Project Ruru takes flight again

Project Ruru takes flight again. In 2022, fifteen artists made sculptures of our native owl in a variety of media.

These have been installed throughout the park and are shifted every 3 months. ‘Find the Roosting Rurus’ has become part of another adventure within the Sculpture Park at Waitakaruru Arboretum.

Last year, we weren’t able to run Project Ruru until the park recovered from Cyclone Gabrielle. The project launches again on 6th July with related arts and environmental activities planned to follow through all of the July school holiday

The Trust is working with Forest & Bird and other organisations to draw attention to our native owl (ruru/morepork). Although this native species is not on the brink of extinction, it is threatened by predators.

In forested areas and native bush, you can hear their distinct call at night. Most nights we hear them here in the park and occasionally see them perched on a tree limb during the daytime to the delight of our visitors.

Three rescued rurus have been released here in recent years.

The park is located along the Waitakaruru Stream (Waitakaruru is Maori for owl by the water) so ruru hold a special place in our hearts. We want them to survive and thrive.

Wingspan provided the park with a blueprint for making nest boxes of plywood and in 2023 we donated 18 of them to schools in the Waikato. Hamilton Men’s Shed are making another 10 or more of these boxes from donated plywood from Mitre10 Cambridge.

Like other years, we hope to donate and install the boxes in locations where ruru boxes can provide better protection for nesting birds. Working with Wintec arboriculture students, the Trust plans to have these boxes installed in suitable trees for safer ruru nesting places throughout the Waikato

Our aim is for all visitors and especially children, to know more about ruru before they leave the park.