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Archives For 30/11/1999

Jobs at DOC: Arthur’s Pass ranger, Tom Williams

Department of Conservation —  24/02/2012

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 Arthur’s Pass ranger, Tom Williams.

At work…

Position: Ranger, Visitor Information, Arthur’s Pass Visitor Centre 

Castle Hill peak: not a bad climb from Porters Pass, with some pretty cool views!

What kind of things do you do in your role?

Working in a Visitor Centre in such a small community means that you are the first port of call for anyone wanting information—from recreational opportunities to where the public toilets are located.

Because of the size of the village you also need to be able to deal with whatever comes through the front door or over the radio. This ranges from people wanting to find accommodation, to arranging Helivacs for people injured in the bush.

What is the best part about your job?

Arriving for work in the morning and never knowing what the day has in store for you. I do everything from search and rescue and volunteer fire, to a million other small things that need to be done.

I also get satisfaction from helping people connect with the natural world and getting the most from their visit to this cool place.

Releasing rowi (formerly known as Ōkārito brown kiwi) at Ōkārito

What is the hardest part about your job?

Staying indoors while others go out and enjoy the sunshine. That, and people not listening to your advice and doing things that perhaps they shouldn’t.

What led you to your role in DOC?

I love New Zealand and being outdoors, so I guess you could say working at DOC was a natural fit.

Environmental protection and education is hugely important in addressing the issues facing New Zealand and the global community. Working in a role that I can make a positive impact has always been high on my list.

What was your highlight from the month just gone?

There is always so much going on at Arthur’s Pass that this is a hard one. My highlight for the month would have to be helping out with the mountain section of the Coast to Coast and sharing war stories with the other team members. (I am a member of the Christchurch Red Cross Response Team and we are tasked with looking after the mountain section.)

The rule of three…

Three loves

  1. Living in Arthur’s Pass. It’s one of the best places to live in the country with an amazing community—it’s always funny going down to the pub and seeing a third of the population down there (Arthur’s Pass has a permanent population of around 35).
  2. Bikes. The feeling of freedom you get from descending down a hill with the wind at your back and the enjoyment I get every time I ride one. 
  3. Having such an amazing and beautiful country to call home.

Biking the length of the South Island – somewhere on the Rainbow Road between Hanmer Springs and St Arnuad – as part of an adventure in 2006, thanks to winning the Gore-Tex Good for Life Scholarship

Three pet peeves

  1. People saying ‘over and out’ on the radio (‘over’ means I have finished speaking and am awaiting a reply, ‘out’ means I have finished this communication).
  2. People underestimating what is required to go venturing into the great outdoors.
  3. People feeding kea.

Possibly the most famous short walk in Arthur’s Pass, Devils Punchbowl

Three foods

  1. Dark chocolate
  2. Fresh coffee
  3. Home cooking!

Three favourite places in New Zealand

  1. Arthur’s Pass. A real kiwi National Park, understated, with huge mountains, amazing scenery and wild rivers and places.
  2. Stewart Island. Bush, beaches and literally tripping over kiwi and deer—need I say more?
  3. Christchurch. Heaps of recreational opportunities on your door step, from cycling, to skiing, and tramping. We are spoilt for choice. The rebuild plans are looking choice as well.

 Favourite movie, album, book

Movie: Good docos such as The end of the line, Foodinc etc

Album: Hard to say, possibly stuff by Dave Dobbyn, David Gray and the likes

Book: Anything by Ken Follett or Dan Brown

Deep and meaningful…

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

Life is for living, do what you want and have fun. Don’t be afraid to standout from the crowd and do what you want to do.

Temple Basin – a novel approach to working off the Christmas lunch (Christmas Day 2011)

Who or what inspires you and why?

Anyone that is passionate and cares enough about something to go out there and make a difference. I should also mention my parents for bringing me up to care about other people, the environment, and showing me that small actions can make a difference. My tutors from the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology (CPIT) and the sustainability guru Dave Irwin for helping me see what I want to do with my life.

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

As a kid I think I wanted to be anything from a firefighter to a chef, so I had no real direction until I reached high school and decided I wanted to do something with an environmental focus. As a ‘big kid’ I have narrowed the choices down to how people connect with the environment through urban design and planning.

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

My main interest is how people relate to the environment and how we connect with it. Any job that would allow me to work on this would be a bonus, either that or emergency management.

Going through Harper Pass as part of an 11 day environmental journey

What sustainability tip would you like to pass on?

Ride your bike. It won’t cost you a thing, is good for you and it has been proven that trips around three kilometres in length are quicker on the bike than in the car.

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

At home: Try and wean myself off internet shopping and buying bike stuff that I don’t need.

At work: Remember to turn off the public toilet lights at night when I shut up shop.

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

Kea, they are amazing birds and incredibly intelligent. Plus, as kea and Arthur’s Pass go hand in hand, being able to hang out and terrorise this place would be pretty choice.  

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

New Zealand has some of the best natural environments on the face of this earth and this is embedded deep into what it means to be a Kiwi. However, if we don’t alter the way we live (car and resource usage) then we are putting these very environments that make us who we are at risk.

Furthermore, tourism is something like the second biggest contributor to the New Zealand economy, and continued environmental degradation would effectively kill the goose that laid the golden egg.

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Jobs at DOC: Otago Communications Manager, Andrea Crawford

Department of Conservation —  17/02/2012

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 Otago Communications Manager, Andrea Crawford.

At work…

Position: Communications Manager, changing later this year to Communication and Engagement Advisor.

My faithful companion Zoe

What kind of things do you do in your role?

One of my roles is to advise, support and mentor Otago staff about media, communications, publications, interpretation and web publishing. I help field media enquiries and advise on communication of local issues making national news, in consultation with the National Office media team.

My main expertise is writing and I like the challenge of saying the same thing in different ways, whether it’s writing media releases, feature articles, communications plans, our newsletter (Good as Gold), media advisories, blogs, web pages, speech notes for the Minister, or pitching stories to the media on interesting developments within DOC. I edit the work of other staff, which could be a brochure or interpretation panel, and ensure it meets DOC standards and the new DOC identity.

Assisting film-maker Claudia Babirat make a video on Project Gold

Transforming technical reports into Plain English can be a mission for a non-scientific generalist like myself but the end result is rewarding if people can better understand a complex issue. My other challenge is to present contentious information in a positive way so it doesn’t detract from public regard for DOC. Some people call this ‘spin’, but to me it’s getting important messages out there.

I enjoy helping to organise and promote events such as our Conservation Week awards functions. I’ve been lucky to have been involved in an inspiring scheme, Project Gold, which encourages kowhai planting in Otago. I’m now managing this project with a team of enthusiastic Area staff. Another project I’ve helped establish in Otago is Kiwi Ranger which is proving successful in Wanaka and I’m hoping to set it up at other Otago sites.

In the coming year, I’ll be more involved in marketing, focusing on identifying and satisfying customer needs and wants and creating tailored strategies.

What is the best part about your job?

The satisfaction of seeing a positive story I initiated come to fruition, especially if watched by a large TV audience, then getting encouraging and supportive comments from the public.

Staying in DOC staff accommodation such as the Bannockburn Post Office is one of the benefits of working for DOC. Shame I tore my hamstring waterskiing this holiday. This is my daughter Marika (12) and our dog Zoe (8 months)

What is the hardest part about your job?

Managing media coverage of a contentious or potentially damaging local issue.

What led you to your role in DOC?

In a previous life I was a newspaper reporter, feature writer and sub-editor, then moved into communications eight years ago, firstly with the Otago Regional Council then DOC.

What was your highlight from the month just gone?

Seeing a sea lion mum and pup successfully moved from a busy Dunedin beach to a more remote location by Area staff, and of course the holidays, camping at three fabulous Otago spots.

The rule of three…

Three loves

  1. My three children
  2. My loony dog Zoe
  3. Walking through the bush or along the beach with my stick-and-ball-obsessed dog by my side

    Me and my kids relaxing at Bannockburn. From left, me, Jonny (18), Tim (24) and Marika (12)

Three pet peeves

  1. People who harm or abuse their children, spouse or pets
  2. Neighbours who party up into the wee hours
  3. Materialism

Three foods

  1. Most Jamie Oliver creations – he has the best recipes!
  2. Sushi
  3. Pavlova

Three favourite places in New Zealand

  1. Bannockburn, Central Otago
  2. Aviemore, North Otago
  3. Greenstone/Caples tracks near Queenstown

    Central Otago was the pick of places to camp over summer – hottest temperatures in the country most days

Favourite movie, album, book

  1. Movie: Secrets and Lies, in fact most Mike Leigh movies
  2. Album: Eden by Everything But The Girl
  3. Book: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

Deep and meaningful…

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

You can achieve anything you put your mind to.

Me and my son Tim at his graduation. He’s now working on his PhD at Otago University

Who or what inspires you and why?

Writers such as Tom Wolfe, Hunter S. Thomson and Truman Capote who radically changed the face of modern journalism and introduced a writing style that has always intrigued and captivated me.

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

A writer/journalist. I loved writing stories from a young age and excelled at English at school.

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

A freelance writer.

What sustainability tip would you like to pass on?

I’m afraid to say I haven’t got into the sustainability thing (yet).

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

To plant more natives around my home and encourage others to do the same.

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

An Otago skink so I could lounge about all day on a hot rock.

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

Seeing children’s eyes light up when they connect with something about conservation is one of my greatest pleasures. They are our future and any advice or message we pass onto them is priceless. If they ‘get’ conservation, this country’s future is rosy.

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Jobs at DOC: Motueka ranger, Tom Young

Department of Conservation —  20/01/2012

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 Motueka ranger Tom Young…

At work…

Taking in the spectacular scenery in Milford Sounds

Name: Tom Young

Position: Ranger, Visitor/Historic, Motueka Area Office

What kind of things do you do in your role?

My role is pretty varied, with about 70% office and 30% field work. I am involved in a wide variety of work. I manage the Asset Management Information System (AMIS) database for the Motueka Area Office which keeps me pretty busy, and I also have several capital projects to manage each year. Back in March, we moved an old Forest Service six-bunk hut from the Right Branch Wairoa to Porters Creek in the Red Hills of Mt Richmond Forest Park—that was a challenge and great fun!

I also manage the area’s historic assets—from 1870’s gold workings in the Wangapeka, to Heritage Buildings in the centre of Nelson. I am busy with signage projects across the area and complete regular data and photo monitoring as part of the visitor monitoring (numbers and impacts) across the area. As well as all that, I enjoy getting out in the backcountry assisting the track team on track and hut maintenance projects.

What is the best part about your job?

What does it for me is the whole variety of work and the different places I get to go within the area. I get out and about a fair bit, from the very popular Abel Tasman Coast and its tens of thousands of visitors, to the relative remoteness of Mt Richmond Forest Park. It really is the variety and blend of work that does it for me. 

Crossing Big River with Steve Bagley returning from Kahurangi Point

What is the hardest part about your job?

I wouldn’t say any part was harder than the rest, it’s just different. Coordinating work, logistics and getting on with colleagues, contractors and staff is sometimes challenging. I believe the key is to manage your work and time, to be there for others and to not over-commit yourself.

What led you to your role in DOC?

I’ve been with the Department for just over eight years now. Before that, I was a Ranger in Scotland for 11 years, and some time before that I served 12 and a half years in the British Navy (much of that time in the Submarine Service). Once the Cold War was over, they gave me a medal and the Admiralty said, “Thanks, you’ve saved us from the Soviets but we don’t need you any longer”, so I decided to pursue a career as a Ranger. I went to College/Polytech for two years, and then picked up some seasonal Ranger work in central Scotland, before getting my first full time Ranger position in 1992.

HMS Torbay, my last sea posting

My family and I came to New Zealand for a month’s holiday and to stay with a friend in Nelson back in December 2000. We came back for 12 months in April 2002 while my wife completed a Commonwealth Teacher Exchange, then later in 2003 I applied for and got offered my first position with DOC at Nelson Lakes (I’m sure what swung the job for me was the fact that in Scotland I had been using an Asset Management System called CAMS, and at that time the Department’s system was called VAMS. Similar name, but quite different!). I took the job at Nelson Lakes with the idea that we might go back to Scotland after a couple of years or so, but here I am eight years later—I’m now in the Motueka Area Office—and still enjoying it.

What was the highlight of your month just gone?

I spent Christmas with my family and friends in Richmond, worked only a couple of days between Christmas and New Year and joined other friends for New Year at their bach in Kaiteriteri. I enjoyed the awesome firework display from the beach at midnight and a walk to Hardwoods’ Hole on the 1st of January. I spent four days last week cycling the 160km Central Otago Rail trail with my wife Fiona, youngest son Findlay and a couple of good friends. That was great—lots of stops on the way for coffee, refreshments, Jimmy’s pies, photographs and even a  revitalising dip in the Manuheriki River, as well as some exercise and lots of fresh air. A great time was had by all. 

Pedal pushing on the Otago Rail Trail

The rule of three…

Three loves

  1. Family, of course. I have two boys aged eighteen and eleven years. It’s great to see them grow up and develop, and support them through school and sport and whatever interests them. And of course my wife, Fiona.
  2. Coffee. Yes, I know it’s a drug. But I like it.
  3. Scotland/Caledonia/Alba/Ecosse—whatever you want to call it. It’s in my tartan blood/genes/history.

Pet peeves

  1. Some of the leucocratic nonsense we have to go through, not only in work, but also in our everyday life. Life’s complicated enough, keep it simple!   
  2. Umbrellas. They are fine if there is nobody else within four or five metres of you, but (maybe it’s because I’m tall) there’s always the danger of being skewered by one of the pointy bits or worse, getting your eye poked out. If you’re in a busy place with lots of people and want to keep the rain off, leave the brolly behind and get a good jacket with a hood!

Three things always in your fridge

Always in my fridge? Probably the usual stuff—milk, cheese, the shelves and the little light that comes on when you open the door. Oops, that’s four things!

Lunch with Visitor Asset Managers after meeting at Kahurangi Point Keepers House

Three favourite places in New Zealand

  1. Without having been everywhere it’s pretty hard to say. I do enjoy being in the mountains and above the bush line—on a fine day! I love the vastness of the country and the alpine vegetation, the snow tussock, speargrass, Spaniard, mountain buttercups and daisies and many other mountain herbs.
  2. I also love the wild West Coast beaches such as Wharariki in Golden Bay—the wind, the eroded sandstone arches, the changing sands and the relatively unspoilt wildness of it all.   
  3. I do like Nelson as an area. A great climate, a great variety of places to go—coast, mountains, plains, city etc., good mountain biking trails, great cafes and lots of friends to visit.

Favourite movie, album, book

It’s too hard to pick just one.

  • Movie: The Usual Suspects with Kevin Spacey, As Good as it Gets with Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt, and for a side-splitting laugh, Mr Bean’s Holiday with Rowan Atkinson as Mr Bean.   
  • Book: I do enjoy a good historical conspiracy theory with a bit of drama. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown was pretty damn good, but again, there are so, so many contenders.
  • Album: I’d have to choose between Exile on Main Street by the Rolling Stones or Blood on the Tracks by Bob Dylan. But there are so many great albums out there.

Deep and meaningful…

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

With Stu Houston, installing new shelter at Holyoake's Clearing, Abel Tasman Inland Track

Enjoy what you do, and do what you enjoy! Think before you speak, its easier to bite your lip than to repair damaged relationships. Respect others.

Who or what inspires you and why?

I have recently been inspired by the British particle physicist Professor Brian Cox. He is a brilliant public and science presenter/broadcaster. To me, he is starting out on the path of doing for physics what David Attenborough has done for natural history. In plain, easy to follow language he uses the media to bring an understanding of science to the masses. In addition to his programmes Wonders of the Solar System and Wonders of the Universe, and the comedy radio programme The Infinite Monkey Cage, Brian has worked on the ATLAS experiment on the Large Hadron Particle Collider in Switzerland and on modifying Newton’s law on gravity.

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

Mmmmm… that was a long, long time ago! I did want to travel and see the world, and I guess that in part led me to my time in the Royal Navy, where I spent most of my time deep down under the sea (how deep is a secret).

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

I really enjoyed my Ranger job in Scotland. I would like to think that there would still be a role there for me, and that I could contribute to the conservation and countryside management back there. As a Ranger in the UK, I did a load more environmental education, public access work and management of reserves close to urban and populated areas, which I really enjoyed. I could do that again. 

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

With my love for the mountains (on a good day), I’d be a Chequered Alpine Snout Moth. I’d check out the alpine passes, breath in the cool mountain air, enjoy the vista and miss the wild, wet, cold and snowy winter, (because they only live from November to February). 

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

Enjoy, appreciate and conserve what we currently have. It’s not just the fauna and flora, the landscape, the huts and tracks, the forest, the lakes and rivers and the ocean—it’s everything, including the smells and the sounds, the wind and the warmth, the time, the energy and the space. I believe many New Zealanders generally don’t really appreciate how fortunate we are and what we have in our own back yards. Too often it’s only when it’s gone that we realise what we have lost—and then it’s too late.

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Jobs at DOC: Opotiki ranger James Barsdell

Department of Conservation —  13/01/2012

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 Opotiki ranger James (Hemi) Barsdell…

James with a kiwi at Otamatuna - Te Urewera Mainland Island

At work…

Name: James (Hemi) Barsdell

Position: Biodiversity Assets Ranger (with a bit of other stuff too!). 

What kind of things do you do in your role?

Monitor weka, enhance shorebird breeding, work with the many dedicated community groups in the eastern Bay of Plenty, compliance work, fire fighting and whatever else needs doing.

What is the best part about your job?

The people and the environment.

What is the hardest part about your job?

Although I haven’t done this for a wee while now (as my increasing waist line can attest), lumping loads of gear throughout the hills. Oh and dealing with irate whitebaiters.

What was your highlight from the month just gone?

An acknowledgement for the ‘Volunteer Smoko’ I helped organise with the local and regional councils to thank the eastern Bay of Plenty conservation volunteers for their great efforts in the past year. The event gave each group a chance to show case what they do and to network with each other. From the feedback we received it sounds like it might become an annual event!

The rule of three…

Three loves

Hunting

  1. Family
  2. Hunting
  3. Seafood

Three pet peeves

  1. Being late
  2. Forgetting stuff
  3. “Gonnas” (if you don’t know what this means, someone else will)

Three things always in your fridge

Not very exciting here…

  1. Milk
  2. Butter
  3. The one year old half-eaten jar of pickles

Three favourite places in New Zealand

  1. Maungapohatu
  2. The South Island high country
  3. The Bay of Plenty

Maungapohatu - a special placeHunting

Favourite movie, album, book

  • Movie – The Shawshank Redemption
  • Album – The Eagles –  Hell Freezes Over
  • Book – Pack and Rifle by Phillip Holden

Deep and meaningful…

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

Think smart and slow down. Faster is not necessarily better.

Who or what inspires you and why?

People who, against all odds, become successful or break the mould; and sunset or sunrise viewed from on top of a high hill.

Rafting the Motu river

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

A helicopter pilot.

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

A surveyor.

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

A New Zealand falcon, so I could enjoy the rush of tearing through the air at unbelievable speeds chasing prey.

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

Get active and get involved. New Zealand’s native flora and fauna is a big part of what sets us apart from other countries—it is part of our identity. We need to ensure we maintain our heritage for the future.

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Jobs at DOC: Print and web designer, Hannah Soult

Department of Conservation —  09/12/2011

Jobs at DOC has moved to Friday! 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.

This week we meet Wellington based print and web designer, Hannah Soult

At work…

Name: Hannah Soult

Position: Print and Web Designer

What kind of things do you do in your role?

As a member of the Publishing Team in the Communications Unit, I provide design services to any DOC office in the country who requests help from our team. Each day I could be designing anything from flags and banners to brochures, icons, advertisements, interpretation signs… the list goes on. I provide support and advice to DOC staff across the country and work with other staff producing publications. Our team also manages DOC’s identity publication tools and templates.

Here I am at my desk

What is the best part about your job?

Working with DOC staff from all parts of the country! I’m always jealous when I’m speaking to someone in a distant part of the country and they’re about to go out and check on some native bird eggs or go out to do a school visit! It’s nice being able to contribute to communications about DOC’s work and provide visitors with information about our special places.

What is the hardest part about your job?

This is a hard one… I think it would be the tight timeframes. Every day there’s a list of things that need to be completed. I find this challenging—in a good way though—and it’s always worth it when the customer gets their product and it exceeds their expectations.

Tight time-frames—the way our team manages to keep track of all the jobs!

What was the highlight of your month just gone?

Continuing to do more work on non-traditional ‘published’ products. For example, I’m currently working with the Auckland Area Office on putting together three signs for Rangitoto and Motutapu Islands, based on the celebrations and history of the islands being pest-free. It’s great to be a part of the awesome things happening out in the field—even when I sit at a desk all day in National Office!

Our Team also won a Write Group Award for ‘Best Technical Communicator’, for our Publishing Guidelines and Writing Style Guidelines, an awesome achievement.

The rule of three…

Three loves

  1. Spending time with friends, family and my partner.
  2. Travel and getting out and about in the sunshine (I went to South America last year and am going to Cambodia over summer).
  3. Food (especially curry!).

    Curry—yes, that whole tray is my meal!

Three pet peeves

  1. Walking the 188 steps back up to my house each day (good exercise though and it’s worth it for the view!).
  2. The smell that clothes get when they’ve taken too long to dry (I call it the ‘washing machine smell’).
  3. Rude people!

    The view from our house in Wellington—city living!

Three things always in your fridge

  1. Veges from the vege market.
  2. Cheese (many varieties).
  3. Leftovers that we sometimes don’t get around to eating because it’s too easy to go out for dinner when living in the city!

Three favourite places in New Zealand

  1. Halswell, Christchurch (where I lived until three years ago).
  2. Punakaiki, West Coast (where we went on family holidays).
  3. Sandy Bay, Marahau, Abel Tasman (another holiday spot—my uncle from the UK has a ‘bach’ on the hill in Sandy Bay so I usually go for a visit each summer).
  4. And I’m going to throw in a fourth—Wellington (but only on a sunny day!).

    The amazing view from my uncle's bach in Sandy Bay, Marahau, Abel Tasman

Favourite movie, album, book

  1. Movie: The first movie that springs to mind is Avatar, mostly because I was blown away by the amazing graphics, and it was the first movie I saw in 3D.
  2. Album: Michael Jackson’s Number ones—you just can’t go wrong.
  3. Book: Design books (otherwise known as ‘picture books’—they’re very inspiring and get me back into creative mode when I’m having a creative block).

Deep and meaningful…

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

Start saving now!

In South America at the highest point on the Inca Trail

Who or what inspires you and why?

People in Christchurch, my family and friends included. Everyone’s been through so much in the last year or so, yet remain so positive.

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

I was always going to do something ‘arty’. My mum was massively into arts and crafts, I grew up sewing, making my own jewellery and going to ceramic classes etc. I sometimes wonder what I would be if I didn’t follow the natural road that led towards becoming a designer!

Amazon—a massive tree in the jungle, and an amazing frog we saw (inset). On the same walk we also saw a sloth, a hummingbird and tarantulas!

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

If I wasn’t at DOC and money wasn’t an issue, I would probably want to be an artist. I used to paint a lot when I lived in Christchurch but just can’t find the space or time now. Being a designer in another part of the world would be awesome too.

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

A tui, I love that Wellington has them. They can also sing… I can’t—but wish I could! They used to hang out in the tree in front of our house until the tree got cut down recently (so disappointed!).

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

Look after what we have! We’re so lucky that we have native species in our towns and cities, but we need to look after them and their natural habitat. I think most people take it for granted. I even saw a kākā in the Wellington Botanic Gardens last year!

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