Sparky spreads the love

Who says kiwis can't fly? Sparky the kiwi proved this theory wrong, sort of, when he made a flying visit to St Joseph's School last week, with a little bit of help from the crew at Beck Helicopters.

Sparky may have only one leg, but he has plenty of personality and was a hit with students and staff alike when he flew into the school to bring an important message about wildlife conservation.

Sparky normally lives at the Whangarei Native Bird Recovery, where he is cared for by Robert Webb, who first met Sparky 14 years ago. Sparky was just a few months old then and was brought in to the centre by a hunter who had found him in a gin trap. The trap cost Sparky one of his legs, but gave him a new role in life, as he and Robert regularly travel the country visiting schools and groups.

By the end of Sparky's visit to St Joseph's, he had been petted and admired by every student present.

"He is completely happy to be handled," says Robert, who watches the bird closely for signs of stress.

Sparky happily hopped around on the grass at St Joseph's, letting students feel his feathers and giving a demonstration of how he finds worms to eat.

"It is one thing to see a picture of a kiwi in a book, but to actually touch one leaves you with a lifetime memory," says Karen Schumacher of the East Taranaki Environment Trust. Being able to help bring Sparky to visit children in the Taranaki region is fantastic, she says, and the trust is grateful to all its sponsors who made it possible.

Karen was at the school, along with members from other Taranaki groups who work with kiwi, so students could benefit from a variety of hands-on learning opportunities and learn more about New Zealand's wildlife and the importance of conservation.

Karen says this 'working together' approach helps give the event a clear focus of "kiwi are part of our community".

Seven-year-old Jacob Slattery loved getting to touch Sparky, and thinks his name suits him, "when I touched him his feathers felt spiky and that sounds like his name".

While in the area, Sparky also visited school children in Inglewood and Tikorangi.

For more on Sparky's visit, see page 4.