Meet Carole & Koro…

Koro the kiwi is gaining hundreds of young fans around the Western Bay during his visits to primary schools with carer and Otanewainuku Kiwi Trust patron Carole Long.

Koro, a North Island brown kiwi from Tongariro, was about 30 when he died and posthumously helps teach children all about kiwi and Western Bay’s kiwi sanctuary of Otanewainuku Forest.

Educating children on kiwis

Carole welcomes invitations from schools to share the trust’s story and learn about the kiwi protection programme at Otanewainuku Forest in Upper Pyes Pa.

Last week the pupils of Fairhaven Primary School in Te Puke had a very special gift for Koro – paintings of kiwi festooned with coins as a donation. The pupils are also planning to go on a bush walk in Otanewainuku Forest to experience the environment where kiwi and other protected species live.

Carole loves her work with schools and says Koro is a fantastic ‘partner’ and a wonderful tool in her education programme about kiwi and the work of the trust.

Carole is a founding member, a patron and one of the longest-serving Kiwi Trust volunteers. She is also chair of the Te Puke branch of Forest and Bird and was awarded a Queen’s Service Medal for services to conservation in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours.

A heartwarming cause

Western Bay of Plenty District Council has been a supporter of the Trust for some time. It is one of the largest environmental groups in the District and this is reflected in Council’s funding of its projects.

Over the last four years, Council has funded $70,000 toward the Trust’s ongoing monitoring of kiwi and kokako and Council has an agreement with Volunteering Bay of Plenty to coordinate the volunteers.

Council’s Community Relationships officer Glenn Ayo says Carole is a wonderful inspiration and ambassador for conservation.

“The Kiwi Trust is dependent on partners both big and small and schools such as Fairhaven that donate in such as beautiful way certainly warms the heart.”