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Archives For 30/11/1999

Scarfie Army conservation volunteers

Department of Conservation —  03/04/2014

By DOC’s Andrea Crawford

Volunteer with gravel in a wheelbarrow.

Fetching gravel for the path to the penguin viewing area

Recently 40 Otago Polytechnic students from the Scarfie Army did something different during their first week back in Dunedin. As well as the usual toga parties and raves, these energetic scarfies spent two days volunteering during Orientation Week.

The volunteers worked with local rangers Lucy Hardy and Guy Brannigan on maintaining the penguin viewing area at Pilots Beach at the end of Otago Peninsula, which is home to over 100 little blue penguins. This area is managed by the Pukekura Trust which runs viewing tours at night. It is also close to the northern royal albatross colony at Taiaroa Head.

It was a sweltering day and after wheel-barrowing gravel for the footpath down to penguin viewing area, picking up trash from the beach, and weeding around natives planted by local school children, the scarfies couldn’t resist and jumped into the sea to cool off.

Two volunteers clearing weeds from a penguin burrow.

Clearing weeds from a little blue penguin burrow

The volunteer army also helped with some maintenance work at the fort on Taiaroa Head for the Otago Peninsula Trust, such as cleaning rust off the disappearing gun.

Other hands on work included weeding around hundreds of native plants at the Living Legends planting site at Waitati.

The students’ work will help survival of the 10,000 natives planted by the community to create a native wetland at the Orokonui Estuary. They also potted dune restoration plants for the Tomahawk Smaills Beachcare Group at their plant nursery.

Weeding around natives plants.

Weeding around natives plants at Waitati

It is fantastic to have the Scarfie Army volunteer with DOC to help out on some important conservation projects in their local area.

Inspired to help? Our volunteer programme lists opportunities for conservation projects with the Department of Conservation. Becoming a DOC volunteer involves being supervised by, and/or working with, DOC staff.

In Otago, Volunteers, Weeds , , , , ,
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O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!

Elizabeth Marenzi —  20/12/2013

The pine tree—decorated with luxe swathes of red, green and gold tinsel, bells, beads and baubles, sweetly scenting the house—is one of my favourite things about Christmas.

My Christmas tree.

Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree, Much pleasure do you bring me!

For me, it’s the role of the pine tree during the festive season that makes me love it.

Another good (if not quite so romantic) reason to love the pine is its contribution to our economy—as a stalwart of our forestry industry.

Mangakino, Waikato, NZ. Photo: Sarah Macmillan (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Timber country. Photo: Sarah Macmillan

And our appreciation of pine is reciprocated—they flourish in the favourable conditions New Zealand provides for them.

So, while the mutual benefits of the relationship are undeniable, its not all roses (or should I say pine cones?) Because pines have, in fact, become a nuisance in many parts of the country, springing up uninvited, like that snotty nosed kid from down the street (that’s just poetic licence of course—the kids in my neighbourhood are all, without exception, delightful creatures).

These gatecrashers are called wilding pines. They compete for space with our native trees and plants, but provide none of the advantages, such as berries and nectar, to encourage bird life and insects. Their pine needles form a carpet, discouraging regeneration of native plant species. Aesthetically, wilding pines change our landscape.

The rapid invasion of Pinus nigra into well grazed highcountry pasture. Google Earth shows this area almost completely free of pines in 2006.

Rapid invasion: Google Earth shows this area of highcountry pasture almost completely free of pines in 2006. Photo: Jon Sullivan

DOC is responsible for wilding tree infestations on public conservation land but are by no means the only ones taking action.

Manu, Rachel, and Jenny deal to a wilding pine in the Tekapo Scientific Reserve. Photo: Jon Sullivan (CC BY-NC 2.0).

Students dealing to a wilding pine in the Tekapo Scientific Reserve.
Photo: Jon Sullivan

Some trampers and hunters carry little folding saws to cut down small wilding pines. If you do this, it’s important to cut down the whole tree stump and not leave any branches or green needles behind (so I’m told—I really don’t have personal experience or expertise on this!). Extremely small seedlings can be pulled out by hand which is very effective as there is no risk of re-growth.

The saying, “a weed is just plant in the wrong place” springs to mind as I wrap up this ode to the darker side of my beloved Christmas tree.

Our native landscapes, species and ecosystems are too precious to give up to the pine tree. The corner of my lounge in December, on the other hand, is quite simply the perfect place.

In Weeds , ,
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Join me on the Wildside

Elizabeth Marenzi —  12/08/2013

Today, I’m inviting you somewhere special. Not many people know about this place yet – you’re one of the first. The place is called Wildside and it’s a new social media community run by the Department of Conservation (DOC) on Facebook and Twitter.

Wildside Facebook screenshot.

With the tagline Aotearoa New Zealand. Live it. Love it. Look after it. Together. Wildside promises inspiring stories, images, videos and conversations about:

Living on the wildside – tramping, camping, biking, hunting…

Loving the wildside – our places, plants, animals, people…

Looking after the wildside – protecting, restoring… doing our bit.

And, importantly, Wildside is about doing it together.

We didn’t want another place on the web about ‘DOC the government department’. Wildside is for, and about, everyone.

Wildside Twitter screenshot.

Here at DOC we’re working towards making New Zealand the greatest living space on Earth – but this vision isn’t just ours, and we can’t do it alone. We want you to join the journey – and Wildside will be a great place to start. Will you join us?

http://www.facebook.com/wildsidenz

http://twitter.com/wildsidenz

In Animal pests, Conservation Week 2013, Historic, Islands, Marine, National parks, Native animals, Native plants, Recreation, Sustainability, Volunteers, Weeds, Wetlands , , ,
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Jobs at DOC: James Arnold – Ranger

Department of Conservation —  18/01/2013

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.

James Arnold holding a takahe.

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.

James Arnold mixing a knapsack.

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.

James Arnold spraying weeds.

Myself on the spray gun with Damon acting as the hose guide

The rule of 3…

3 loves

  1. Food.
  2. Cooking.
  3. Hunting.

3 pet peeves

  1. People who dump their garden waste over the sides of roads.
  2. Angry drivers.
  3. Paradise ducks (many a ruined hunt).

3 foods

  1. Homemade aoli.
  2. Venison.
  3. Strawberry cheesecake.
Aubrey Tai with a minor old man's beard infestation.

Aubrey Tai with a minor old man’s beard infestation

3 favourite places in New Zealand

  1. St. Omer.
  2. Maud Island.
  3. Paringa river on the West Coast.

Favourite movie

Cloudy with a chance of meatballs.

James Arnold Hunting.

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.

A photo of the sunset.

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?

Track on Blumine Island.

The only flat part on Blumine Island, around 10m of track

In Hunting, Jobs at DOC, Nelson/Marlborough, Weeds , , , , ,
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Jobs at DOC: Dan O’Halloran, Ranger – Biodiversity

Department of Conservation —  12/10/2012

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 Dan O’Halloran, Ranger – Biodiversity.

Name:  Dan O’Halloran.

Position: Ranger Biodiversity Bay of Islands Area Office.

Dan getting down and dirty on Mauima.

Getting down and dirty on Mauimua (Lady Alice) a few years back

At work

Possum in a tree.

The possum is public enemy number one!

What kind of things do you do in your role? 

I trap, poison and monitor possums and supervise other staff, contractors, volunteers and commercial operators doing the same. I monitor & supervise our goat programme; assist with species work including snails (flax and kauri) and kiwi; assist with our weed programme and run the Puketi Weedbusters group.

I work with various community and iwi groups and liase with adjoining landowers, especially regarding pest control issues. As an Area Warranted Officer I am mainly involved with hunters and dog issues, as well as vandalism and rubbish dumping. I am a boat skipper, a Rural Fire Officer and staff Health and Safety rep.

What is the best part about your job? 

Two things, the first are those moments when you come across something – a creature or view appears, or you notice plant in fruit or flower – and you know that you would never have got that experience if it weren’t for the job you’re doing. The second is when that happens, along with the realisation, that what you are seeing is a direct result of work done by yourself, your colleagues or our conservation partners.

Four flax snails sitting on a rock under plants.

Flax snails on (the imaginatively named) Snail Rock

What was your highlight from the month just gone?

Seeing how well the pohutukawa are recovering in Pekapeka Bay.

The rule of 3…


3 loves 

  1.  My buddy Viv and all our friends and whanau.
  2. The natural world.
  3. Music.


3 pet peeves

  1. Vandals – why don’t you just get a life.
  2. Rubbish dumpers/litterers – ditto.
  3. Poorly informed people who think they have all the answers regarding pest control.


3 foods

  1. Rice.
  2. Plums.
  3. Dead creatures.

3 favourite places in New Zealand 

  1. The Whangaroa rohe, from Takou to Taemaro it is, like the man said, “a singular and beautifully romantic place”.
  2. Waikouaiti and East Otago, a wonderful place to grow up.
  3. Puketi Omahuta, if you’re talking biodiversity it’s the mother of all ngahere.
View from Whangaroa Harbour.

View from Whangaroa Harbour

Favourite movie , album, book  

  • Album – its a toss up between “Genius” the Warren Zevon greatest hits collection and “Enjoy Every Sandwich” where Dylan, Springsteen, Earle, and The Pixies etc. pay tribute to Zevon’s brillance, with an honourable mention for the Amnesty International  4 CD release “Chimes of Freedom” where 80 artists do Dylan covers. Some pretty amazing stuff, and if you buy it off the website your $40 goes to fighting injustice.
  • Movie – one of the best I’ve seen lately is “Sex & Drugs & Rock’n’Roll”, the Ian Dury biopic starring Andy Serkis.
  • Book – Jared Diamond’s “Guns Germs & Steel” or  Tim Flannery’s “The Future Eaters”.

Deep and meaningful…


What piece of advice would you tell your 18 year old self?

It dosen’t matter, I wouldn’t have taken any notice. At 18 I knew everthing and was totally bulletproof.

Who or what inspires you and why? 

My colleagues who keep on keeping on despite everything that gets thrown at them.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? 

A DJ.

And now, if you weren’t working at DOC, what would you want to be? 

A conservation worker for the NZ Native Forests Restoration Trust, Kiwi Foundation, Puketi Forest Trust or some other NGO.

What sustainability tip would you like to pass on? 

Switch things off – it’s that simple.

Which green behaviour would you like to adopt this year—at home? At work? 

Use less paper.

If you could be any New Zealand native species for a day, what would you be and why? 

If that day was 1200 or so years ago, I’d like to be a kauri specifically the giant Te Tangi O Te Tui so I could see what creatures roamed Puketi in its heyday, if thats not a real answer I’ll go for the Kahu because they’re cool (vote for the Kahu in the Forest & Bird poll – closes 10 October).

What piece of advice or message would you want to give to New Zealanders when it comes to conservation? 

People—get out there and do it, it’s not enough to talk the talk, you need to walk the walk.

Rata in flower on the Mokau ridge.

One of those moments – rata in flower on the Mokau ridge Puketi Omahuta

Please leave a comment – do you have any pieces of advice or messages that you would give to New Zealanders when it comes to conservation?

In Animal pests, Jobs at DOC, Northland, Regions, Sustainability, Weeds , , , , ,
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