A North Coast delegation will once again make its way across the globe to visit Eureka’s sister city of Nelson, New Zealand.

The Eureka City Council will read a proclamation during its Feb. 5 meeting in support of the group.

Participants are set to embark Feb. 12, and will be presenting the proclamation as well as a gift to Nelson’s City Council.

“We are ready to go,” said Mary Beth Wolford, a member of the Eureka/Nelson Sister Cities board of directors and superintendent of Peninsula Union School District.

This will be the third delegation sent from Eureka since 2002, when the city first began to develop the sister city relationship under former Mayor Nancy Flemming.

“I think its going to be a great group of people,” Wolford said.

This time around, the focus of the trip will be on education.

Among the eight delegates are a counselor from Eureka High School, a teacher from Fortuna High School, Humboldt State University President Rollin Richmond, a representative of the Eureka Women’s Club and ENSC Vice Chairperson Rick Littlefield.

All will stay with host families.

During close to a week of activities will be visits to educational institutions, including Nayland College, a stop at the Nelson open-air market, a Kiri Te Kawana concert and possible excursions to a sheep farm, hop farm and kiwi orchard as well as Abel Tasman National Park.

Wolford said the group will also visit the site of Nelson’s proposed Eureka park.

Previous delegations to Nelson have focused on arts and business relations.

In addition to Eureka’s visits to Nelson, groups from Nelson have journeyed to Eureka on several occasions.

High school students have taken the opportunity to participate in exchanges.

Wolford said ENSC is looking into the possibility of faculty exchanges as well.

The trip will serve to strengthen existing ties between the two cities.

Former Eureka Mayor and ENSC President Peter La Vallee said the committee’s interest helped to keep the sister city relationship going, and without financial assistance from the city.

“There’s a whole group that really is committed to keeping it alive,” he said. “We’ve built long and lasting friendships.”

Nelson shares many similarities with Eureka, Littlefield said.

Nelson is a small, rural area, with industry based in agriculture, tourism, fishing and some logging, he said.

Like Eureka, Nelson is also marked by a vibrant artistic community.

The area is also particularly attractive to visitors with its pleasant attitude, he said.

“The people are exceedingly friendly,” he said. “People don’t lock their doors.”