National support for Wildbase Recovery continues to grow with $65,000 recently received from a number of corporate sponsors including Metalcraft New Zealand, NZ Steel, Lance Berry Roofing, Stevensons Structural Engineering, and Orbit World Travel.

As a combined roofing consortium, Metalcraft New Zealand, NZ Steel, and Lance Berry Roofing have generously confirmed sponsorship for the roof of Wildbase Recovery’s education centre and staff support building to the value of $27,000.

The consortium has also been joined by Stevensons Structural Engineers who will be installing the louvre and support posts, as well as supplying vestibules and aviary bases, and roof framing brackets.

Stevensons’ Managing Director, Evan Kroll says, “we are honoured to be involved with a project that will benefit both native wildlife and New Zealanders”.

“National collaborations such as the roofing consortium highlight how shared expertise really can make a difference,” says Wildbase Recovery Community Trust Chair, Roger Kennedy. “The sponsorship of materials and labour shows that you don’t have to be a conservationist to contribute to conservation work.”

Wildbase Recovery Community Trust also recently welcomed travel management company Orbit World Travel to their sponsors list. Orbit Wellington, which covers both business travel and leisure travel as part of the business, has donated $10,000 in sponsorship. “Animals are an important part of travel for many people – so commitment to looking after the environment and the treatment of wildlife is an important value of our business,” says Paul Rennie, Orbit Wellington’s Managing Director.

Set in Palmerston North’s Victoria Esplanade, Wildbase Recovery will provide purpose-built rehabilitation aviaries and world-class care for native wildlife to rehabilitate from illness and injury after specialised treatment at Massey University’s Wildbase Hospital.

The Wildbase Recovery Community Trust is tasked with raising the $5.69m needed to build the national wildlife recovery facility, with $2.89m raised to date.

Wildbase Recovery’s patients will come from throughout New Zealand. The nurturing environment will allow for recuperating wildlife, such as kiwi, takahē, and penguins, to be viewed by the public – engaging visitors in their conservation.

Upon their full recovery, animals will be released back into the wild in the hope that they will go on to successfully contribute to the survival of their species.

Wildbase Recovery is a collaboration between Palmerston North City Council and Massey University, with support from the Department of Conservation, Rangitāne iwi, Rotary and Lions clubs. Other corporate sponsors include Broadway Radiology and Westpac NZ.