Akorn Philanthropy
Akorn believes passionately that travel should both respect the natural environment and benefit the indigenous peoples whose lands we visit. Akorn ensures that we support a carefully chosen project in every destination where we operate.
Kiwi Encounter and the National Kiwi Trust
The kiwi is simply unique and commands a position all of its own in the bird world. It exists nowhere but New Zealand and its evolution in New Zealand’s isolation has made it one of the most unusual birds in the world. This 'eccentric' national symbol is also an endangered species and Kiwi Encounter is playing its part to bring this treasured icon back from the brink of extinction on the New Zealand mainland. Kiwi Encounter is a unique conservation centre which gives visitors to this attraction the opportunity to see kiwi "conservation in action" for the first time in New Zealand. Four different areas within the building are linked together to form a superb tourism facility based completely on kiwi conservation. By sharing in this Kiwi Encounter experience a valuable contribution can be made to the conservation of New Zealand’s precious kiwi.
Visit Kiwi Encounter with Akorn
A behind the scenes Akorn tour begins with a brief introduction to the work done by Kiwi Encounter and the National Kiwi Trust. Following this, clients experience the “back of house” areas of the National Kiwi Trust an area where only Akorn guests have access. In this area is the preparation room incubation room and hatchery, which are sterile areas, clients see and learn about the equipment used for these processes.
The tour then continues to the kitchen where the artificial diet for the young kiwi is prepared and you can see a variety of interesting food including worms and insects! The nursery room filled with "brooders" - breeding units where the kiwi chicks stay in the nursery until they are approximately 400gms in body size then they are moved to outdoor enclosures where they grow until they are (between 800 – 1000g)1.2kg.
The highlight of the Akorn experience is entering the indoor nocturnal area where kiwi enclosures are completely open with no partitions between the kiwi and visitors!
For further information on including such a visit in a New Zealand itinerary, contact us.
