Residents Help Kids Welcome More Wētā

Bert Sutcliffe Retirement Village

Ryman’s Bert Sutcliffe Village residents Norris and Dick have put their woodworking skills to great use by whipping up 30 wētā hotels for local conservation use.

The pair constructed the hotels using untreated wood and tools in the village workshop over several months, with the design specially crafted to welcome wētā and obstruct predators.
The mission follows on from a similar conservation effort on the Devonport peninsula assisted by residents from Ryman’s William Sanders village.

In Birkenhead, Norris and Dick connected with environmental group Pest Free Kapātiki (PFK) to find out where the best locations for the wētā hotels would be.

PFK Kauri Dieback Campaign Coordinator Maisie Hamilton Murray said the hotels would be perfect to use during the Birkdale Beach Haven Community Project’s school holiday programme at Shepherds Park and these holidays Norris and Dick got the chance to present four wētā hotels in person.

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