Jobs at DOC: Tim Allerby—Biodiversity Ranger

Department of Conservation —  01/03/2013

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 kick starts Whio Awareness Month. To celebrate, we profile whio fan Tim Allerby, Ranger—Biodiversity Ranger, in DOC’s Te Urewera/Whirinaki Area Office.

Tim Allerby with whio chicks on the upper Tauranga river.

The first whio chicks on the upper Tauranga river (November 2012) since 2008, well worth the early start

At work

Name: Tim Allerby.

Position: Biodiversity Ranger.

Office: Te Urewera/Whirinaki Area.

Some things I do in my job include…

  • Providing advice/support for whio related operations throughout the Te Urewera/Whirinaki Area and its surrounds.
  • Implementing and managing stoat control operations for whio with the Northern Te Urewera.
  • Carrying out outcome monitoring of whio and kōkako.
  •  Assisting with the trialling of A24 self resetting traps.

The best bit about my job is…
Catching stoats and seeing whio chicks on rivers.

Tim Allerby with stoat traps flown in by helicopter for the upper Tauranga river.

Flying stoat traps into the upper Tauranga River site 2012

The funniest DOC moment I’ve had so far is…

The eruption of disgust, laughter, and bewilderment from thirty-plus totally sucked in kids and adults after I tasted stoat poo (Marmite) to confirm that it was indeed stoat poo during a mock up whio mortality scene investigation.

The DOC (or previous DOC) employee that inspires or enthuses me most is…
Captain Whio (aka Andrew Glaser)—without his passion and persistence for whio protection we would not be in the position we are at with respect to whio recovery.

Tim Allerby with the Te Urewera Mainland Island team all dressed up.

Captain Whio (Andrew Glaser), Duck Boy and the motley Te Urewera Mainland Island crew

On a personal note…

The song that always cheers me up is…
All I ever need is you – Kenny Rogers and Dottie West.

My stomping ground is…
Waimana Valley in the mighty Te Urewera National Park.

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…
Donald Trump. I would cover every bit of New Zealand conservation land in double set DOC200s (traps) and set aside enough money for those traps to be checked once a month for the next 100 years.

If I could be any New Zealand native species I’d be…
A karearea. They are definitely the boss of the sky.

If I wasn’t working at DOC, I’d like to…
Become an astronaut. I’d like to look back at Earth from space. Maybe one day Jet Star will do cheap deals?

Tim Allerby during a kokako translocation.

Looking and feeling awesome after stopping a branch from hitting the ground with my head (kōkako translocation 2009)

Deep and meaningful…

My favourite quote is…
What’s the worst that could happen? – Kobey Brebner.

The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is…
No hunter will ever have surplus brownie points so you just have to realise this and accept it.

In work and life I am motivated by…
Doing the best that I can. I always have high expectations of myself in whatever I do so I always push myself to reach those goals.

My conservation advice to New Zealanders is…
Do as much as you can whenever you can, no matter how little or insignificant you think it may be.

Tim Allerby inserting a transponder into a whio.

Inserting a transponder into a whio

Question of the week…

‘Question of the week’ will differ each week. If you have any suggestions for questions, please leave us a comment.

What’s your signature dish?
Not being the greatest cook I don’t think I can claim a signature dish however I can cook venison a thousand ways. While I am in the bushes I am particularly fond of venison heart, garlic, and onions all fried in a generous lashing of butter.

Watch this video of Tim Allerby talking about his work saving whio/blue duck:

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DOC and Dulux – Protecting our place

Elizabeth Marenzi —  27/02/2013

There are many reasons why I’m excited about Dulux partnering with DOC to protect New Zealand’s backcountry huts.

Firstly, I’m excited that we have a new partner investing in conservation. As Ecclesiastes says: “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.” In other words, together we can achieve more – and we all want more conservation.

Secondly, as an avid (but amateur) interior decorator and home renovator, I’ve personally been in a relationship with Dulux for years. And while a lot of people don’t love work spilling into their private lives, most of us would agree that it’s pretty great to have the things we enjoy in our private lives spill into work.

Three images: Elizabeth surrounded by her personal collection of Dulux paint pots, an image of Dulux paint pots stacked on top of one another and an image of Elizabeth's collection of paint swatch cards.

A small sample of Dulux from my personal collection. And despite what it looks like, my husband didn’t decapitate me and artfully place my head on our bucket of Dulux Ceiling White!

Thirdly, to celebrate this new partnership, there’s a competition. Winning would be amazing (who wouldn’t want a fabulous, fully hosted wilderness weekend for two in Mt Aspiring National Park?!) but the cool thing is that creating an entry is actually a fun experience in itself – so you really can’t lose! You should have a go:

Head to the Protecting Our Place website, summon your creative genius, paint a DOC hut (virtually of course – none of that annoying real life preparation or messy clean-up), and be in to win.

Tarn Ridge Hut: Photos before painting and after painting.

Tarn Ridge Hut: Some real life before and after photos to inspire you

So, hopefully by now you’re as excited as me about putting the colours of New Zealand to work for conservation!

Protecting our place text with Dulux and DOC logos.

In Huts, Partnerships , , , , , ,
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Ranger for a day: a close encounter with kiwi and weka

Department of Conservation —  25/02/2013

By Trudi Ngawhare, Community Relations Ranger, Gisborne

Bobby Rangihuna-Harema, a high school student aspiring to be a farm manager, got the opportunity to be a ‘Ranger for a day’ at Motu near Gisborne after winning a Conservation Week competition late last year.

Ranger Joe Waikari setting a possum trap.

Ranger Joe Waikari showing Bobby how to set a possum trap

The Gisborne Herald gets behind Conservation Week every year. They were looking for a different angle and asked if we had a reader’s giveaway. The DOC ‘Ranger for a day’ was an initiative that we had always wanted to do, and this felt like the perfect opportunity.

Bobby, a 14 year old Lytton High School student who will enter a trade academy this year, was entered into the competition by her mum Jenny who thought it would be a good vocational experience. She saw it as an opportunity for Bobby to experience another view of Tane Mahuta (God of the forest).

“This is another area to have a look at when it comes to land management and farming,” said Jenny.

A full day was planned, with the first stop being a photo session for Bobby and her mum at the Gisborne Herald.

Then, after an hour’s drive to Motu, Bobby helped Ranger Joe Waikari track and complete a health check on Tom, a male kiwi.

Joe listening for Tom the kiwi’s transmitter.

Joe listening for Tom the kiwi’s transmitter

The work to address the decline of North Island Brown kiwi (and the protection of other threatened species within the Whinray Scenic Reserve) is part of an important recovery programme run by Whinray Ecological Charitable Trust (WECT), with support from the Kiwis for Kiwi Trust.

During a quick check on the weka traps, Ranger Joe was able to introduce Bobby to a North Island Weka.

Ranger Joe introducing Bobby to a North Island weka.

Ranger Joe introducing Bobby to a North Island weka

Finally, Bobby and Joe took a short hike on the upgraded Pakihi Track (part of the Motu Trails national cycleway) for a bit of native frog spotting.

Ranger Joe Waikari and Bobby checking out a Hochstetter frog.

Ranger Joe Waikari and Bobby checking out a Hochstetter frog

By the end of the day, Bobby was a very happy but exhausted ‘Ranger for a day’, who experienced three rare native species in one day that many never see in a lifetime!

Bobby and her mum praised Ranger Joe for leading them up long steep ridges and through thick bush…. No, not really, but it did provide for a humorous and entertaining hikoi (walk).

Thanks to Bobby and her mum for being such keen ‘Rangers for a day’; and to the Gisborne Herald for supporting Conservation Week and providing an awesome avenue to promote conservation.

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Jobs at DOC: David Lynn—Historic Assets Ranger

Department of Conservation —  22/02/2013

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 David Lynn, Ranger—Visitor and Historic Assets, in DOC’s Gisborne/Whakatane Area Office.

David Lynn with a weka.

Out mucking in, helping capture, weigh and measure
North Island weka, at Motu

Some things I do in my job include…

Track maintenance, hut maintenance, track inspections, managing the awesome Anaura Bay Campground, managing ‘Gateway’ school students, my Duty Officer role, fire fighting, as well as around 12 years at DOC as a Conservancy Records/Admin officer.

Fire fighters battling a burning house.

Fire training. This is a house at Opotiki. A learning experience, as only months later I witnessed a real house on fire at Pahiatua. I was first on the scene, kicked the door down but, through our training, knew it was too late

The best bit about my job is…

Getting out there and walking our lovely tracks and rivers. I’ve often stopped and looked around—whilst in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of a fresh water river—and looked at the great scenery, and thought…’What an awesome job I have’.

The scariest DOC moment I’ve had so far is…

At a social event—hoping like mad that all my workmates had also dressed up as rock stars on our social club pub crawl—before I walked into the pub we were all meeting at.

Close up of David's face with Gene Simmons make-up, sticking out tongue.

The Gene Simmons stunt double! It won me Best Dressed
at one of our social club fixtures

The DOC employee that inspires or enthuses me most is…

It has to be the staff I see walking kilometres with big chainsaws, and loaded with gear, into tracks to cut trees. We have some real work horses out there doing great work.

Most people don’t know I…

A bit gross to some, but most people don’t know that I endured 31 years on and off of having plastic surgery to my face. My nose has been made from skin from my forehead, my top lip is actually 1/3 of my bottom lip, but hey this is me now and I’m amazed at what doctors can do in this field of surgery. This happened due to a type of growth that occurred within a week of birth that wiped out my top lip and nasal area.

My stomping ground is…

Gisborne, known to most as Gizzy. A neat town, off the beaten track some say but the beaches, fishing/diving and weather are tops.

David standing on a large truck full of building supplies.

The project: getting over 150 boxed steps built at Cooks Cove, Tolaga Bay. This is step two of many—weighing and getting all the wood/gravel/building equipment transported, ready for pick up by heli to the work sites. A massive job I got to manage from start to finish

My best ever holiday was…

Taking the wife Anne, and children Jessica and Daniel, over to Surfer’s Paradise last year. What an awesome place.

My greatest sporting moment was when…

I was selected for the North Island Indoor Bowls team in 2003 and then again in 2004. Only 10 men and 10 woman get selected in this team. We lost to the South Island in 2003, but got revenge in 2004.

David holding bowling trophy.

North vs South Island winners 2004

Deep and meaningful…

My favourite quote is…

Live life to the fullest , you never know what is around the corner.

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

Your best friends will be by your side in every way, you will learn fast who your best friends are.

In work and life I am motivated by…

I think in both work and life I’m motivated by doing the very best I can and seeing the rewards after. I’ve been very successful in my sport and education, and have always had employment from the age of 17 (25 years of government service was just achieved in January this year).

My conservation advice to New Zealanders is…

Get out there and see what New Zealand has to offer. Some of the places I have seen (through working at DOC and travelling the country in my sport) are just great.

Question of the week…

‘Question of the week’ will differ each week. If you have any suggestions for questions, please leave us a comment.

Which celebrity would play you in a movie about your life?

I would have to say that I actually need two celebrities: one called Paul Kaye off the film Blackball—a little known comedy about bowls—and his stunt double, a younger Clint Eastwood could jump in, in places, but without without Clyde the Orangutan (off Every Which Way but Loose).

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Tagging yellow-eyed penguins on the Otago Peninsula

Dave Houston —  20/02/2013

Dave supports biodiversity programmes anywhere between Auckland and the Auckland Islands, but specialises in the Chatham Islands and penguins.

Using a band or ring has been vital to the monitoring and conservation of birds for more than 100 years.  Yellow-eyed penguins were first fitted with leg bands as part of a landmark population study by schoolteacher-biologist Lance Richdale in the 1930’s.

flipper-band

A flipper-band on a yellow-eyed penguin

Unfortunately, leg bands proved to be difficult to read and also caused some injuries so, by the late 1950’s, flipper bands became the standard for marking penguins.

The current banding programme for yellow-eyed’s started in the 1970’s and has enabled the monitoring of penguin survival (to a ripe old age of 24 years) and allowed researchers to know the age and history of the individuals at the focus of their research.

Flipper bands are not without problems.  They decrease the underwater efficiency of the bird and, particularly if poorly fitted or maintained, can cause feather wear and injury.  Alternatives to bands have been explored and one under investigation at the moment is the use RFID tags of the same type used in dogs and cats.  While safe and long-lasting, they do have the downside of  requiring electronic readers to find out if a bird is marked and who it is.

Inserting RFID tag

Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust staff inserting a RFID tag into a penguin chick

Whichever method used, it is important to ensure that those applying the tag are doing so correctly in order to minimise the risk to the bird and maximise what we learn as a result.  Penguin chicks get tagged just before they go to sea and I recently took the opportunity to join DOC staff, Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust and Massey University Veterinary students and oversee the tagging of this season’s batch of chicks on the Otago Peninsula.

Measuring head length

Ranger Mel Young showing Wane Begg and Jim Fyfe the best way of measuring head length

Assisted by volunteers willing to crawl through flax, gorse and nettle, we visited several sites, going to nests found earlier in the season, before locating and capturing the chicks.  Bags are used to restrain the birds while they get weighed, measured and tagged before being released back at their nest site.  The weight tells us how good the food supply is (5-6 kg is the normal range) and measuring the head and feet of the chicks gives us an indication of the sex – the males are slightly larger.

Volunteer Monika Fry with penguin chick ready for weighing

Volunteer Monika Fry with penguin chick ready for weighing

Also along for a day was Jeff Corwin of “Animal Planet” fame, filming for the third series of “Ocean Mysteries”.  Jeff, trailed by his camera crew, enthusastically crawled through the shrubbery, helping capture and measure chicks.  Later in the day he assisted researcher Dr Thomas Mattern with the retrieval and deployment of GPS/dive loggers attached to the parents of some of the chicks we tagged as part of a long-term project looking at where the birds feed.

Ranger Mel Young talking penguins with Jeff Corwin

Ranger Mel Young talking penguins with Jeff Corwin

The opportunity to assist with this work, and spend a few days on the beautiful Otago Peninsula in no less than spectacular weather, was very much worth the being stung by nettle, scratched by gorse, bitten, beaten and pooped on by penguins.

Waiting on penguin

Dr Thomas Mattern and Jeff Corwin waiting for a GPS-fitted penguin to return

Postscript

Since my visit some 57 adult yellow-eyed penguins on the Otago Peninsula have died suddenly, possibly due to a marine biotoxin.  Birds found dead on the beach have been identified by their tag, enabling rangers to locate the nest and keep a close eye on their almost-fledged chicks.  Understanding how the penguins encountered the bio-toxin will be helped by the GPS and dive logger data.

penguin foraging tracks

Yellow-eyed penguin foraging tracks. Credit: Dr Thomas Mattern

In Native animals, Otago , ,
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