in the hostel. The rained did stop later in the day and it
afforded us an opportunity to visit Mt. Victoria, one of the tallest points in
the harbor around Wellington, and conveniently located ‘just’ up the hill from
the hostel. A 10-min van ride up a 15% grade
hillside landed us at the top and afforded us incredible views of Wellington
and the Lower Hutt region of the North Island.
At 10pm, when it was just nearly dusk, we made our way back to the
hostel. It was a mixed-up type of day,
but it turned out well in the end!
Tomorrow: Te Papa, the national museum, and our ferry ride
to Picton.
Russ, Operations Manager at the Karori Sanctuary, talks to our group about the sanctuary and the history of New Zealand.
Sean Harrison (Business, 2016) holds a mounted specimen of an Australian Possum, a predator introduced to New Zealand for its fur, but quickly became a pest species that ate native wildlife.
Me holding a mounted specimen of a juvenile Little Spotted Kiwi from the Karori Sanctuary.
Our intrepid group that drove to the top of Mt. Victoria. Wellington, the capital city, is in the background.
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