Tarapuruhi Bushy Park: New education co-ordinator hopes to take sanctuary to the public

Michaella Luxton aims to weave mātauranga Māori into the sanctuary’s narrative.

Tarapuruhi Bushy Park’s new education co-ordinator says 2024 will be a critical year at the sanctuary.

Michaella Luxton brings a decade of educational expertise to her role, in which she will focus on engaging with and educating the community regarding the importance of freshwater and climate action.

“The sanctuary offers a hands-on restoration experience, allowing learners and the community to directly participate in environmental preservation,” Luxton said.

“By nurturing an understanding of the vital roles that forests and wetlands play in mitigating climate change, Tarapuruhi aims to spark a regional revolution in ecological action, promoting initiatives such as community education, tree planting and expansion of the bush, sustainable predator management, and an opportunity for all to get involved.”

The sanctuary is located about 25km northwest of Whanganui.

Luxton said she would aim to weave mātauranga Māori into the sanctuary’s narrative and foster a space where conservation and cultural heritage were celebrated.

Bushy Park would continue to offer day trips for school and educational groups, but “we would love to come and visit your school, students and staff”.

“If you are running a programme we can support or want your kura to have a more positive outlook on our changing environment, please get in touch,” Luxton said.

“We want the public to find the love and drive to care for our natural world - our incredible native plants, animals and the world they live in. We can make a difference.”

Her new role had been made possible through a portion of the funding the sanctuary received from Whanganui District Council and Horizons Regional Council, she said.

The district council awarded the sanctuary $20,000 last year as part of its Community Climate Action Fund, with Horizons providing $21,400 in the 2023/24 financial year for operations such as predator monitoring, weed control and maintaining its predator-proof fence and gates.

Horizons is mulling a further $30,000 in funding per annum as part of its Long Term Plan for 2024-34.

Luxton said she hoped to establish recurring relationships with environmental groups in schools, offering students of all ages an opportunity to be kaitiaki [guardians] of Tarapuruhi Bushy Park.

“With the perfect environment to learn and make a real impact, we hope to organise regular small group trips, where students with a passion for conservation can be a consistent part of a real ongoing project.

“Our tamariki are our future, and with such a unique and fascinating landscape to learn and explore in, we have a golden opportunity to ensure our environment is in safe and caring hands.”

The reserve was always on the hunt for volunteers, she said.

Currently, volunteers put in between 500 and 600 hours per month.

“The work spans from being on the education team, seed collection, potting and caring for plants in the nursery, planting new areas of the forest, nurturing mature plants, monitoring our wildlife and ensuring our park stays predator-free.”

There are volunteer days every Tuesday and Thursday.

Tarapuruhi Bushy Park is free to the public and open every day during sunlight hours.

More information on school programmes and volunteering can be found on the sanctuary’s website.