Dame Patsy and Sir David were given a special tour of the new Wildbase Recovery facility in Palmerston North. The facility, which is in it's commissioning phase, is will be a rehabilitation centre for some of the many New Zealand birds operated on at Massey's Wildbase Hospital.
Dame Patsy is Wildbase patron and was interested to see the faciltities and hear more about the work of the centre, which will have a strong educational focus alongside its conservation work.
Over $4 million of the $7 million cost was raised within the community, with school mufti days and cake stalls adding to the totals raised from local businesses and sponsors. Substantial support was also received from the Central Energy Trust.
Once it's opened to the public, the facility will be free to visit. Despite there being no guest birds receiving rehabilitation, Dame Patsy did get to see the resident tuatara, tui and kaka.
