Kiwi kids make beds for kiwi chicks

KIWI: Hiyori Nakano and Hailey Brown from Pakuranga College building bed boxes for Rotorua's kiwi chicks. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Rotorua's kiwi chicks have been saved from sleeping under the stars at Christmas thanks to an industrious group of students.

Hammers in hand and donated timber at the ready, students from Pakuranga College have built bed boxes to house Rainbow Springs' kiwi chicks.

Thirty boxes have been delivered to Kiwi Encounter so far, with more to come.

The project was a joint effort co-ordinated by Gary Brinsden from Pakuranga College and Debbie McGregor from Botany Downs Secondary College.

Botany Downs Secondary College have sponsored and named chicks after the Matariki stars over several years.

Kiwi Encounter assistant kiwi husbandry manager Emma Bean said, "Naturally kiwi dig burrows in the ground to sleep in and while chicks are free to do that in our enclosures, they tend to choose the wooden bed boxes while they are staying on site until they reach the magical 'stoat-proof' weight of 1kg and are released back to the wild.

"It really was a great community initiative as PlaceMakers Pakuranga donated the timber - all to make sure there is room at the Inn for kiwi this festive season!"

Kaharoa School's Room Miro also helped out this year, organising a bake sale after learning about the plight of kiwi.

The hatch season is in full swing with 78 chicks hatched so far, a jump on the 64 hatched at the same time last year.

On Christmas Day last year three chicks hatched, and more arrivals are on the cards for Christmas Day this year.