Project Ruru takes flight again
Last year, fifteen artists made sculptures of our native owl in a variety of media. These have been installed throughout the park and are shifted every 3 months. ‘Find the Roosting Rurus’ has become part of another adventure within the Sculpture Park at Waitakaruru Arboretum.
The project launches on 6 th July with related arts and environmental activities planned to follow through all of the July school holidays. The park will be working with Forest & Bird and Wingspan to draw attention to our native owl (ruru/morepork). Although this native species is not on the brink of extinction, it is threatened by predators.
In forested areas and native bush, you can hear their distinct call at night. Most nights we hear them here in the park and occasionally see them perched on a tree limb during the daytime to the delight of our visitors. Three rescued rurus have been released here in recent years.
The park is located along the Waitakaruru Stream (Waitakaruru is Maori for owl by the water) so ruru hold a special place in our hearts. We want them to survive and thrive. Wingspan provided the park with a pattern for making nesting boxes of plywood. We aim to make another 20 of these boxes from donated plywood with materials and the help of a volunteer group. Like last year, we hope to donate and install the boxes at schools and along the Waikato River. Working with other Wintec arboriculture students, the Trust plans to have these boxes installed in suitable trees for safer ruru nesting places throughout the Waikato. Some will be donated and installed at schools again.
