NZ rugby player Kieran Read steps up as an ambassador for Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust

Prominent New Zealand rugby player and Crusaders number 8 Kieran Read has taken a deft side-step in his rugby career to help raise awareness of New Zealand’s endangered yellow-eyed penguins and the work of the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust that has done so much to ensure their survival into the 21st century.

Recently capped New Zealand player of the year and enjoying life as a first-time father, Read admitted to having a strong interest in our native wildlife. He said that he had been lucky enough to visit yellow-eyed penguin reserves on the Otago Peninsula and see their breeding habitats for himself.

“When I was approached by the Trust I was reminded of a school project I did as a kid. These penguins are tough, determined little characters, climbing over sand dunes and into the hills to nest and feed their young. I’m really pleased to be able to help save the yellow-eyed penguin so that our next generation and visitors to our country can enjoy viewing this iconic species.”

As ambassador, Kieran Read will join forces with Otago rugby icon and former All Black Anton Oliver, and patron of the Trust since 2006.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BK6i7mZgs24

During a recent visit to Dunedin, Oliver thanked Kieran Read for coming on board to the Trust as an ambassador.

“It’s so wonderful having a current All Black lend his considerable shoulder to my now more diminutive shoulder to drive forward the wheel of conservation, in particular the conservation of the yellow-eyed penguin. He’ll be a huge asset to the Trust and get us a lot more coverage and visibility of the issues facing our little penguins.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIxWgrI6CKE

Sue Murray, general manager for the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust commented: “We are thrilled to have Kieran Read join us as an ambassador and look forward to working with him in the future. As a charitable trust, we are reliant on the goodwill of national and international supporters, volunteers, schools, community organisations, local and central government and businesses including our principal sponsor, Mainland Cheese. We still need ongoing support to ensure that yellow-eyed penguins have safe, high-quality habitats in which to breed and prosper.”

Murray also added, “The Trust is even more indebted to Kieran for this commitment, given his recent experience of the Christchurch earthquake and all the demands on him and his family in the aftermath and in the future to assist Christchurch in rebuilding their own community.”

For information on how to support the Trust and help save yellow-eyed penguins, visit www.yellow-eyedpenguin.org.nz

Background:

The Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust is New Zealand’s first charitable trust dedicated to the conservation of a specific species throughout its natural range. Based in Dunedin, the Trust was formed in 1987 by residents of Otago Peninsula who recognised that the iconic yellow-eyed penguin was in danger of disappearing from South Island coastlines.

The yellow-eyed penguin is unique to New Zealand. It is classed as an endangered species in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The species is limited in its distribution to the eastern coastline of the South Island (Banks Peninsula to Southland), Stewart Island, and Auckland and Campbell Islands in the sub-Antarctic. Approximately 496 pairs breed on South Island coasts, a figure regarded as well below natural or sustainable levels.

Today, the Trust has interests wherever yellow-eyed penguins are found. Its ambitious efforts to restore the penguins to their traditional habitats, along with the rich biological inventory of the southern coastlines on which the species depends, are recognised both nationally and internationally.

The Trust’s activities are diverse and depend on mobilising community support for:

• Purchasing land or negotiating protective status for breeding habitats • Fencing and replanting • Control of predators such as stoats and ferrets • Annual production of up to 10,000 native trees and shrubs in a purpose-built nursery • Funding of research, advocacy and publicity • Education and awareness in schools and communities

The Trust is administered by a trust board of 9 trustees and employs 4.5 staff (full-time equivalents). Supporters are drawn from New Zealand, USA, Australia, Europe, Asia and the UK. The Trust’s patron is ex-All Black Anton Oliver, who is currently based in the UK with Sciemus Limited to spearhead operations in the Property and Renewable Energy Source (RES) divisions as a part of Sciemus’ growth strategy to leverage upon successes in the space and power sectors.

Mainland Cheese has been the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust’s principal sponsor since 1989. In addition to its memorable advertising campaigns and initiatives, Mainland has donated more than $1 million to the Trust. The company donates $1 for every barcode returned from the purchase of Mainland butter or cheese products. The relationship between the Trust and Mainland has set a precedent for corporate-sector support of conservation in New Zealand.
www.yellow-eyedpenguin.org.nz

www.mainland.co.nz