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Archives For 30/11/1999

Jobs at DOC: Jack Mace, National Integration Coordinator

Department of Conservation —  26/09/2014

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 Jack Mace, National Integration Coordinator in Wellington.

At work

Some things I do in my job include:

Jack standing with a local in Afghanistan.

Jack Mace (right) with one of the locals in Afghanistan

I provide a voice for Conservation Services in National Office (and a voice for National Office within Conservation Services) so there is a lot of working in with other groups within DOC to make sure that things are working smoothly and there’s coordinated and integrated decision making across the Department.

Thus far I’ve mostly been busy trying to align our business planning and reporting processes with the outcomes we’re trying to achieve—and make them simpler and more practical in the process.

This helps achieve DOC’s vision by:

Making sure we are doing the right thing in the right place at the right time, and that we’re working as one organisation. Finding opportunities to make things easier. Looking for risks and problems and trying to resolve them. Picking up the odd jobs that would otherwise fall through the cracks.

Jack Mace on a historic tractor.

Making the most of our historic heritage

The best bit about my job is:

Jack on a plot in South Westland – with Peter Doonan and Chippy Wood.

A steep plot in South Westland

Working across the whole of DOC’s work. I can see how it all connects together and where there are some big opportunities for us.

I get to work with a bunch of onto it people from all levels of the Department. Plus, I’m finally starting to understand the reason for some of the things that really bugged me as a ranger—like CAPEX, thirdly reporting, depreciation…

The strangest DOC moment I’ve had so far is:

Putting a penguin in a wine cask (we were trying to work out a good way to hold it to take blood samples).

Or the time Dean Caskey, Glen Fyfe and I had to go and rescue hundreds of short-finned eels from a muddy dried-up pond in Taranaki. We got covered in muck and filled up two wheelie-bins full, which I’m sure is someone’s worst nightmare!

The DOC (or previous DOC) employee that inspires or enthuses me most is:

I could write a long list for this one—but maybe I’ll say Mark Martini from Hokitika. You won’t find a friendlier or more helpful bloke. Incredibly passionate about his work, knowledgeable about the bush and the ecological and social problems we face. He knows how to work within the system and achieve good results. And he has a good sense of humour to boot. Just don’t let him near the cooking stove…unless you like pie sandwiches!

On a personal note…

My happy place is:

Nelson Lakes National Park. I grew up skiing at Mt Robert aged 6 so it was my introduction to the great outdoors. I genuinely thought that screaming horizontal hail was normal alpine weather. It was also where I got my first job with DOC—as a stoat trapper—and where my wife Anneke and I got married last year.

Jack and others sitting high above the Whataroa Valley.

Today’s dining room, this time above the Whataroa Valley

If I could trade places with any other person for a week—living or dead—it would be:

Kupe. Imagine being the first person to set foot on Aotearoa—the things you would see before humans and rats and dogs and pigs and all the rest came along and mucked things up.

My best ever holiday was:

A climbing trip to Afghanistan in 2009.

I didn’t get up to much climbing, but we spend 5 weeks walking around the Wakhan corridor in the far northeast of the country. An incredibly remote and difficult place. The people there live a definite hard-scrabble life, but were some of the most friendly and welcoming folk I’ve ever met.

Everywhere we went we were greeted with cups of tea, bread, and a place to stay. And I think if we could import a few of their yaks and donkeys we could cut down on the helicopter bills.

Kirghiz camp in the Afghan Pamir, Tajikistan in the background.

Kirghiz camp in the Afghan Pamir, Tajikistan in the background

If I could be any New Zealand native species I’d be:

A falcon/karearea. Would beat walking around those hills, and I could specialise in taking out stoats and rats. BAM!

Alternatively, a kea. Mucking about in the mountains causing mischief sounds like a good life.

My secret indulgence is:

Sneaking off into the bush by myself to wander around exploring. I like to say I’m hunting but my serious lack of results lately suggests I’m subconsciously just after a slow walk on my lonesome out in the bush.

A New Zealand sealion pup dives into the water.

An example of our majestic wildlife on Enderby Island

If I wasn’t working at DOC, I’d like to:

Be semi-retired, focusing all of my efforts on restoring a patch of bush somewhere in the top of the South Island. Failing that, a professional spinner of yarns would be a good racket.

Deep and meaningful…

The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is:

Listen more and talk less. Obviously I’m still working on this.

Helicopter hovers at Pelorus.

Hovering at the Pelorus “landing” site

In work and life I am motivated by:

People who are passionate about what they do, and are good at it. Talking to people like Jeremy Rolfe about plants or Nobby Robson about the Ruahines make me want to get out and do it.

My conservation advice to New Zealanders is:

Make the time to get out there and enjoy it. There’s not a single town in New Zealand that doesn’t have incredible natural places nearby (even Ashburton!).

Also the pleasure that can be gained from knowing a few plants and animals far outweighs the effort it takes to learn them.

Jack Mace and his celebrity lookalike Grizzly Adams.

My celebrity lookalike

Question of the week…

Who is your celebrity lookalike?

I’ve been told I bear a certain resemblance to someone called “Grizzly Adams” but I’m too young to know who that is.

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Swapping wildlife for a retired life

Department of Conservation —  19/09/2014

By Michelle Crouchley, Partnerships Ranger, Te Anau

Following a career spanning 30 years of service to conservation, Te Anau Wildlife Park ranger Carol Gardner, has retired from DOC.

Carol feeding a kea.

Carol and one of the keas she has known since it was an egg!

‘The big break’

Carol started working in conservation so long ago that she can’t even remember the date! It all began when she started to look for work outside of her role as mother to her four children. She was married to a farmer, and at the time many employers would not consider taking on someone in her position. When Carol mentioned she was looking for work to Lands and Survey Department staff Russell Montgomery and John Clark, they offered her a job working on tracks in the Tuatapere area. Carol describes this as her ‘big break’ and will always be thankful to Russell and John for giving her that opportunity. Reflecting on this moment, Carol said “the decisions you make about other people can change their lives and we should never forget how much influence we can have on other people.”

Carol’s career has seen her doing many different jobs in many different places throughout Fiordland. In the late 70’s and early 80’s she was part of a project building tracks in Fiordland National Park.

Carol’s walking companions.

Carol’s walking companions

‘Funny moments’

Carol has fond memories of working in the Hollyford Valley with John Clark. One day the fridge broke down and they had to carry it out. John shouldered the fridge and Carol walked in front, as they passed trampers John would explain his strange load by saying “I’ve got the ice; she’s got the gin!”

She then moved to Te Anau and took on a job looking after an area that spanned from Milford Sound to Mavora Lakes; it would take her three hours to drive from one end of her beat to the other!

During this time Carol was responsible for landscaping outside Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre and caretaking in the now council owned Ivon Wilson Park. For the past 24 years she has been  taking care of our feathered friends at Te Anau’s Wildlife Park.

Carol leading a tour of the Te Anau Wildlife Park.

Carol leading a tour of the Te Anau Wildlife Park

‘What will you miss most about working at DOC?’

Carol formed a deep affection for the park’s birds. She has cared for the two resident kea since they were eggs. They are now mature 25 year old birds. She hand-reared the Canadian Geese that reside in the waterfowl enclosure and has looked after all the other birds that have lived in the park: weka, kereru, pateke, ruru, parakeets, kaka, paradise shelducks and takahe. Carol found her calling as an advocate for our native birds. It is the birds at the Te Anau Wildlife Park that Carol will miss the most now she has left DOC.

Carol’s retirement cake.

Carol’s retirement cake

‘What’s next?’

Carol’s contribution to the Department will not end with her retirement as she intends to continue her service by volunteering. She also intends to spend lots of time hanging out with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, walking her dogs and tramping.

Carol giving resident kākā, Charlie Brown, her breakfast.

Carol giving resident kākā, Charlie Brown, her breakfast

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Jobs at DOC: Kay Davies, Partnerships Ranger

Department of Conservation —  12/09/2014

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 Kay Davies, Partnerships Ranger in Ngamotu/New Plymouth.

Kay Davies on the Kepler Track.

Getting familiar with the Kepler Track

At work

Some things I do in my job include:

I oversee the two Egmont National Park Visitor Centres (North Egmont and Dawson Falls). I also do tourism liaison, interpretation project management and have just taken on the health and safety coordinator role.

This helps achieve DOC’s vision by:

DOC’s visitor centres as our second most important channel after the website have huge potential for engaging people in conservation and growing the vision.

The best bit about my job is:

The diversity. From track work in Westland National Park, to recreation planning on Great Barrier Island, to community relations in Hawke’s Bay and even to helping develop a Visitor Centre at Government House Wellington—and a subsequent handshake with royalty!

Kay Davies showing Prince Charles and Lady Camilla around the Government House Visitor Centre.

Showing Prince Charles and Lady Camilla around the newly completed Government House Visitor Centre

The strangest DOC moment I’ve had so far is:

I use to be responsible for the Great Barrier Island’s Claris airstrip. When it was wet, Great Barrier Airlines would ring me from Auckland in the morning (once the phone exchange opened) and get me to drive my work Land Rover down the runway to see if I got stuck or not. If I didn’t they’d fly over.

The DOC (or previous DOC) employee that inspires or enthuses me most is:

The Taranaki Visitor Centre team. They spend all day being cheerful and friendly with our visitors, (even the ones who want to climb Mount Taranaki with just an umbrella for protection!) and nothing is too much bother for them. Then to top off their day, they have to clean the toilets—all without complaint.

Heavy snow outside the Egmont National Park Visitor Centre.

Getting to work at the Egmont National Park Visitor Centre can have its challenges!

On a personal note…

Most people don’t know that:

When I started my career at DOC I was one of only two females on the annual 12 person intake from Lincoln College’s (now University) Park Ranger course in 1981. Those were the days when interview questions included “do you get on well with blokes?” and “are you good with your hands?”.

Park Ranger intake class at Lincoln College in 1981.

Park Ranger intake, Lincoln College, 1981

The song that always cheers me up is:

“I could walk 500 miles” by The Proclaimers. For some reason it is synonymous with good times and lots of dancing at parties!

If I could trade places with any other person for a week—famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional—it would be:

Harry Potter. Oh to have an invisibility cloak and be able to teleport. In fact when I used to try to teleport often when I was little, to save long walks home from my friends’ places—needless to say I’m still trying to fine tune the technique!

My best ever holiday was:

Tramping between Norway and Sweden up in the far north. I’d read in a book somewhere that it was possible to do—so with that comprehensive trip planning done off we went! With a bit more local info we successfully navigated our way through two amazing national parks complete with reindeer, snow fields, ‘frozen feet’ river crossings, lakes and Samish summer villages.

Sorjoshytta in Norway.

Sorjoshytta in Norway, en route to Sweden via Padjelanta and Sarek National Parks

If I could be any New Zealand native species I’d be:

The native shrub, mairehau—imagine smelling that nice all the time!

Deep and meaningful…

My favourite quote is:

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”—Dr. Seuss

The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is:

“Did anyone die? No? Then what’s the problem?” In other words—don’t sweat the small stuff. (Obviously if someone has died that’s another issue).

In work and life I am motivated by:

My family, nature, and Hadyn Jones’ Good Sorts on the Sunday night news. I reckon if you make it onto that you’ve made a difference in the world!

Kay Davies exploring the North Taranaki coastline with the family.

Exploring the North Taranaki coastline with the family

My conservation advice to New Zealanders is:

A few words from a song out of Jesus Christ Superstar:

“Think while you still have me
Move while you still see me
You’ll be lost
You’ll be so sorry
When I’m gone”

(In other words—take action now! Of course it pertains to Jesus in the song, but could equally apply to our natural environment don’t you think?)

Kay Davies at the Wellington Sevens dressed as a fairy.

The Wellington Sevens—I’m the pure white fairy of course

Question of the week…

You have to cut your energy usage by a third – what would you give up and what couldn’t/wouldn’t you want to live without?

Give up: the car—around town at least, lighting—back to candles, TV (except Coro St of course and maybe Sky Sport).
Keep: definitely the hot shower/bath—but if it’s solar even better, I might just need to shift from Taranaki.

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Jobs at DOC: Caroline Carter, Partnerships Ranger

Department of Conservation —  05/09/2014

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 Caroline Carter, Partnerships Ranger in Fiordland.

At work

Caroline doing pest control work in the Murchison Mountains.

Protecting takahē in the Murchison Mountains

Some things I do in my job include:

Making friends, storytelling and magic! Basically my job involves me knowing about all the conservation work everyone is doing, and ensuring they have the resources they need to be successful. I get to share their stories with the world, inspiring others to join in the fun. Amazing things can then happen and this is where the magic comes in!

This helps achieve DOC’s vision by:

Encouraging every New Zealander to own the problem of our native species disappearing. What we do DOES make a difference and every little bit helps.

The best bit about my job is:

The big and little people I work with. In an average week I might find myself with a four year old kindy kid sharing their enjoyment of an insect found in a rotten log, and that same afternoon, be equally inspired by a colleague discussing beech mast cycles and the scientific response.

The funniest/strangest DOC moment I’ve had so far is:

Staffing the DOC careers stand at Fiordland College. The kids had a series of questions to answer about working in conservation. To spice things up a bit (and to compete with the Army next door who had kids doing push ups to great applause), we added a question along the lines of “which pest did this poo”? The ‘poo’ was in a pot and they had to eat some to find out the answer. It was a multiple choice question; a) rat, b) possum, c) stoat, d) easter bunny. Without exception, every child reluctantly tasted a sample from the pot and then most of them, through screwed up chewing faces, looked through the list of possible answers. They really believed that we might actually feed them poo!

Caroline with a group on the Routeburn Track near a waterfall.

You need a good raincoat down here on the Routeburn Track!

The DOC employee that inspires or enthuses me most is:

Every week I am inspired by my colleagues around me. We are like family!

On a personal note

Most people don’t know that:

I once shared my bed with a feral piglet! Her name was Princess Penelope and my partner shot her mother on a bacon gathering trip! She was the most intelligent animal I’ve ever known. She toilet trained herself within 24 hours of being in the house—choosing to use the shower tray when it was too cold to go outside! One night, I woke to find she had got caught up in the duvet cover in her mad dash to get to the bathroom. She didn’t want to sleep in the bed after that!

If I could trade places with any other person for a week it would be:

Anyone on the filming set of the BBC comedy ‘Gavin and Stacey’. It’s a crackin’ programme it is and I’m a total fan. On a recent visit to see family in the UK I went on an unofficial tour with my equally obsessed sister and we actually got to see where every scene was filmed—including the dodgems—‘cause you knows how I like the bumper cars’!

Caroline with her family at Milford Sound.

Out and about in my backyard—Mitre Peak, Milford Sound

My best ever holiday was:

Define holiday! I’ve spent the last 14 years in New Zealand living on the edge of Fiordland National Park, cycling, kayaking, tramping—sounds like a perfectly good holiday to me!

In my spare time I:

Enjoy dabbling in movie making. I really should do a course so I know what I’m doing, but owning a Mac makes it SO easy. I consider myself ‘learning on the job’!

If I could be any New Zealand native species I’d be:

A Burwood takahē. I’d get to eat a tasty vegetarian diet, have a cuddly colourful partner for life, foster children in need of parents and experience what it’s like to do 7 metres of poo each day!

Caroline walking with her son in Fiordland National Park.

A walk in the park with my son—looking out along the Hollyford Valley

Deep and meaningful

My favourite quote is:

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has” – Margaret Mead

In work and life I am motivated by:

TED talks. Not only are these talks filled with ideas worth spreading, they also introduce you to some exceptional people on this planet who really know how to tell a story and captivate an audience.

Caroline and her son with the 'Bugman'—Ruud Kleinpaste.

Still smiling at the end of a long day spent with kids restoring the Kepler

The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is:

“It would be selfish to have the answer and skills to prevent the extinction of native species, but to ignore this and let them slip into extinction” – Don Merton. At the time I was struggling with the fact that children lived in poverty, and it seemed unjust and selfish that a wealthy country could afford ‘luxuries’ like protecting its wildlife. But after speaking with Don I truly understood that what we do to the environment we do to ourselves. They cannot be separated. Don’s words have stuck with me ever since.

My conservation advice to New Zealanders is:

Just one cathedral in Britain alone costs 19,000 pounds a day to maintain. That’s NZ$38,000 or about NZ$30 a minute! Other countries like Britain treasure their castles, cathedrals, bridges and ancient monuments and consider this spending a vital investment. What makes New Zealand’s treasures so unique is that they are natural and LIVING—no amount of money could restore them if lost. Together we can protect these treasures, enjoy and celebrate them and be confident that they are as worthy of our attention as any Great Wall, Palace or Cathedral.

Caroline in the Murchison Mountains with Te Anau in the background.

Another day at the office! Standing in the Murchison Mountains

Question of the week

If you could only use one kitchen utensil for the rest of your life, what would it be and why that choice?

My spork—an impulse purchase standing at the till in Macpac many years ago. Well it looked so useful, who wouldn’t be tempted to buy one? Of course I’ve never actually used it, so if it was the only thing I had left, maybe I would. The spoon end could stir, the fork end would mash, and the knife… it might chop?!

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Jobs at DOC: Karin Mahlfeld, Land Snails Ranger

Department of Conservation —  29/08/2014

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 Karin Mahlfeld, Land Snails Ranger based in Wellington.

At work

Karin working in the Science Lab at DOC's National Office.

Science Lab, identifying snails

Some things I do in my job include:

Updating the Department’s information on threatened land snail species, adding descriptions, images, notes on habitats, distribution maps etc. More than 450 species are currently listed in the Department’s Threat Classification list of land snails. I answer inquiries from staff, other agencies and the public relating to terrestrial and freshwater gastropods. I am also involved with monitoring the impact of rodent predation on the Wainuia urnula species. Most of this work requires me to liaise with a number of snail experts, staff at DOC, Te Papa, Wellington City Council, Greater Wellington and volunteers.

This helps achieve DOC’s vision by:

Providing information and images that staff can use to maintain inherent values of our landscapes (NZ and overseas tourists are keen to experience NZ as close to its original natural state); to ensure that nationally threatened species are conserved; to inform conservation volunteer groups of what is in their patch and its importance; to raise the profile of invertebrates and their role in ecosystem health; add to guides/publications (in addition the few iconic invertebrates usually used). Our images are useful to bring invertebrates closer to the public. We cannot fully appreciate our own place in an interconnected web of life without acknowledging how fundamentally dependent we are upon “the little things that run the world.” Invertebrates and other micro-organisms are very sensitive environmental indicators.

Litter samples and sieves equipment.

Some of our high tech equipment (showing dried litter sample sieved into fine, medium and coarse fraction)

The best bit about my job is:

That it involves a variety of activities: field work, research, new species discovery, working with volunteers, blogging, curation, publishing, cartography, graphics.

The funniest/strangest/loveliest/scariest/awesome-est (all of them!) DOC moment I’ve had so far is:

My first fieldwork in New Zealand in Nelson Lakes National Park, when I was accompanying Rod Hay monitoring South Island Robins. Being surrounded by mature forest with kākā monkeying around next to our hut in the middle of nowhere without any traffic noises was entirely different to managed pine and beech forests, steel works and intensive agriculture I grew up with back in Germany. After that I decided to return to NZ in the following year to do my MSc project here, which turned out to be on land snail diversity in bush fragments on Awhitu Peninsula (famous as one the highest diversity spots for micro-molluscs worldwide), the influence of stock trampling and habitat fragmentation. Geoff Park (formerly DOC) suggested this as a potential project to me. I had no idea what I got myself into. My affiliation with DOC stretches back nearly 27 years now. In 1991, I moved permanently to NZ.

The DOC (or previous DOC) employee that inspires or enthuses me most is:

Geoff Park obviously got me into researching New Zealand land snails. When I first met Geoff, I was a student studying landscape ecology in Germany. There were not many people interested in landscape ecology then, it was a relatively new degree. I always admired Geoff’s ability to jolt people into action and his love for and understanding of New Zealand’s landscapes.

Rat predated Wainuia urnula shells.

Rat predated Wainuia urnula snail shells

On a personal note

Most people don’t know that:

I run a very successful science community project involving Ngaio School and its community. Together with a group of Ngaio School mums, I am running lunchtime sessions, where students learn about plants, animals, rocks, chemistry, robots, lungs, brains, angular momentum, the universe—basically anything children are interested in. We are supported by around 70 parent volunteers, who share their passion, knowledge and resources for science and sometimes other topics.

My stomping ground is:

All around Wellington. With my partner Frank, our two sons and Dave Roscoe we have covered a lot of spots around Wellington (collecting). When my partner’s parents were still alive, we would regularly visit Puponga near Farewell Spit, where we had some wonderful Christmas holidays.

Karin and family on Mount Kaukau.

On our way to collect litter in the bush remnants on top of Mount Kaukau

My best ever holiday was:

Very hard to make a decision but Austrian Alps (Carinthia) rate definitely very high but also Corsica and Canaries were trips I really enjoyed.

My greatest sporting moment was when:

I was regional champion (Lower Saxony) in table tennis a long, long time ago. These days I do a lot of walking/hiking, however I am thinking of taking up table tennis again. It is a great game: non-contact, fast (you have to anticipate quickly your opponents counter moves) but also subtle when you spin the ball.

In my spare time:

I love tinkering. My older son and I go to a robotics club, where we build simple robots. Had I not taken on malacology as my primary occupation, robotics would have been my choice, had I known how much fun it can be. But back in the early 80s, I had no exposure to it and was not encouraged in that direction at school or at home. I also like reading a good crime novel or just hanging out with my family.

Threatened species team meeting at DOC's National Office.

Threatened species team meeting

Deep and meaningful

My favourite quote is:

“Ignoring invertebrates in conservation is simply spineless” – Kylie Williams, Charles Sturt University.

The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is:

If you can’t find something to live for, what do you die for? (I read this somewhere and it stuck with me.)

In work and life I am motivated by:

Getting more people engaged with science and conservation. Science is often portrayed in the media as a matter of opinion rather than scientifically proven knowledge and wisdom we should base our policies and decisions on. “Being entitled to my opinion” is often used to shelter beliefs that should have been abandoned as has been witnessed with the climate change debate. It breeds a false equivalence between experts and non-experts that has become an unfortunate feature of our public discourse.

My conservation advice to New Zealanders is:

Have a long term plan, get as much help as you can, share your experiences with others and learn from others. I have attended the Conservation Day for volunteers Wellington staff organises each year and found it very useful.

Karin building a robot at Robotics club at Victoria University.

Robotics club at Victoria University

Question of the week

When you’re not working at DOC, how do you like to relax?

When I come home, I have a cup of tea with my partner and we reflect on the day’s events, listen to some music and relax for a little while before having dinner. I try to avoid switching on my laptop in the evenings. I rather read, spend some time with my boys and occasionally watch a DVD.

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