Getting Back to Nature

Children, teachers and whanau from Active Explorers Richmond took a walk on the wild side last week, with a visit to not-for-profit conservation park, Natureland Wildlife Trust.

The park is an ideal place for children to engage with animals, from primates, meerkats and porcupines to Nelson-Tasman native birds. Centre manager Karmin Marchbanks said although it got off to a slow start, the excursion proved to be a real winner.

“It was a beautiful cold Nelson day and some of the animals were reluctant to come out at first. Once it warmed up though, the children were able to explore the park and saw all sorts of animals. They especially enjoyed watching the meerkats and lemurs, and loved feeding the goats, sheep and rabbits.”

A picnic lunch and the bus ride to and from the park were added highlights.

Natureland has the highest proportional impact for conservation of any accredited zoo in New Zealand and works with a variety of organisations to achieve the best possible outcomes for local wildlife.