Nau Mai, Haere Mai, welcome to
The Brook Waimārama Sanctuary – an extraordinary part of New Zealand.
Visit us today!
The Brook Waimārama Sanctuary is the largest fenced Sanctuary for endangered plants and creatures in the South Island.
Just a 10-minute drive from Nelson City but tucked away, immerse yourself in the natural beauty of New Zealand’s native bush. Take a deep breath and engage.
“We endeavour to connect visitors, staff, and volunteers with nature. Our goal is to encourage environmental responsibility and contribute to the restoration of local and national ecosystems. We hope that visitors will experience the mauri (life force), vital essence, and spirituality of this natural environment.”
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🎉 Nelson — We Did It! $100,000 Raised! 💚
We’re beyond thrilled to share that, thanks to the incredible generosity of our community, we’ve reached our $100,000 emergency recovery fundraising target.
From businesses to individuals and whānau, the support from Nelson (and beyond!) has been nothing short of inspiring. You`ve shown just how much the Sanctuary means to our region — and how powerful we are when we come together.
🌧️ After the flood damage, things looked tough. But now, critical fence repairs are being planned, our biosecurity measures will hold strong and be strengthened to safeguard for future events. The long road to full recovery feels a lot less lonely.
We’re still accepting donations, as many people are still keen to lend their support to our recovery efforts. If there are funds left over after all the repairs/clean-up costs, we’ll use any leftover funds to purchase replacement fence materials or hold the funds in reserve for similar extreme weather events in the future.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for helping us protect our precious taonga and our newest residents, kiwi pukupuku.
The Sanctuary stands stronger because of you.
#SanctuaryStrong #BrookSanctuary #ThankYouNelson #CommunityPower #BringingKiwiHome #FloodRecovery #WeDidIt
May 30
💚 Thank You – From All of Us at the Brook
To everyone who’s donated, shared our story, or reached out with support over the past few days — thank you. Your generosity and aroha have reminded us just how deeply this sanctuary is loved.
🛠️ As many of you know, Monday’s storm caused significant damage to the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary — including a major slip on our predator-proof fence, flood damage to the historic dam, and the loss of key monitoring equipment.
We originally estimated the repairs would cost around $50,000. But as we continue to assess the full extent of the damage — including a section of the loop track that has fallen away — it’s becoming clear the total may be closer to $100,000. Work is ongoing, and we’re still uncovering the full picture.
🎥 Our Chief Executive, Chris, has recorded a short video to thank you all — please take a moment to watch it.
This place exists because of community support, and right now, that support is helping us stay strong. If you`re able to share the campaign or make a contribution, it truly makes a difference.
🔗 https://www.brooksanctuary.org.nz/2025-flood-fundraiser
From all of us at the Brook: thank you for standing with us.
And a big thank you to @digitaldiligencenz for coming down last minute to record the drone footage
#SanctuaryStrong #BrookSanctuary #ThankYou #FloodRecovery #SupportLocalNature
May 29
💔 Disaster at the Sanctuary – We Need Your Help
On Monday, the same storm that flooded streets and homes across Nelson also caused devastating damage inside Brook Waimārama Sanctuary, and the impact is serious.
🌧️ The Sanctuary recorded more peak rainfall than during the 2022 flood, and the fallout includes:
🚧 🚧 A major slip on the predator-proof fence, causing a serious biosecurity breach (thankfully detected early and secured quickly by our expert Rapid Response Fence Repair Team — ka pai!)
🌊 Flooding above head height
🏚 Damage to the historic 1909 dam and handrails
📉 Loss of vital detection and monitoring equipment
We’re now facing tens of thousands of dollars in repairs, and work is already underway to stabilise the hillside and protect the taonga species inside.
💚 In the midst of it all, some good news: The two tagged kiwi that had settled near the Brook Stream by the Big Dam — where the worst flooding occurred have both been tracked and confirmed alive, safely up on the slopes. Kia kaha kiwi! 🥹🐦
This sanctuary exists because of the vision, work, and generosity of our community, and right now, we need your help to recover.
🙏 Please donate to our emergency recovery fund so we can restore the hillside, repair the infrastructure, and protect the taonga species inside.
🔗 Link to donate in our bio
Together, we can bring the Brook back.
#BrookSanctuary #NelsonStorm #FloodRecovery #KiwiComeback #ConservationEmergency #SanctuaryStrong #BringingKiwiHome #SupportLocalNature
May 28
💔 The Brook Sanctuary Was Hit Hard
Like many places across Whakatū Nelson, the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary was severely impacted by Monday’s storm.
As this @1newsnz report shows, the flooding caused major slips, damaged infrastructure, and created a serious biosecurity risk inside the Sanctuary.
We’re incredibly grateful to the community and volunteers already helping us assess the damage and begin urgent repair work.
We’ll be sharing more soon, including how you can help us recover and restore this special place.
Thank you to @1newsnz for their support and covering the story so quickly yesterday!
#BrookSanctuary #NelsonFloods #FloodRecovery #BringingKiwiHome #ConservationNZ #SanctuaryStrong
May 28
🌙 After Dark in the Sanctuary…
Captured on our night cam: some of our newly arrived kiwi pukupuku, out for a late-night snoop around the forest floor, under the cover of darkness.
Using their long beaks and powerful sense of smell, kiwi poke through the grass and leaf litter — sniffing out worms, beetle larvae, moths and spiders. Nocturnal by nature, this is when they’re most active — quietly getting to know their new surroundings.
Footage like this tells us they’re doing exactly what they’re meant to be doing: settling in, exploring their new territory, and beginning to make the Sanctuary their own. 🐦💚
This is what we’ve been working for — and in time, we look forward to welcoming you on night walks through the Sanctuary, where you may get to listen for kiwi and experience the forest as they do.
#BringingKiwiHome #KiwiPukupuku #BrookSanctuary #KiwiComeback #SanctuaryNights #LittleSpottedKiwi #ConservationInAction #KiwiAfterDark
May 22
🏡 Settling In Nicely 🐾
Look what we found on one of our tracking cards this week... 👣
Kiwi pukupuku footprints — recorded right here in the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary!
These powerful tracks are a clear sign:
The kiwi are exploring and dispersing throughout the sanctuary in search of the best territory. Their new forever home. 🐦💚
With feet that are proportionally large and strong compared to other birds of their size, kiwi leave behind unmistakable marks.
Our team has been carefully monitoring the sanctuary since the releases, and seeing these tracks is an exciting sign that our new residents are beginning to make the ngahere (forest) their own.
Stay tuned — we’ll be sharing more updates on how the kiwi are doing over the coming weeks.
For now, we’re quietly celebrating these confident first steps into the wild.
#BringingKiwiHome #KiwiPukupuku #BrookSanctuary #KiwiComeback #ConservationWins #KiwiTracks #FootprintTracker #LittleSpottedKiwi #SignsOfLife
May 21
