Video transcription
Morley is wrapped in an astroturf-green towel, held by Judy out of frame on a forest pathway. Morley nibbles angrily at the towel and then the footage cross-fades to a close-up of his face, somewhat less-agitated and with a better view of his alert green-yellow eyes. The final shots are him in slow-motion departing the confines of the towel. He takes flight to a tall bank of vegetation in the mid distance – flapping eagerly over the heads of onlookers and returning to the wilderness where he will spend the rest of his days.
Morley, a young Ruru / Morepork native to New Zealand, is released back to the wild by rehabilitator Judy Fentress, the namesake of Judy’s Bird Nursery.
Judy was featured in previous posts Part 1 and Part 2, as well as a Department of Conservation (DOC) blog post celebrating Judy’s many decades of dedication to New Zealand native birds.
The owl’s release was part of Project Ruru, an event held at The Sculpture Park next to the Waitakaruru Stream – which incidentally means ‘owl by the river’ in Te reo Māori. The event collaborates with Wingspan and Forest & Bird to feature 15 hidden owl sculptures and a variety of educational activities during the school holidays. It also helps protect owls from predators by installing handmade nesting boxes around the region. By combining art with conservation, the project seeks to educate visitors while ensuring safer habitats for the owls to thrive.
xo owlsintowels
💛🦉
| Species | Common Name | More info |
|---|---|---|
| Ninox novaeseelandiae | Morepork | Wiki link |
