Archives For Community Relations

Every Friday Jobs at DOC will take you behind the scenes and into the jobs, the challenges, the highlights, and the personalities of the people who work at the Department of Conservation.

Today we profile Gabriela Gomez Fell.

With John Adams, ex DOC and Wildlife Service legend, at our end of the year volunteer BBQ

At work…

Position: Community Relations Ranger – Hawke’s Bay.

What kind of things do you do in your role?

I organise and run events, manage volunteers, give talks, participate in our education programmes, produce our newsletter, work with the media, do a bit of web management, mmm… what else… coordinate the odd poster and pamphlet, work with the council, groups and other agencies on different projects; basically anything that has to do with the public and getting them informed/involved. Also, I occasionally get to go out in the field and I am part of a very successful catering service run by the Community Relations team = )

Playing a food web game with school children

What is the best part about your job?

Getting to see people’s faces when they learn something they didn’t know about, and working with people that like to get up in the morning to go to work.

Walk and talk to the Cape Sanctuary - waiting in line to feed Cooks Petrels

What led you to your role in DOC?

Since I arrived in New Zealand I’ve explored different areas of public conservation land, and thought DOC did a pretty good job looking after it. I was curious to see how they did it and wanted to be a part of it.

What was the highlight of your month just gone?

I got to interview students that participated in one of our education programmes years ago to see if the programme was working and if they remembered anything; they did. They remembered so much more than what I was expecting. It was a wonderful feeling to know that what we do actually does make a difference and that the messages we are putting across are being remembered.  

With Bryan Welch measuring a stranded whale

The rule of three…

Three loves

  1. My family (my husband and my family back in my home land and around the globe)
  2. Mountains (particularly in winter)
  3. Spending time outdoors (walking, taking photos, cross country skiing, cycling, kayaking, hiking and swimming)

    With most of my family on our wedding day just over a year ago

Three pet peeves

  1. Disrespectful people
  2. Ants in my pantry

Three foods

  1. Freshly picked summer fruit
  2. A good salad with fresh herbs
  3. Grandma’s baking

    Valle Frances, one of the most beautiful places from home


Three favourite places in New Zealand

  1. Fiordland (so peaceful, beautiful and similar to home)
  2. Wanaka (great atmosphere, close to Snowfarm, wonderful lake and mountains to play in)
  3. The Coromandel (particularly when the pohutakawa trees are in full bloom)

Favourite movie, album, book

Movie(s) – The Banff film fest; the movies blow me away every year, if you have not gone to one you must. And for a more mellow experience, Amelie—love it!

Album – Anything from St. Germain, you can’t go wrong with him. It is great background music for anything.

BookIn a sunburned country by Bill Bryson, I have never laughed so much reading a book.

Zapatito de la virgen - Calceolaria Uniflora, a very special flower found in Patagonia

Deep and meaningful…

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

Don’t worry, enjoy it.

With the contorta crew - Kaweka Forest Park

Who or what inspires you and why?

Explorers, mountaineers, pioneers, people that go great lengths to follow their dreams and conquer what others might see as impossible, and people that survive challenges that would defeat others.

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

An archaeologist.

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

I would probably be at uni getting a masters degree.

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

Some marine mammal—probably a dolphin—to be able to live underwater, play with gravity, see birds diving for food, schools of fish and penguins zooming by, and to teach other dolphins a thing or two about how great marine protected areas are and to keep away from fishing nets.

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

Go out, explore, live it, love it, be proud, get involved and let others know about it; “UNLESS someone like you cares a whole lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” – Dr. Seuss, The Lorax.

Every Monday Jobs at DOC will take you behind the scenes and into the jobs, the challenges, the highlights, and the personalities of the people who work at the Department of Conservation.

This week we find out about Community Relations Ranger, Sandra Groves.

At work…

Enjoying a quiet moment at Titirangi Reserve, Kaiti Hill, Gisborne

Name: Sandra Groves

Position: Community Relations Ranger, Gisborne Whakatane Area.

What kind of things do you do in your role?

I do communications for the area. This involves media, website publishing, publications, interpretation/signage projects and secretarial support to Te Tapuwae o Rongokako Marine Reserve Committee. I also assist with events in the area and other Community Relations work.

What is the best part about your job?

Feeling like I am making a difference. Seeing my written material in the local newspapers or hearing one of the ‘did you know’ facts for Conservation Week or Sea Week on the local radio station. I also like finding out through media stories about the conservation work in the Gisborne and Whakatane/Opotiki regions, and from the organisation as a whole.

Sandra, with Woody Weed, preparing for the Gisborne Christmas Parade

What is the hardest part about your job?

Being able to tell a story and make it interesting to read! There are so many great stories that I get the opportunity to write, and working with our Area staff to put these stories out there is a privilege. 

What led you to your role in DOC?

I was working as a secretary in the health service and was looking for a change. I started as a Management Support Officer for the East Coast Conservancy in 1991. 

I’ve been Community Relations Ranger for the Gisborne Whakatane Area since 2009 and have just clocked up twenty years at DOC!

The Cooks Cove Walkway interpretation panel

What was your highlight from the month just gone?

The completion of the interpretation/signage panels for the Cooks Cove Walkway at Tolaga Bay that we started in January 2010.

The project was undertaken in partnership with the Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti iwi. Cooks Cove was one of the places that James Cook and his crew visited in 1769 as part of the circumnavigation of New Zealand. The project will be officially launched later this year.

Family time at Titirangi Reserve on Kaiti Hill

The rule of three….

Three loves

  • Family
  • Cats Leo and Ruby
  • A sunny Gisborne day—just awesome

Deep and meaningful ….

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

Enjoy life and make the most of every opportunity!

Checking out the Cooks Cove Walkway interpretation panel

Who or what inspires you and why?

All the great people that I’ve had the pleasure of working with at DOC. And my mum.

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

A school teacher — I always wanted to boss the other kids around.

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

A freelance writer… doing what I love, when I want to, and getting paid for it.

Crowds gather for the Gisborne Christmas parade

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

Tui, they make the most beautiful bird call… we have some that visit in our trees at home.

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

It’s everyone’s responsibility to look after our environment. We should not just talk about it — get out and make it happen! When you travel to other countries you realise just how beautiful New Zealand really is.