Abercrombie & Kent is celebrating 15 years of supporting The National Kiwi Hatchery Aotearoa with the birth of a new kiwi chick.
A&K first partnered with the hatchery in the North Island town of Rotorua in 2009 and sponsors two chicks a year.
By attending a behind-the-scenes tour, guests follow the journey of a chick from egg to hatch, and through the different parts of the hatchery, name their chick and receive regular updates about its growth and development.
The newest chick ‘Kent’ is now up and about and ready to meet guests.
She is living outside in the hatchery’s purpose-built, predator-free kiwi creche, and will be released into Maungataniwha Forest when she is large enough to escape predators.
A&K’s focus on philanthropy
It is estimated that New Zealand loses two per cent of the kiwi population every year. The hatchery has been working to bring the kiwi back from the brink of extinction since 1995.
A&K Product Manager for Australia & New Zealand, Marlene Portelli says every tour booked is a 100 per cent donation to the kiwi conservation program.
A&K has 55 philanthropy projects in 24 countries, contributing 2.4 million in charitable support in 2023.
Portelli says it continues to see a “growing desire among our guests to give back, with increasing inquiries about our AKP efforts”.
“A&K Philanthropy positively affects hundreds of thousands of lives and helps to preserve some of the world’s most vital ecosystems. We remain committed to celebrating travel as a powerful force for good.”
But there’s still much to be done in this area, and Senior Vice President Asia Pacific Graham Wood says a good place to start is when you leave a place, leave it in a better place than when you started.
“It’s not just taking photos of rescued animals, but try and get your hands dirty, make a direct donation where you know the money is going to be used correctly. There are simple ways travellers can make a tangible difference.”
For more information, visit A&K.
