Come behind the scenes and into the jobs, the challenges, the highlights, and the personalities of the people who work at the Department of Conservation (DOC).
Today we profile James Arnold, Ranger – Biodiversity Threats.
Name: James Arnold.
Position: Standing up, A band Biodiversity threats.
My first takahē release
At work…
What kind of things do you do in your role?
Kill weeds and protect trees—mostly the killing part.
What is the best part about your job?
The places we get to go.
Myself mixing a knapsack
What is the hardest part about your job?
Leaving every day.
What led you to your role in DOC?
I got tired of being a chef and needed a change of pace.
What was your highlight from the month just gone?
Unleashing mass amounts of pain on the periwinkle on Blumine Island.
Myself on the spray gun with Damon acting as the hose guide
The rule of 3…
3 loves
- Food.
- Cooking.
- Hunting.
3 pet peeves
- People who dump their garden waste over the sides of roads.
- Angry drivers.
- Paradise ducks (many a ruined hunt).
3 foods
- Homemade aoli.
- Venison.
- Strawberry cheesecake.
Aubrey Tai with a minor old man’s beard infestation
3 favourite places in New Zealand
- St. Omer.
- Maud Island.
- Paringa river on the West Coast.
Favourite movie
Cloudy with a chance of meatballs.
A nice relaxing weekend
Deep and meaningful…
What piece of advice would you tell your 18 year old self?
Lotto numbers.
Who or what inspires you and why?
Calvin Tuck – keep on trucking big man.
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A ninja.
And now, if you weren’t working at DOC, what would you want to be?
A ninja.
What sustainability tip would you like to pass on?
Stop dumping waste over the sides of roads. Eventually someone has to clean it up.
Which green behaviour would you like to adopt this year—at home? At work?
Kill more weeds.
Northern camp sunset looking towards Picton/Maud Island.
If you could be any New Zealand native species for a day, what would you be and why?
A moa—freak some scientists out lol.
What piece of advice or message would you want to give to New Zealanders when it comes to conservation?
Don’t ignore weeds! It’s all good having cuddly species again, but if they have nowhere to live, what then?
The only flat part on Blumine Island, around 10m of track
