You might also want to check out former authors here
Matt Barnett
Matt Barnett
I’ve been a community relations ranger in Wellington for 3 years. I’m an honorary Kiwi (married to a Kiwi with 2 Kiwi kids), came over from England in 1998, managed a wine shop, did a psychology degree and taught English before joining DOC. There’s thousands of people wanting to get out and about and involved in conservation in Wellington and I enjoy helping them to do just that! Read my posts
Alison Beath
Alison Beath
Hi, I work at DOC’s Ruapehu Area Office, as a blue duck and kiwi ranger. I work with these fabulous birds in Tongariro Forest, which is about half an hour from the office at Whakapapa Village. I’ve been working here for just over 4 years now.
I live in the small ski town of Ohakune, so spend my spare time skiing or looking after my animal menagerie at home! Read my posts
Brent Beaven
Brent Beaven
I have been working for DOC for 15 years now, with the last eleven on Stewart Island/Rakiura.
Part of my role is as the Biodiversity Programme Manager. This is a fantastic job that gives me oversight of all of the threatened species, weeds and animal pest work on Stewart Island/Rakiura and leads me to work with a wide range of passionate and interesting people.
For many years I was also National Hunting Advisor. This role works across the country to improve the relationship between DOC and the hunting community. Read my posts
Herb Christophers
Herb Christophers
I have been with DOC for about 15 years, starting in Wellington Conservancy Public Awareness team in the mid 90′s. Currently I’m a Senior Advisor in the Communications Team at Head Office.
I tramp, ski, run and sing badly these days. I love to take photos and have a perpetual attraction to the natural world around me. A former triathlete/multisporter, I now hobble around the hills.
In a previous life I worked in the Botany Department of Victoria Unversity for 7 years. I also worked in the ski retail industry overseas and in New Zealand for about 10 years. I am a closet bird geek and love being in the hills for any reason. Read my posts
Dave Conley
Dave Conley
I have been with the department since the start of 2007, having started as a fishery ranger before taking up my current role in community relations. The great thing about my role is the people you work with and the places you work in. I have always been an outdoorsy type, and escaped Auckland after finishing my masters and teaching degrees to chase the Turangi trout.
As a keen cook catch my personal mantra is catch it, forage it, cook it, so I love the central north island for the wild food it offers as well as the biking and tramping. Read my posts
Siobhan File
Siobhan File
I’m a Communications Advisor at DOC’s National Office and help out in the intranet, internal comms and media teams.
Before DOC I was involved with sport, working in communications at Sport Manawatu and in PR for the Manawatu rugby, football and basketball teams.
In my spare time I enjoy baking all sorts of treats, sewing, blogging, spending time with friends and family, and being up home at the beach in Gisborne. Read my posts
Ian Gill
Ian Gill
I’m fortunate enough to be working for DOC on the West Coast of the South Island. My playground is a wilderness paradise of intact forests, fantastic birdlife, bats, beaches, wild weather and great communities. And the fishing’s good too. In my spare time I design electronic equipment and do my best to avoid home DIY, but, at work I’m into communications which means I get involved in some of the greatest conservation stories going. Read my posts
Trish Grant
Hi. I work as a Communications and Engagement Advisor for DOC in Nelson/Marlborough. It’s a fabulous region for enjoying New Zealand nature with stunning landscapes -from craggy mountain tops to tranquil bays and islands – and an array of fascinating native wildlife.
Trish Grant
New Zealand is a great place to live, but I also like to travel, exploring other countries and cultures, and when I can’t get away, I enjoy reading about them. But it’s always good to come home to beautiful New Zealand, and sunny Nelson in particular. Read my posts
Rob Griffiths
Rob Griffiths
I ski, rock climb, white water kayak and mountain bike. In my spare time I have a crack at being the Community Relations ranger at Rotorua Lakes. Fortunately our office is on the back door of NZ’s premier mountain biking area, has numerous rivers nearby, is just over an hour to the North Islands best rock climbing at Wharepapa and just a couple of hours from the snow. I love my job! Read my posts
Dave Houston
I’ve been working for DOC for some 25 years, most of which has been in Otago but in recent years I’ve migrated to north to Wellington and now Auckland.
Dave Houston
My current role is to provide technical advice and support on biodiversity management to the great team out on the Chatham Islands. I sometimes sneak off to do a spot of penguin work elsewhere so I might blog about that too. Read my posts
Ruud Kleinpaste
I just love Nature. I can talk and blog about it for days.
Although you may think my favourite animals are bugs, the truth is that birds were my first hobby! I also studied plants and forests and all the ecological systems that go on in these places.
Ruud Kleinpaste the Bugman
One thing is for sure: without bugs on the planet, we would not be able to survive.
I loved doing the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet shows: it took me all over the world looking for insects, centipedes and other creepy crawlies. It showed me many examples of how Biodiversity is very important to all of us.
In fact, biodiversity is so important that I reckon we should be restoring it wherever and whenever we can. And kids are very much part of that huge plan! Read my posts
Katrina Knill
Katrina Knill
Hi I’m Trina, I may have the coolest job in Tauranga. I work for DOC where I co-ordinate our public communications and efforts with community groups, iwi, other stakeholder groups and agencies such as councils etc.
I get to keep tabs on the conservation work that local staff and community groups are doing; there’s loads of ways that people can benefit from or help with this work and part of my job is making those connections and promoting opportunities for people to protect, enjoy and be involved. I also get involved in emergencies such as forest fires and whale strandings as well as dealing with injured birds, seals etc. – that’s part of the job for all of us that work for DOC especially in the Area Offices. Read my posts
Andrew Lonie
Andrew Lonie
Hi there, I work a 50/50 split between GIS and Communications in DOC Otago Conservancy, Dunedin.
If I’m not busy drawing maps or reading/writing blogs, I could be tending my family and farmlet, reading the Otago Daily Times, driving my own engine over a mountain or refuelling it with carbohydrate. Read my posts
Sarah Mankelow
Sarah Mankelow
A North Island defector, I came south to go to Lincoln Uni and never looked back. My first ‘serious’ job with DOC was in Arthur’s Pass National Park, where I spent five glorious years tramping every major track and route!
Now a mother of two, I’m inspired to share my love of the outdoors with them as my father did with me. Read my posts
Elizabeth Marenzi
Elizabeth Marenzi
My role in the DOC Web Team (National Office, Wellington) has me immersed in the world of social media, providing advice and support to staff (and sometimes others) while helping to look after our main online communities. I feel proud (and fortunate) to come to the office each day and have such a worthy purpose and vision to inspire me in my work.
Outside of DOC I have three wonderful kids and one dilapidated home that keep my husband and I busy – they are all very high maintenance (the house and the kids that is – not so much the husband!). I love travelling, reading, gardening, cooking, eating, good coffee, dinner parties and Pinterest. Read my posts
Shane McInnes
Shane McInnes
Due to an affliction called “Islomania”, I have spent the majority of my DOC life working on a couple of New Zealand’s best islands. I am currently the ranger on Hauturu/Little Barrier Island, where I have lived and worked with my partner Liz for the past 4 years. Read my posts
Helen Ough Dealy
Helen Ough Dealy
Born in the UK to an army family, travelled the world before I was six. Ended up in New Zealand as a teenager and have called this place home ever since. Haven’t lost the British accent though!
I have worked for DOC over the last six years in Russell, Bay of Islands, mainly with the tourists who visit the area. I call myself a wordsmith and enjoy manipulating language in ways that will help others grasp new ideas. Read my posts
Suzy Randall
Suzy Randall
I manage the Biodiversity Training Programme for the Department. The training courses are open to community, iwi, volunteers etc and loads of people have come to one of our field based courses. We also have a bunch of online courses on the DOC website which you can do for free. I meet a very diverse range of people in this job and get to go to some beautiful parts of New Zealand.
I moved from OZ to Wellington 5 years ago and I love it here. I especially love getting out in the crazy Wellington weather to go cycling on my gorgeous Olmo, a 1980′s Italian race bike.
Sirocco the Spokesbird
My name is Sirocco the kakapo – although by now I reckon I don’t need an introduction! I’m a kakapo – a large, rare, nocturnal parrot that only lives in New Zealand.
Sirocco the Spokesbird
I tend to like human company far better than that of my fellow kakapo. There’s a good reason for my penchant for people though. When I hatched in 1997, I caught a respiratory illness when I was only a few weeks old. From what I can gather it was touch-and-go for a bit, so the rangers rescued me from the nest and hand-raised me. I had to be kept away from other kakapo – and by the time I’d finished my treatment for my illness (including an oxygen tent!), I realised that life with humans was far more interesting to me than life with other kakapo. You can follow me on twitter @Spokesbird or become my friend on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.
Lizzy Sutcliffe
Lizzy Sutcliffe
I recently moved to New Zealand from the UK, via a dive expedition in the Philippines, and have been lucky enough to discover this spectacular country through my job as Community Relations Officer in Canterbury Conservancy. I am no stranger to beautiful, rugged landscapes as I grew up in the darkly romantic Yorkshire moors before moving to London to study art.
Its a privilege to work in conservation in this country and a pleasure to get out in it’s many habitats and, hopefully, inspire others to do the same. Read my posts
Kerry Swadling
Kerry Swadling
I’m the Community Relations Programme Manager in the Poneke Area Office. We’re based out of an office in Wellington which doesn’t exactly fit with the DOC image of a ‘field office’.
The community relations team is made up of community, historic and visitor centre rangers which keeps things nice and varied! Read my posts
Reuben Williams
Reuben Williams
I have been in DOC for about 14 years. I have worked as a ranger on Hauturu (Little Barrier Island) in the Auckland Conservancy, the Warkworth Field Centre, and the Whangarei Area Office as a biodiveristy ranger. I worked in species recovery and island restoration, fire control, whale strandings, mainland restoration, legal protection of land, fencing, visitor assets, compliance and law enforcement, interpretation and signage – you name it!
After a break in 2002 to do my Bachelor’s degree in International Communication I returned to the Whangarei Area in 2004 as Programme Manager Community Relations. I then came to my current role as Senior Communications Advisor at National Office in April 2009. I provide comms advice to managers and staff across the Department. Read my posts
Rebecca Wilson
Rebecca Wilson monitoring seal pups
Since turning up on the New Zealand doorstep from my Yorkshire homeland in 2004 I’ve had lots of wild adventures thanks to DOC. As a volunteer at Pukaha Mount Bruce and then Boundary Stream Mainland Island I got my first experience of radio tracking kiwi and cleaning rotten stoats out of traps, among other fun stuff.
Eventually DOC took a chance on paying me and I’ve gone from shuffling round the undergrowth of the Whareorino cloud forest looking for a “living fossil”, archey’s frog, to sharing the lurve of a flightless parrot as a Kakapo Ranger on Whenua Hou.
Now people tell me I’ve got the best job on The Coast. As Biodiversity Ranger in Haast I get to explore the beautiful beech forest of the Landsborough Valley, hang out with super cool tawaki (aka Fiordland crested penguin) and go potholing through seal poo on the very special Taumaka Island. Read my posts
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This is a fantastic website, thanks. I especially like the focus on the fact that conservation starts with us – the people of Aotearoa. Could I suggest a space be made for those outside of DOC to share education resources and stories pertaining to the care and protection of our precious indigenous ecosystems that may be of interest/help to others?
Thanks for your feedback Denise. Enabling people to share education resources and stories is a great idea. Are there any particular resources or stories that you’d like to share? You could leave us a comment about them or email us at blog@doc.govt.nz. Although we haven’t incorporated a feature like this into the Conservation Week 2009 website it’s definitely something for us to consider in the future.
Great Blog guys. I would be keen to hear what you author’s have got planned for Conservation Week? What’s going on in everyones region and what are they getting amongst?
Hi Craig – the Bay of Islands Area Office here in Kerikeri is working with the Guardians of the Bay, a fantastic community group which is working to restore the biodiversity of the islands in the Eastern Bay. Predator control has been done, weed control is underway, and planting of beautiful natives grown by the DOC Kerikeri Volunteer Shadehouse is starting too.
Personally, I’m going to go for extra-long works along the beautiful Kerikeri River Track and around the historic Kororipo pa, which overlooks New Zealand’s oldest surviving buildings, the Stone Store and Kemp House.
Strangely enough, I am abandoning my Cantabrian collegues and travelling north to attend an interpretation conference in Rotorua during Conservation Week. I am really looking forward to it as this is a really interesting area of my work. I’m hoping to come home inspired to do more!
Cheers for your feedback Craig. I’ve got family from out of Wellington staying with me at the start of Conservation Week so we’re going to check out Old Government Buildings, Gardens Battery, Turnbull House and Matiu/Somes Island for the Get Involved in Historic Heritage events in Welly – it makes my job as tour guide for the weekend really easy!
Hi Craig
Conservation Week starts early for me – I’ll be running a family orienteering activity as part of the Whirinaki Forest Park 25 year celebrations this weekend.
Then during Conservation Week I’ll be helping out at the Bird I.D. workshop on Sat 12th, and running or assisting with a series of planting days; a public one at Athenree wetland on Sun 13th, with Te Puke school kids at Kaituna wetland on Tues 15th and then with PD workers at Kaimai Summit on Wed 16th.
I also be giving a presentation about NZ dotterel to the Maketu community on the evening of Tues 15th.
Should be all good fun!
Check out the rest of our Tauranga progamme at:
http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/getting-involved/in-your-community/events/bop/tauranga-conservation-week-factsheet.pdf
Gidday Craig! I’ll be starting early too. Off to Rotorua tomorrow to help celebrate 25 years of protection of the Whirinaki Forest – i can’t wait! David Bellamy’s coming along too…
Then, I’ll be flat to the boards for most of conservation week, helping with a very special visitor who’s coming to Auckland Zoo… our very own ‘rockstar’ kakapo, Sirocco! you can find out more on the Conservation Week site or http://www.aucklandzoo.co.nz/kakapo . It’s all part of a very special plan to celebrate one of our greatest conservation challenges, and all the hard work that has gone into protecting kakapo by volunteers, rangers, scientists, vets, sponsors, you name it! As such, this year, the kakapo numbers increased with the addition of 33 chicks! These young birds will help turn the tide for kakapo survival, and I can’t wait to share the joy of kakapo with people when Sirocco gets up here.
I’ll also be heading to Wellington by the looks of things too – and a quick trip down to Christchurch to film a special conservation themed episode of “What Now” – cool fun! – i hope i don’t get ‘gunged’.
It’s great hearing about what everyone else is up to – what are you planning Craig?
Cheers
Nic
Great question Craig.
Here in Wairarapa we’ve got 20+ events and I’m working at most of them plus I’ve got an exam so Conservation Week is a biggie for me. Starting on Friday 11th with a launch hosting all the volunteers that week to say thanks ending with Conservation Scavenger Hunt at Henley Lake on Sunday 20th.
My personal highlight is doing planting with schools like Greytown, Tinui, Whareama and South-End to name a few plus the ‘Conservation Korero’ on Thursday 17 September where Clinton Duffy, Phil Brady and John Sawyer will remind us about what’s special locally.
Can’t wait. Anyone else coming to Wairarapa to get involved?
CONSERVATION 12 September 2009, 11:06AM
Conservation week is here again and it is time to get involved
By Paul Sinclair
WEST COAST
The West Coast is one of the few places left in New Zealand where the majority of the rainforest was not clear felled and converted to other exotic monoculture systems. Over 80% of our land area is still in our native ecosystem. We have become the “reservoir” for the nation.
I would like to be part of a community who would protect a small part of this DOC estate for the benefit of all the biodiversity, by building a predator proof fence around the base of Mt Turiwhate and removing all predators within, creating an island “sanctuary”.
The Turiwhate Ecological Island Sanctuary would protect 3800ha of the DOC estate, ranging in altitude from 100 metres to 1368 metres.
By typing in Google “Turiwhate Ecological Island Sanctuary” one can see the proposal on line. This mainland island would be protected by a pest proof fence approx 32km around the mountain. Once fenced the area within can be hunted and trapped to remove all predators. This has been shown to be the most effective way to provide a predator-free area. In time, an increase in the biodiversity will allow many different bird species to be released within the sanctuary.
Check http://www.infornews.co.nz
Paul
NZ On Screen has just published a ‘Nature’ collection. It’s an incredible selection of programmes from NHNZ, curated by Peter Hayden. Peter has also written a backgrounder to go with the collection.
There is a lot of cross-linking with the DOC site from the various titles in the collection. Some of these titles have not been seen since they first aired, and they are really fantastic documentaries.
We’d love to strengthen the links with DOC – between our two sites – and it would be great if someone would like to mention our collection in a blog post.
Anyway take a look – let me know what you think!
http://www.nzonscreen.com/collection/nature
Thanks
Brenda
so, are any of these cute little animals (and people) above able to be killed by random drops of 145 TONS!! of broadifacoum?
i am shocked at the DENIAL: in your agency, in these pages, in the media.
how are can you call yourselves conservationists and use these things which are banned all over the world?
what is wrong with you????
you MUST stop using these deadly substances. like nuclear energy, there is NO SAFE APPLICATION!!!!
STOP IT!!!
moderation? how apt.
Hi David,
New Zealand’s wildlife faces a nightly battle to survive the onslaught of introduced predators, to the point that many of our animals are threatened with extinction.
Take our national bird for example. In areas where we don’t control pests, 95% of North Island brown kiwi chicks will not survive. However, in areas where we’ve carried out pest control using toxins, we’ve increased survival to more than 60%.
While the recent operation on Rangitoto and Motutapu did drop 147 tonnes of cereal bait containing brodifacoum, most of that was cereal. In total, only 2.9kg of brodifacoum was dropped across 4000 hectares.
Brodifacoum is an approved toxin for pest control in New Zealand. It’s what you get when you buy rat poisons such as Pestoff and Talon at your local supermarket.
The Department of Conservation has used brodifacoum to remove introduced predators from over 60 offshore islands now, including Whenua Hou or Codfish Island, near Stewart Island where the world’s largest and rarest parrot, our very own kakapo live. If it weren’t for pest control in areas like this, wildlife like kakapo, tuatara, kakariki, hihi, would become extinct.
I’ve been lucky enough to visit many of our protected offshore islands in the last couple of years and the difference in birdsong, bush density, and the bustling and rustling of insects, reptiles, and birds everywhere you look is astounding. Visit places like Kapiti, Tiritiri Matangi (Auckland’s most famous conservation spot, with the endangered takahe striding across the lawn while you eat your lunch, and where brodifacoum was used to rid the pests almost 20 years ago), or Ulva Island (near Stewart Island) for a sense of what happens to our native wildlife when you take the baddies out of the equation.
And just to bring you up to speed with the Rangitoto and Motutapu restoration project – the rat poison drops appear to have cleared all the rodents from the islands and the teams are now focusing on getting rid of the few remaining stoats, cats, hedgehogs and rabbits. Kaka and tui on the islands are looking forward to their first rat-free breeding season and Aucklanders should soon start seeing more of these birds in their own backyards. Very exciting times indeed.
Cheers,
Nic
I read with interest the account of Raoul Island. My Ancestors were the first settlers on this Island and in fact was born on the Island. Thanks for making the Island interesting.
Cheers Val
Kia ora,
I’m one of the traditional owners of Tuhua (Mayor Island).
I’ve started a Facebook Page and wondering if DoC’s have any close-up high quality pictures of either the Kiwi when it was being released or the Orange fronted Parakeet.
johnake@yahoo.com
Wednesday 10th March 2010
Kia ora John,
Cheers for visiting. I’ve sent you an email about the photos.
Cheers
Sam O’Leary
DOC Web Team
Hi,
I am trying to find information on an exhibition that is coming up at Conservation House in Wellington this week? “Plants That Heal”.
I wonder if you guys know where to find information on Art Exhibtions at Conservation House?
Cheers,
Karen
Hi Karen,
The exhibition ‘Trees That Heal’ by Jill Roche opens at Conservation House on 5 August 2010 at 5.30pm and runs until 10 September 2010.
Hope you make it along!
Melanie
DOC Web Team
This Wednesday Sep 15, on the pub politics show Backbenches TVNZ7, Forest & Bird will be doing a soapbox re: conservation week. Come over to the Backbencher pub if you’re in Wgtn, for a pint and be part of the show. Starts 9pm sharp, so come 8.30ish. Or ring the Backbencher to reserve a group booking for a meal a bit earlier!
Hi, great blog. just wondering if there is a wakatipu blogger?! Would be good for people round here to know what’s going on.
Hey Tom,
Glad you like the blog.
I’ll encourage our staff in Wakatipu to get blogging!
Melanie
DOC web team
Hi Tom
You might like to take a look at this short film “Wakatipu – the Long Lake”. Shot in 1954 by Brian Brake it is a wonderful glimpse of the region.
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/wakatipu-the-long-lake-1954
/brenda
These authors have been involved in conservation in one form or another. We need more people like them, nature needs more help. Thank you for leading the way for many.
I’m only 11 years old and I want to help protect our oceans. I dont think it is fair that all of these animals should die. I watched a show on the TV about how all the wildlife is dieing. Are there any suggestion to how I can help?
I’m excited to hear that you want to help protect our oceans! If you are in New Zealand you might like to look into joining the Kiwi Conservation Club (KCC). The KCC have over 16,000 kids like you, who are interested making a difference. They can give you good information, ideas and support.
There is a lot of useful information on the DOC website too. In the Getting Involved section you’ll find information on volunteering, events, home and community projects. In the Marine & Coastal section you can find out all about New Zealand’s marine environment and how you can help with conservation efforts.
Good luck and go get involved!
Today, I went to the beach front with my children. I found a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She put the shell to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear. She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is completely off topic but I had to tell someone!
Hi!
My names Joëlle and im doing an assignment on conservation.
We could choose between a few groups and i choose DOC!
I was just wondering if you could answer a few questions? I couldn’t find an email address so this was my only hope!
Please answer
Yours sincerely
Joëlle den Toom
My questions…
1. How do you promote the protection of the natural and historic values?
2. How do you come up with the conservation strategies? Do you have a meeting and come up with ideas?
3. So around about how many traps has DOC already set up this year?
4. Has DOC been catching a lot of pests and rodents in the past few years?
5. Would you say that people are more caring for the environment now than a few years ago?
6. Has DOC had to pick up a lot of rubbish from all the tourists in the national parks?
7. Have you already seen an improvement in the plants and animal life in the last couple of years?
8. What have been the biggest issues in the past year or so? ( e.g. The Rena oil spill)
9. What could people do to make your work easier?
10. What is the most rewarding thing about this job?
11. How did Doc start up?
12. What is your inspiration to get up every day and help this world?
13. Does someone fund you or do you have to come up with all the money yourselves?
Thank you!
Joëlle
HI! thanks for your blog, it’s so interesting!
Can you find fur seals colonies or some seals on Kermadec islands? it’s a serious question because we have found a little seal in french polynesia and we wonder where it comes from!!! so we look at the oceans streams… and humpback whales road’s migration… thank you for answer.