New signs help park's visitors

Allan Anderson gets busy with the drill to put up new signs helped by Lesley Dolling (left) and Rick Brown. Photo/Stuart Munro

There's a tangible sign of prizemoney in action at Bushy Park reserve north of Whanganui.

Long-time reserve supporter Allan Anderson won the environment award in the Pride of New Zealand awards presented late last year.

For his efforts the retired farmer and keen conservationist was handed a $4000 cheque which he pledged to the reserve's continuing upgrade and maintenance.

This week he and some other keen volunteers were on the job, setting in posts and screwing in the signs along Kapiti track, one of the several routes criss-crossing the native wildlife sanctuary inland from Kai Iwi.

A total of five weather-proof signs are being erected, each of them giving park visitors an explanation of a particular vista. The Kapiki walkway has also been upgraded with shellrock laid along its 425m length

Mr Anderson said that work has been helped "a great deal" by community service workers along with a $1000 donation from Project Crimson.

Other work had also been carried out on the track from what's known as the punchbowl to Ratanui, the Great Northern rata.

Mr Anderson has been associated with Bushy Park since 1962. His fundraising efforts for the bird sanctuary have totalled $2.5 million from 1996, including $60,000 for the introduction of hihi, one of the world's rarest birds, and $1 million for a pest-proof fence to protect the wildlife.