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Kelly the Kea

I needle felted a miniature woolen kea for Christchurch's Kea Aerospace. Kelly the kea was launched into the stratosphere from Mt Somers in Canterbury on a high-altitude balloon flight on October 15th, 2022. The flight reached an altitude of over 100,000 feet, which is over 30 kilometers. Kelly helped test Kea Aerospace's equipment and to celebrate this milestone. 

Kelly was featured in The Press and on Stuff.co.nz. A video of Kelly exploring the stratosphere can be viewed here.

Following the balloon flight, Kelly was auctioned off on Trade Me. All proceeds from the auction went to the Kea Conservation Trust.  Kea are highly endangered due to factors such as predation and lead poisoning.