Untouched World Charitable Trust/Department of Conservation sign new agreement
Archived content: This media release was accurate on the date of publication.
Introduction
The Untouched World Charitable Trust and the Department of Conservation will sign a new, three year agreement, acknowledging the trail-blazing work done on Blumine Island in the Marlborough Sounds since 2002.Date: 22 November 2010 Source: Untouched World Charitable Trust and the Department of Conservation
Building on biodiversity work done with the Department of Conservation (DOC) on restoring Blumine Island (Marlborough Sounds) since 2002, the Untouched World young adult leadership programmes have played a significant role in the island achieving predator-free status, as announced by Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson, earlier this year.
Looking towards the future, Untouched World Charitable Trust (UWCT) Chair Peri Drysdale and DOC Director General Al Morrison will tomorrow sign a new, three year agreement, acknowledging the trail-blazing work done on Blumine, and celebrating co-joint work with BNZ Save the Kiwi Trust on two other critical sites, Okarito on the West Coast and Ruapehu in the central plateau. Already Kiwi chicks from Okarito are being transferred to the Blumine Island sanctuary to ensure their early survival.
Focusing on students from across New Zealand at the point of deciding ’what’s next?’ ie 16-18year olds, UWCT has over 600 graduates from its ground-breaking UN recognised programmes. In the words of recent graduate Rosina Scott Fyfe:
“This has been the trip of a life-time. I have learnt so much, not only from DOC and Ngati Mahaaki, but also from every single (UWCT) participant, the teachers and the student teachers involved...I walk away with new skills, knowledge and experiences and plans for the future. Kia ora rawa atu.”
Untouched World’s multi-award winning fashion range provides a large part of the financial back-drop to the Trust’s work, but as Peri Drysdale sees it, the company and its charitable arm are inseparable, “UWCT is in many ways why we do what we do – and it’s a particular pleasure to reaffirm our long-standing partnership with DOC going forward, so we can continue to practically demonstrate business and government working well together on issues that matter, while at the same time influencing the future paths of many wonderful young New Zealanders.”
Al Morrison said: "We're delighted to continue our association with UWCT. The young people involved in these programmes are clearly very motivated and very bright, and will be tomorrow's leaders. They are making the link between the environment and how decisions impact on it, and how vital conservation is to the lives of every one of us.
"Untouched World has shown that they are in the conservation game for the long haul. As a forward-thinking business they are among those leading the way by investing in ongoing conservation work from which we can all benefit. Their business relies on sustainability so this partnership makes total sense for them. They understand that conservation is good for business, and partnerships like this show that business can be good for conservation."