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Archives For 30/11/1999

Young New Zealanders speak out for biodiversity

 —  14/12/2010

When I was studying marketing at university one of my lecturers said, “if you want to communicate a message simply and effectively, ask a young person what they would say”. I was reminded of that as I watched this year’s winning entries for The Outlook for Someday – sustainability film challenge for young people. The winners’ ability to get their messages across in simple but creative ways is really inspiring.

DOC sponsored a special biodiversity award for The Outlook for Someday challenge and at a ceremony in November two teams from Newmarket Primary School in Auckland were announced as the joint winners of that award.

One of the winning films is ‘The Kaitiaki Children and the Birds’. It’s about a group of young people who protect birds and share a message that we can all become nature’s guardians. The judges said the film uses “a wonderful and creative mix of media.”

Newmarket Primary School students and makers of The Kaitiaki Children and the Birds, with Auckland Mayor Len Brown and Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman.

Newmarket Primary School students and makers of The Kaitiaki Children and the Birds, with Auckland Mayor Len Brown and Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman.

Watch The Kaitiaki Children and the Birds.

The other winning film, ‘Sam the Superworm’ is about saving our food and tells the story of how everyone, including a small stripy worm, can help protect nature. The judges said this film is “a fabulous tale about taking action on behalf of biodiversity in an urban environment.”

Newmarket Primary School students and makers of Sam the Superworm collect their award

Newmarket Primary School students and makers of Sam the Superworm collect their award

Watch Sam the Superworm.

The winning films are showing on TVNZ 6 each night this week (from 13-17 December) on Freeview or TiVo channel 6, and SKY or Telstra channel 16. Each programme will be shown at 6:30pm and again at 8:30pm.

To enter The Outlook for Someday challenge, young New Zealanders have to make a sustainability-related film that’s up to 5 minutes long, using any camera. People can enter as teams or individuals.

Entries for the film challenge came from all over New Zealand and were made by individuals and teams from primary, intermediate and secondary schools as well as tertiary institutions.

Well done to everyone who competed in this year’s film challenge and I’m sure next year’s entries will be  just as strong.

In International, Sustainability
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Fish (and seals, whales & dolphins) for the future

Katrina Knill —  05/03/2010

The Tauranga DOC team have been all at sea lately – literally.  

Oscar the seal makes friends wherever he goes

DOC boat the 'Rewa' heads out to Tuhua Marine Reserve for a compliance check

Rangers Dan and Dave have been speaking at the local Bluewater Classic & One Base fishing competition briefings and regularly patrolling the Tuhua Marine Reserve to make sure that everyone knows where the marine reserve is and keeps their fishing rods out of it.  Dan is also making preparations for next week’s annual fish survey in the reserve with marine studies staff and students from the Bay of Plenty Polytech.  

Tuhua Marine Reserve is one of over 30 no-take marine reserves established around New Zealand to protect marine organisms and their habitats for future generations to come.  It’s a great place to dive or snorkel and enjoy some magical underwater scenery.  

Ranger Laura has been catching up with our local permitted dolphin watching operators to make sure they’re keeping the best interests of the dolphins at heart. Commercial operators can help to protect dolphins by giving people the opportunity to see, fall in love with and learn about them.  The permits we issue and monitor require operators to meet set conditions and follow the Marine Mammals Protection Regulations so that their impacts on the dolphins are minimised.  

All boaties can help to look after whales, dolphins and seals by making sure that they know and follow the rules.  The regulations include rules about safe boat speed, distance and angles of approach so that people can enjoy watching whales, dolphins and seals without causing them harm.  

Oscar in action at the Maketu Kaimoana Festival

Awhi helps a young fisherman to learn about marine reserve rules a size limits

Our Maori Cadet – Ranger Awhi & I took Oscar the seal to the Maketu Kaimoana Festival last weekend.  We use him to help us educate people  about marine reserves and marine mammal protection.  We also set up a fishing game so that kids (and their parents) could learn the no-fishing rule in marine reserves and practice measuring fish to check if they meet the Ministry of Fisheries size limits for recreational fishing.   

With Seaweek (7-14 March) coming up  I’ve got more work for Oscar this weekend – I’ll be taking him down to the Mount Maunganui Underwater Club Clean-up at Pilot Bay on Saturday to meet the locals there.  There’s lots happening around the country for Seaweek – its all listed on the website: www.seaweek.org.nz.  Some of the Tauranga event line-up includes:  

  • a public ‘virtual tour’ of the Tuhua Marine Reserve that Ranger Pete is organising on Thursday 11th March where our marine scientist – Kim Young, will share underwater photos and the findings from over a decade of fish monitoring in the reserve
  • A Sea Bird Cruise with the South Sea Sailing Company and local bird expert Tony Crocker on 13th March
  • a marine photography field trip with Dr Kim Westerskov and Captain Graeme Butler on 21 March & 11 April

Aside from Seaweek, March is a good month in Tauranga for getting involved in or learning more about caring for our environment. The Tauranga Environment Centre have put together an amazing calendar of events for “Sustainable Backyards” month; from an educational harbour cruise or guided bush walk to organic farm tours and cheese-making workshops, there’s something for everyone – make sure you check it out.  

Sea you out there!

In Bay of Plenty, Marine, Native animals, Recreation, Sustainability , , , , , ,
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World Wetlands Day not forgotten

Katrina Knill —  08/02/2010

The theme for World Wetlands Day this year is “Caring for wetlands – an answer to climate change”, so it seems somewhat approriate that on 2nd February we were signing up to a joint agency partnership with Environment Waikato and Environment Bay of Plenty to improve co-ordination and collaboration of agency and comunity efforts to protect and enhance the ‘natural capital’ of the Kaimai Mamaku catchments.

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In Bay of Plenty, Native animals, Recreation, Sustainability, Wetlands
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Potato plates, office bikes, wormfarms

Helen —  15/12/2009
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.

Powered by the sun – ranger’s house at Mimiwhangata. Photo by Righthouse

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

In Huts, Northland, Southland, Sustainability, West Coast , , , ,
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