March the month to tell New Zealand about the Star of the $10 bill

While the importance of protecting kiwi from extinction is well known throughout New Zealand, the fate of another iconic bird hangs in the balance.

Numbers of Whio, or native blue duck are dangerously low. With less than 3000 of the species left, the Department of Conservation, New Zealand Forest and Bird, Genesis Energy and the Central North Island Blue Duck Charitable Trust have joined forces to raise awareness of the native whio.

The highly endangered whio is not only unique to New Zealand but also unique among the waterfowl. It is unrelated to any duck elsewhere in the world and many of its habits are peculiar to the species. The whio is also an important indicator of the health of our fresh waterways.

March is Whio Awareness Month, please join Genesis Energy, DOC, Central North Island Blue Duck Charitable Trust and Forest & Bird and help us to raise awareness of the whio. See the Genesis Energy website for more details www.genesisenergy.co.nz/whio or email claire.rennie@genesisenergy.co.nz

If we help out now, the ten dollar note won’t be the only place we’ll be seeing whio in the future.