News release 1 August 2018
Friends of Mana Island is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year with an exhibition at Pātaka showcasing the efforts of volunteers and the remarkable transformation of the island.
With the theme of “Celebrating Our Volunteers”, the exhibition features photos taken over the last 20 years with volunteers working on projects such as tree planting expeditions, bird and lizard translocations, maintenance work and guiding visitors.
Panorama photos show the transformation of the island from the 1980s, when it was still farmland, to now, with more than 500,000 trees planted by volunteers.
The centrepiece of the exhibition is a spectacular model of Mana Island, meticulously constructed by local modelmaker Doug Royson. It shows not only the natural features of the island, but also the points of interest on guided trips.
There is also a new video sponsored and produced by local company Kaboose Media who spent three days on Mana Island filming a volunteer work party and a guided trip.
Friends of Mana Island President, John McKoy says 20 years of active support by the group of volunteers for DOC’s successful restoration of the island is a milestone well worth celebrating.
“We regularly take people across to the island who helped with planting over the last 20 to 25 years and they marvel at the transformation that has taken place,” he says.
“At its peak there were hundreds of volunteers involved in planting trees, setting a great foundation for the reintroduction of wildlife species.”
FOMI’s current projects include proposed translocations of white-faced storm petrels and fernbirds, both supported by OMV New Zealand Ltd who have funded several earlier seabird translocations.
To coincide with the exhibition, Friends of Mana Island is hosting a short talks programme at 2pm each Sunday in August in the Bottle Creek Gallery on the theme – ‘How to Restore an Island’. Scientists and volunteers are participating in these talks.
The programme of talks is on our website.
20th anniversary of Friends of Mana Island Exhibition
Bottle Creek Gallery,
Pātaka Art + Museum
Corner Norrie and Parumoana Streets, Porirua
Friday 3 August 2018 – 2 September 2018