Take a pew at Bushy Park

St John's Hill School pupils and Bushy Park supporters enjoy a cup of tea in the park. PHOTO/BEVAN CONLEY

Visitors to Bushy Park, 20km north of Whanganui city, can now enjoy new seating to listen to the birdsong and watch birds feeding.

A partnership between the Rotary Club of Wanganui North and the Bushy Park Trust has seen the completion of five projects at the park.

Bushy Park manager Mandy Brooke said the club has
contributed repeatedly on significant projects at the bird sanctuary.

"One of the things I have learned working here at Bushy Park is that when Rotary North say they will get on with a project, it will be done with positive determination and completed in a very professional manner."

As well as new extra seating at Bushy Park, the wetlands track has been completed, new seating, signage and decking has been finished on the Ratanui viewing platform and there is now seating and signage at the hihi feeding station.
Children from St John's Hill School raised more than $700 for Bushy Park last year and donated the money to Rotary North with a request that it be used for seating to watch the hihi feed.

The school group known as "Earth Kids" raised the money by selling native seedlings sourced from Bushy Park and selling healthy baked goods.

The endangered native hihi, or stitchbird, has been called New Zealand's "little ray of sunshine" because of the bright yellow feathers at the base of its wings.
Peter Frost oversees the management and care of the little birds at Bushy Park where around 50 of them were introduced in 2013.

Mr Frost said there are 36 individually marked birds now nesting at the sanctuary and he believes there are quite a few others as well.
He hopes their residence at the park will be as successful as the tieke, or saddleback, birds' has been. "We started with 40 tieke in 2006 and they now number more than 400," he said.

Support for other projects completed by Rotary North at Bushy Park has been provided by the Eleanor Burgess Trust.

Ms Brooke said she is happy to report that the trust has committed a further $34,000 towards more projects and have just confirmed a $50,000 contribution towards the renovation of the old stables at Bushy Park.

Rotary North's Cranleigh Chainey said the work at Bushy Park builds great camaraderie between club members and is very satisfying.

Another project completed this year is a promotional video, which can be viewed at bushyparksanctuary.org.nz