Tui's win benefits penguins

Tui's win benefits penguins

Marlborough's little blue penguin colony is set to benefit from a major environmental award won by the Plaisier family.

At the Marlborough Environment Awards on Friday, the Plaisier family, from the outer Pelorus Sound, won the habitat enhancement and supreme awards for their Tui Nature Reserve.

The awards, presented at Drylands Restaurant, aim to celebrate those who protect and enhance the natural environment and use resources and energy efficiently.

Brian and Ellen Plaisier have spent 14 years developing the Tui Nature Reserve to its current standard, working alongside the Department of Conservation.

Native birds, including tuis, are beginning to return to the area.

An extensive poison-free pest management scheme has started to restore 42 hectares of native bush and wildlife, where over 92 native plants grow. About 38ha is legally protected as part of the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust. A specially built enclosure houses a Marlborough green gecko and a kakariki breeding programme.

The first-time competition entrants also run eco-boat tours from Havelock, and have an accommodation cottage and eco cabins for visitors to the reserve.

Mrs Plaisier said the blue penguin project had been on the cards for a while, but the $3000 environment awards prize money would speed up the process.

The family planned to work on pest control and make sleeping chambers for the declining number of penguins within the next few months.

"Even though we are 180m above sea level (on Waitata Ridge), we can still hear their calls it is beautiful."

Children Leona, 14, and Liam, 12, have also played an active part in helping with the reserve project.

Mrs Plaisier said they were surprised to win because there were so many fantastic projects in the competition.

Because their property was isolated they did not really know who was involved in conservation work in Marlborough, Mr Plaisier said. "It was great to meet the people behind the projects. It is good to see that people in Marlborough are working to improve the environment that's very important."

The family wished to thank their award sponsors Spy Valley Wines, Marlborough Research Centre and Plant and Food Research as well as Marlborough District Council, Department of Conservation, Queen Elizabeth II trust, New Zealand King Salmon, volunteers and guests.

Source:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/2401247/Tuis-win-benefits-penguins