A special fence to protect endangered Otago skinks in the Mokomoko dryland sanctuary near Alexandra is a step closer after the Otago Community Trust granted $40,000 to the trust supporting the sanctuary.
A predator-proof fence to extend the 0.3ha sanctuary to 14ha has been on the Central Otago Ecological Trust's wish list for some time but it needed to raise about $300,000.
In the eight years since the trust's inception, the skink population in the sanctuary has doubled to at least 20.
The fence would exclude all pests except mice, which trust chairman Grant Norbury has previously said were nearly impossible to exclude.
The Otago Community Trust has allocated more than $330,000 in its latest round of grants.
Other significant grants included $12,000 each to the Balclutha Primary School, the Deacons Court of Knox Church and the Lower Waitaki Water Sports Trust.
As previously reported, $80,000 was given to the Brighton Surf Life Saving Club
for a new purpose-built facility which will cost $460,000 and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
In total, the trust allocated $334,395 to 48 organisations throughout Otago in July.
