Meet our Sister Sanctuary + French Connections

Meet Our New Zealand Sister Sanctuary

 ZEALANDIA is a world-first, fully-fenced urban eco-sanctuary located in the heart of Wellington, New Zealand.

With a 500-year vision to restore a Wellington valley’s forest and freshwater ecosystems as closely as possible to their pre-human state, the 225 hectare eco-sanctuary is a groundbreaking conservation project that has reintroduced 18 species of native wildlife back into the area, six of which were previously absent from mainland New Zealand for over 100 years.

Today we signed an MOU with ZEALANDIA to foster collaboration and to support cross-promotion.  We have already learnt much from our cross-tasman colleagues, including how to develop opportunities for volunteers to engage in ‘fence patrols’ at Mulligans Flat. New direct flights to Wellington will enable the partnership to grow.

Read the MEDIA RELEASE – Sister Sanctuaries Partnership with Zealandia.

Visit ZEALANDIA when you go to Wellington.

May 18, 2016, Kate Grarock

 French Connections

 Did you know the Eastern Bettong (Bettongia gaimardi) was named after a French naturalist?

The scientific community first described this species when French naturalists Quoy and Gaimard collected a specimen from the Blue Mountains in NSW, during a visit of the vessel l’Uranie to Port Jackson under Freycinet in 1819.

Nearly two hundred years later, we were honoured by a visit of French Ambassador to Australia H.E. Mr. Christophe Lecourtier to Mulligans Flat on the weekend.  After sharing stories of the pre-Renaissance bloom of natural history discoveries we were able to showcase our woodlands restoration efforts.

In addition to the ample bettong sightings we were treated to some rare up-close viewings of the Bush Stone-curlew, a real treat for the Ambassador and the Alliance Francaise team.

 April 18, 2016