Thank you for your generosity – from all of us at the Brook Sanctuary
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 the 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 Sanctuary: thank you for standing with us.
And a big thank you to @Digitaldiligence for coming down last minute to record the drone footage.
On Monday 26 May, 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 the 2022 flood, and the fallout includes:
🚧 A major slip on the predator-proof fence, creating a serious biosecurity breach (thankfully now resolved by our amazing team!)
🌊 Flooding above head height
🏚 Damage to the historic 1909 dam and handrails
📉 Loss of vital detection and monitoring equipment
We’re facing significant damage repair bills; our initial estimate was $50,000, but total costs are likely to be considerably higher, possibly over $100,000.
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.
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!
You will receive an acknowledgment following your donation, and an official donation receipt will be issued by the Trust in due course.
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