The $15,000 product grant, established to facilitate important environmental projects, will enhance the Centre’s school education programme which presents conservation as a viable way to preserve New Zealand’s native flora and fauna for future generations.
The Bushy Park Trust has used the Department of Conservation mainland island protocols to take a 98-hectare block of unprotected forest and first turn it into a mainland island where New Zealand’s rarest native birds can live and breed safely, and then into a fenced sanctuary.
At Bushy Park to hand over the Canon equipment, Canon’s managing director Tony Wills says he was delighted that by providing equipment, Canon was able to enhance the learning experience of the 2000 plus students who participate in the Bushy Park education programme each year.
“The centre must be applauded for its efforts in getting students to experience this unique environment and to actively participate in conservation efforts.”
The grant has equipped the trust’s Bushy Park Education Centre with digital still cameras, camcorders, fixed network cameras, binoculars and data projectors. This equipment will be used to observe habits and behaviours to better understand and ultimately protect the indigenous species within the sanctuary and control the pests lurking outside its perimeter.
The equipment will also enable the centre to create promotional DVDs and materials to demonstrate what is happening at Bushy Park with the goal of increasing the numbers of schools taking part in the programme and educating the wider public about the importance of conservation to encourage them to do their bit on their own properties.
Bushy Park Education Centre spokesman, Terry O’Connor says the programme is unique in that it not only enables school students to learn what happens in the Bushy Park Sanctuary to save New Zealand’s indigenous species, it allows them to be part of the protection and recovery of these species.
“Winning the Canon Environmental Grant means visiting classes will be able to better capture and share their experiences which means they’ll be better placed to educate the wider community about what can be done to sustain our indigenous species and ensure their survival into the future. It will also allow pupils to actively participate in investigations which will improve the control of the pest species.”
The project was chosen from 45 applications put forward by people or organisations carrying out environmental work.
In the spirit of kyosei – Canon’s corporate philosophy and a Japanese term that means living and working together for the common good – Canon stresses environmental protection both in its daily operations and through support activities.
“Bushy Park will be pleased to know that not only will they have the latest equipment to help them operate more effectively, but that the equipment – like all Canon products – have been designed with the environment in mind,” says Tony Wills.
Submissions for Canon New Zealand’s Environmental Grant 2007 will open on the international World Environment Day next June.
