Penguins beckoned back to nest

Little Blue Penguins received a helping hand from Pirinoa School students on Monday, World Migratory Bird Day.

Students built and painted nesting boxes for the penguins which were then set out using GPS co-ordinates along the coastline from Te Kopi to Lake Ferry, with the help of Clive Paton, chairman of Aorangi Trust, and Greater Wellington Regional Council.

The students were trying to encourage the penguins to return to the south coast area, said Lorraine Southey, Pirinoa School principal.

"The end game is to have predatory animals under control and penguin populations grow," said Mr Paton.

"If we get rid of the predators, they will return."

He said the penguins are "stroppy little things" but the nesting boxes will help protect them from predators like cats and dogs and help the bird population grow.

Mr Paton said the nesting boxes had already proven successful on Somes Island in Wellington harbour, where the population grew from a few penguins to 300 to 400, after boxes were introduced.

Pirinoa School is an Enviroschool and hopes to help monitor the boxes.