
A Snells Beach man who has devoted more than 20 years to caring for the donkeys of Highfield Garden Reserve in Algies Bay has received official recognition of his service from Rotary.
Peter Caccia-Birch was presented with a Community Service Award at a recent Warkworth Rotary Club meeting by its president, Mick Fay, and long-time Rotarian and local vet Ross Lynch.
Members heard that Peter had been involved with the Highfield Donkeys since 1995, when he helped Alison Roberts, who had gifted the land and the donkeys to ‘the people of New Zealand’. After her death in 2010, and the formation of the Highfield Donkeys Incorporated Society, he became the Donkey Manager and, since 2005, has chaired the Highfield Garden Reserve Advisory Committee.
Peter attends to the seven Highfield donkeys – Truffle, Tansy, Toby, Tina, Tara, Turvey and Topsy – every day. He has also instigated a native tree planting programme in the reserve and orchard and, with help from volunteers, has planted more than 2000 specimen native trees supplied by Auckland Council.