Today we went to the Zealandia Wildlife sanctuary. Native New Zealand bird species inhabit the park. They constructed a five mile fence around the sanctuary to keep out pests that prey on the native birds. The fence is engineered in such a way to simultaneously prevent a variety of small mammals from entering the park. The mesh that the fence is constructed out of has very small holes to keep rodents out. Along the entire length of the fence is a hood scoop to keep out climbing animals such as cats. The fence also extends into the ground so burrowing animals can't tunnel into the park. The flora in the park is only 80 years old but will need another five hundred years of undisturbed growth to return to the state it was in before the arrival of humans. Pine trees have infiltrated the native bush of the park must be removed according to our guide. These pine trees are the only non native life forms that thrive in the park. The park was interesting and the scenery was beautiful but it was cold and I was under dressed. This country is colder than I thought, I'll be glad to get back to warm weather back in Arkansas.

Erik Sowell


Today we went to the Zealandia nature reserve in order to learn more about the wildlife of New Zealand. When we arrived there we were directed to an exhibition room where they had some of their native birds on display along with buttons that enabled you to hear what each of the birds sounded like. The life-size display of a Moa especially stood out. We have heard alot about the Moa throughout the trip and many of the places that we have been to included sculptures or paintings of the huge bird. Once we had all had a chance to explore the exhibit they played us a short movie that briefly depicted the impact of humans on the New Zealand landscape. After the movie, we started our tour through the outdoor area of the reserve. Our guide provided us with alot of information about the New Zealand wildlife ranging from the presence of different weeds to the conservation of rare reptiles. At one section of the walk there was a feeding station for the birds. There we were able to see firsthand how they kept "their" birds in the conservatory. Since any bird can easily fly in or out of the protected area, the people who work there created an area where the heavier birds that they want to help preserve can eat by stepping on a lever that the little birds can't access. One of the bigger birds flew onto one of our group member's heads during the walk. I have to say, that was funny. Apart from the birds, she showed us various types of lizards that live in the reserve as well as some of the insects that frequent the grounds. I really enjoyed our time at Zealandia and I learned a lot.

Mitchell Adams