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Kiwi chick, New Zealand
Friends of Flora (FoF) is a community group founded in 2001 whose aim is to implement conservation strategies to protect various threatened or endangered flora and fauna in the Flora Stream catchment area of the Kahurangi National Park.
Since European settlers introduced predators such as stoats and rats to New Zealand, there has been a significant decline in many native bird species, many of which are ground-nesters, such as the Kiwi, or are inefficient flyers and therefore not designed to escape these fast-moving and agile creatures.
More recently a number of predator-free reserves have been established across New Zealand and FoF are particularly focussed on a pristine area at the top of South Island. Historically stoats have been a particular threat in this area but they have gradually been removed until, in 2010, it was felt their numbers were low enough to safely reintroduce the Kiwis.
Twelve Great Spotted Kiwi were relocated from another part of the National Park to the Flora Stream catchment area and have successfully settled themselves in to their new home. However, continuous monitoring is required to ensure that they are given the best chance of survival, and to reproduce so that the Kiwi is present for generations to come.
The Mutitjulu Foundation was set up in 2003 by the Australian company Voyages Hotels and Resorts and their parent company GPT. It was established to benefit the Mutitjulu community at the base of Uluru, close neighbours to the Voyages Ayres Rock resort. The Foundation aims to relieve poverty, improve health and advance education for the Anangu people (the traditional owners of central Australia) and, in particular, the Anangu of the Mutitjulu community.
In September 2007 the foundation completed the construction of a respite care centre, which has quickly become a vital link within the community, offering number of services that have helped to improve the lives, in particular, of the more elderly local residents. Following on from this the Foundation upgraded and redeveloped the Mutitjulu Community’s recreational hall, a project that complemented the respite centre. The hall provides support aimed at the young people of the local community through the delivery of a range of programmes and activities and this improvement project will increase the capacity to provide such services. The continual provision of these services via the respite centre and recreational hall is an ever-evolving project for the foundation, and central to their ongoing work with the community.
In August 2010 the Foundation sponsored a group of Mutitjulu men and women to attend and perform at the ‘Garma’ Festival in Darwin, regarded as Australia’s most significant indigenous cultural exchange event. The main theme of the festival was ‘education’ and aside from a well received performance, the group got involved in activities and workshops to learn about how other Aboriginal groups educate their young people and manage tourism, with a view to adapting these ideas for the Mutitjulu community. Tourism can be an important source of income for the Aboriginal communities and this shared knowledge is invaluable in ensuring they get the most benefit from it.