Two Wanganui girls have managed to raise more than $500 to sponsor the rare hihi birds recently released into Bushy Park.
Kaia Potaka-Osborne and Ella Watson, both 9, said they had hoped to raise $100 to sponsor a pair of the birds but ended up getting more than five timesas much.
Ella said their class, and the school as a whole, had been supportive of their efforts.
"After we were in the paper we had $200 donated from the community and at school we raised $346.50," she said.
Kaia said the pair, along with representatives from each class, were going to Bushy Park today to present the money to the Bushy Park Trust and - hopefully - see hihi for the first time.
Teacher Kevin Booth said trust board member Allan Anderson would escort the students and show them around the park.
He said students around the school had become more interested in endangered birds since Kaia and Ella began their hihi mission a fortnight ago.
"Across the school each class is involved in different study units around native birds and looking at things like mainland 'islands' and offshore sanctuaries, and the technology involved to keep them in captivity."
