Up to 150 giant weta - wetapunga - will be released in the Hauraki Gulf next week and youngsters are being encouraged to come and see where they will live.
The release of the giant insects, considered nationally endangered, follows a successful captive breeding project involving the Auckland Zoo, the Department of Conservation, local iwi and Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi - the island which the weta will soon call home.
This month, 150 wetapunga were released on Motuora Island, which is also pest-free. They are all from six males and females taken to Auckland Zoo in 2012.
To mark the arrival of the wetapunga next week, a special programme has been organised over the school holidays to let youngsters see Tiritiri Matangi Island up close.
The programme, launched by the Kiwi Ranger group and 360 Discovery Cruises, will include activities for children to better understand wildlife, nature and the importance of being good to the environment.
