100316PBpukeko Principal Nic Welch (back left), teacher Kass Kirk (right) and the pupils of Room 2, Okoia School with the pukeko sign. PICTURE / PAUL BROOKS
100316PBpukeko Principal Nic Welch (back left), teacher Kass Kirk (right) and the pupils of Room 2, Okoia School with the pukeko sign. PICTURE / PAUL BROOKS
The kids at Okoia School wants everyone to know they it care about local wildlife, and they want other people to care too. A brand new sign has been posted near the school entrance to alert motorists that pukeko live in the area. Okoia School Principal Nic Welch lays the creditfirmly at the feet of Mihaere Smith, the young man who saw the need for the sign. "It was Mihaere who put his hand up and said, 'Excuse me Ms Welch, we've got a huge problem with pukeko getting squashed on the road.'" "I said we should put up a pukeko sign," says Mihaere. "He came and told me that was the problem and that's what he thought would be a solution," says Ms Welch. "I told him I'd make some phone calls, but I must admit, I've never see a pukeko sign, I don't know that we're going to get much joy here, but I'll try." Ms Welch first rang Land Transport but they said that as the road was not a state highway she would have to approach the District Council. She rang the Council but said they didn't do pukeko signs ... "But we were lucky they work in alliance with Downers and Graeme Dyhrberg from Downers likes pukeko," says Ms Welch. A few short weeks later, Graham and Jason turned up and installed the well-made, suitably designed and easy-to-see sign. Since then, no dead pukeko have been seen on the road near the school. Now they have set a precedent, Okoia School pupils expect to see more such signs appear on the district's roads.
