The Shakespear Open Sanctuary Society Incorporated (“SOSSI”) is an incorporated society and registered charity established in 2004 for the purpose of assisting the Regional Council (now Auckland Council) with the establishment and development of the sanctuary.
Our first task was to raise half of the money (then matched by the Council) needed to build the pest-proof fence. Now that the fence is completed and pests have been removed from the Sanctuary, SOSSI’s broad aim is “the conservation and enhancement of the natural, recreational, historic and cultural features and values” of the Sanctuary. Currently we are mostly working on enhancing the environment of the Sanctuary so that new species can be re-introduced.
We work under a Memorandum of Agreement with the Auckland Council and work closely with Council staff on both an operational and a planning level. You can find out more about us by reading our constitution.