Join the team working on reducing wildfires in Northland! With the fire danger levels already high this summer, there’s an even bigger risk. Blog updates coming through the following months.
Continue Reading...Archives For 30/11/1999
Recently I gave 3 NZ artists an early Christmas present when I told them they’d won a Wild Creations residency, meaning they will spend 6 weeks in some of NZ’s best natural environments to work on their art form. During the residency the artists explore and get inspired by their natural surroundings. They are all very different so they will each have a captivating story to tell about the places they visit.
Chris Cottrell
'Data Cloud' by Chris Cottrell. Based on the collection of weather data, this project shows a tangible bodily relationship to data's cloudy characteristics: indeterminacy, vastness, lightness, ephemerality and obscurity.
One of the winning artists is Chris Cottrell. He’s a drawing, installation and video artist. He’ll head to Fox Glacier where he wants to check out the glacier’s movements then draw, use GPS devices, video and sound to create maps of the glacier that shows the vitality and complexity of the environment. Chris hopes to showcase his work in a travelling exhibition and artists’ book after his residency. Chris is also keen to include the work in his upcoming PhD.
Andy Hummel and Holly Jane Ewens are Rosy Tin Teacaddy
Andy Hummel and Holly Jane Ewens are the folk musical duo Rosy Tin Teacaddy. They’re going to the Rotorua Lakes region to write and record a new album about their experience, the people, and the history of Lake Tarawera. Judging by the music they’ve already produced their new album will be something special.
Hayden Fowler, photo by Joy Lai
Hayden Fowler gets a pair of extinct Huia birds tattooed onto his back for his artwork 'Call of the Wild'
Ashburton Lakes will welcome film, performance and soundwork artist, Hayden Fowler. He’s keen to create a performance piece based on the giant moa and kakapo that shows the impact of these birds being absent from mainland NZ. Hayden hopes to exhibit his work in galleries throughout New Zealand.
DOC and Creative New Zealand work together on the Wild Creations Artists in Residence programme. Each of the winning artists gets a $5,000 stipend and up to $2,000 towards travel and materials costs from Creative New Zealand. DOC gives the artists accommodation during their residency and provides other support to make their stay safe and enjoyable.
The artists will take up their residencies at different times throughout 2010 so watch this space to hear about their experiences and see what they create…
At the start of 2009, I knew next to nothing about office greening. Almost 12 months on, as part of DOC’s sustainability team, it’s surprising what I’ve learnt.
I believe that sustainability can, and should, reach into every aspect of DOC’s business. And gradually, sometimes without staff even being aware that it is happening, DOC’s turning a darker shade of green. This departmental greening reaches from the paper we use everyday (now 80% recycled) to the lighting levels in our workplaces; includes foodscraps from people’s lunches ending up fattening the staff pig or in the office wormfarm, and compostable picnic plates made from potato chip waste being used at community events.
But we are not stopping there. DOC looks after many islands and remote bits of New Zealand. Up until recently power to these places came courtesy of a diesel generator. These noisy, smelly, expensive-to-run machines are now thankfully part of DOC’s past. Solar panels and wind generators are providing silent sustainable power from as far south as Stewart Island to Mimiwhangata in the mid-North.
Chatham Islanders can now say “Goodbye” to noisy expensive diesel generators and “Hello” to silent sustainable solar power. Photo by Righthouse.
How have we managed to move so far so fast? Sustainability Champions in every DOC office throughout the country are part of the secret. Local folk acting sustainably locally. And their reward? Feeling they are making a difference, acknowledgement and prizes through our bi-annual DOC sustainability awards and the occasional Tradeaid chocolate bar!
But what about the office bike – surely this blog title isn’t serious? Well, yes, it is. Office bicycles are being ridden throughout the country – in Auckland allowing staff to commute between offices and out in rural areas for track inspections.
So, next time you see a DOC ranger on a bike, cheer him or her on. They’re doing their little bit to reduce carbon emissions and keeping fit at the same time – not a bad combo really!
Helen Ough Dealy
Read about life on Raoul Island, one of the islands in the Kermadec Island group, from volunteer Louise Shirley.
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A ground-breaking new youth leadership programme is bringing our national icon – the kiwi – up close and personal to 19 senior South Island secondary school students.
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