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Archives For 30/11/1999

Jobs at DOC: Callum Lilley – Biodiversity Ranger

Department of Conservation —  20/09/2013

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 Callum Lilley, Biodiversity Ranger in Taranaki.

At work

Callum Lilley holding a dotterel. Photo: Emily King.

Feeding time for New Zealand dotterel/tūturiwhatu

Some things I do in my job include… marine reserve monitoring, maintaining marine reserve infrastructure, compliance, marine mammal work, making recommendations on a range of things such as Resource Management Act consent applications/renewals, permits, seismic survey impact assessments, writing management plans, reports, public relations material, providing advice and information on marine matters, liaising/working with community groups, iwi, other stakeholders, bird rescue, assisting with fire responses, and helping out in other areas when called upon.

This helps achieve DOC’s vision by… helping to look after our natural heritage, and working with others to do so too.

The best bit about my job is… getting out on the water (particularly if marine mammals or diving are involved), and the occasional opportunity to go away on an adventure.

Callum deploying video equipment off a boat. Photo: Bryan Williams.

Deploying baited underwater video equipment, Tapuae Marine Reserve

The funniest DOC moment I’ve had so far is… a pest fish scare. The threats team in New Plymouth thought they would invite the Taranaki Daily News along to watch them catch a “koi carp” (to raise awareness about pest fish). The orange shape they had previously observed in a murky river turned out to be a road cone. It was an amusing article and it took up half of page (including a large colour photo). The rest of the office got a lot of mileage out of it.

The DOC (or previous DOC) employee that inspires or enthuses me most is… Bill Fleury. There are so many people I could choose from, but one of them is Bill. I appreciate his understanding of all levels of the Department (having worked in positions ranging from on the ground to providing strategic advice on a myriad of matters). He has exceptional analytical skills and great demeanour (as an aside, some say that I model my desk on Bill’s).

Callum surfing a wave in Fiji.

Surfing tropical waters, Frigates – Fiji

On a personal note…

The song that always cheers me up is… ‘Three Little Birds’ by Bob Marley.

My stomping ground is… coastal Taranaki. It’s where I grew up and where I love to spend time. It has good fishing, isolated beaches, great waves, the Stony River/Hangatahua, a friend/whanau base and the best view of Maunga Taranaki.

My best ever holiday was… a three week trip to Fiji a couple of years ago. Emily and I busted out of a cold Taranaki winter into the tropics for some epic diving, surfing, fishing, eating, drinking and exploring.

If I wasn’t working at DOC, I’d like to… start a microbrewery.

Before working at DOC I… studied (BSc – Zoology, MSc – Marine Science), worked on a computer help desk, worked as a block-layer’s labourer building a rugby stadium, and taught English in South Korea.

Mount Taranaki in the background at dusk.

View of Mt Taranaki from “Graveyards” surf break

Deep and meaningful…

My favourite quote is… “Give the laziest person the hardest job and they’ll find the easiest way to do it”. Not sure who first said it, or whether it is really true, but a great quote none the less.

The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is… be nice to people.

In work and life I am motivated by… people that are fun to be around, whilst still cracking on and getting a job done.

My conservation advice to New Zealanders is… live modestly and outsource less. Grow your own food, cook from scratch, brew your own beverages (reuse glass and no longer worry about what the neighbours think on recycling day), pickle and preserve, hunt and eat pests… as much as you can, go back to basics.

A Southern right whale and her calf off the coast of Whanganui.

Southern right whale/tohora mother and calf, Whanganui

Question of the week…

As a child, what did you wish to become when you grew up? A pilot or an electrician, until I was told they were no longer options as I was colour blind. However, I wanted to be a marine scientist from when I was about 10 years old.

A sea lion by Callum's boat in the Auckland Islands.

Um… could we please have our boat back? Hoiho survey, Auckland Islands

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Welcome to Conservation Week

Department of Conservation —  09/09/2013

By Al Morrison, Director-General.

Al Morrison holding a whio/blue duck,

Whio/blueduck

Conservation matters every minute of every day of every week. But for all that, welcome to Conservation Week.  It’s a week when we focus public attention on conservation and this year our theme is around getting whānau involved.

We want conservation to be a family affair. Actually, we want it to be something that all New Zealanders engage in across all of New Zealand.

That’s fundamentally why DOC has been making changes to the way we work. We want to help New Zealanders understand, much better than we do now, that we all need to take care of our native plants, animals and special places so that they can take care of us.

DOC has a special job to do looking after the public conservation land and our native plants, animals and birds and we will continue to take the lead on that. But it isn’t enough. Fencing off a place where the forest is healthy, the bird song is loud and the river runs crystal clear means there is a place where New Zealanders can go to see our natural environment as it was before people and pests stuffed it up. That’s important. But it can’t stop there. We have to make sure the whole river system is healthy, from the mountains to the sea and in to the marine environment. That task is beyond DOC alone. We need to work with community groups, iwi, local government, business, private landowners, and you if we are going to succeed.

Al Morrison with two playful kakapo.

Kakapo

The challenge New Zealand faces is not just to claim the Clean Green brand, but live it. We’re a bit mixed on that front at present, and it’s going to take some effort from all of us to get nature in a healthy state and functioning well everywhere. We need to stop making the value of nature invisible; and when we take from nature we need to give back. It’s about balance and harmony.

DOC has gone through a tough period of change over recent years to adjust to that challenge. The change is complete and now we’re in to making it happen. You know our staff. They are passionate, committed, capable, highly skilled and knowledgeable. They have always made a positive difference for New Zealand. Now they are fit and ready to make an even bigger difference.

Al Morrison kayaking.

Kayaking

It’s a fresh start under fresh leadership. That means I’m leaving and this is my last week. It is time for me to let go and hand the reigns to DOC’s new Director-General Lou Sanson. Lou has been Chief Executive of Antarctic New Zealand for the last 11 years but he comes out of DOC’s stable. He knows the business, loves it, and is committed to implementing the course we have set.

DOC is in good shape and in good hands.

I know not everyone agrees with the direction I have led DOC in. You can’t reorganise around a bold, ambitious new approach and expect no criticism. And we need critics because that keeps us on our toes and forces us to question and improve.

Al Morrison by a stream in the Te Papanui Conservation Park.

Te Papanui Conservation Park

But the conservation movement doesn’t have time to sit around and endlessly argue the toss. There is an urgent need to address New Zealand’s environmental performance and DOC has a strong place in meeting the challenge. It is a time to be ambitious and push beyond our comfort zone.

It is a time for conservationists to, as the Irish poet and Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney, who passed away recently, so elegantly put it: “Walk on air against your better judgement”.

Conservation Week banner on the DOC website.

What’s your whanau doing for Conservation Week?

Related links:

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Jobs at DOC: Wendy Challis, National Visitor Centre Manager

Department of Conservation —  06/09/2013

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 Wendy Challis, National Visitor Centre Manager in Wellington.

At work

Some things I do in my job include… keeping things humming behind the scenes with the multiple admin tasks required for point of sales, the booking system, and financial processes. I select the retail items and work with staff to create an attractive retail space with a wide choice of souvenir items, reflecting our flora and fauna. I also assist staff with the processing of information to ensure that it’s current and accurate. Fortunately I still get opportunities to serve at the counter and connect with our visitors – a task I still enjoy immensely.

The National Visitor Centre staff pose with toy birds.

National Visitor Centre staff. Don Nerron, Mike Priest, myself, Rachel Skudder and Jesse Butler

This helps achieve DOC’s vision by… presenting a professional, knowledgeable, and friendly face of DOC, and gathering much needed revenue to enhance conservation.

The best bit about my job is… having many laughs with my awesome staff! Being centrally located, the questions we are asked are broad so we all get to participate in trips to areas where there is a high level of interest. I was fortunate to travel through Molesworth Station, hosted by Nelson Marlborough team, and this year cycled the stunning new Timber Trail in Pureora and attended the official opening.

The strangest DOC moment I’ve had so far is… a young American visitor asked us how to reach the south coast of Wellington as he wanted to swim across Cook Strait. “It’s only 18 kilometres and I have an inflatable dinghy in my pack,” he said (which he did). After advising him of the multiple hazards he would encounter in the strait, we suggested he chat further with the harbour police, phoning them ourselves after he left. Following up the next day, we heard that they had personally made sure he caught the ferry and said had he not gone, they would have locked him up for the night!

Wendy with her bike by a bridge on the Pureora Timber Trail.

The Maramataha suspension bridge on the Pureora Timber Trail

The DOC (or previous DOC) employee that inspires or enthuses me most is… let’s make that plural and acknowledge the amazing work done by our visitor centres nationwide. From managers to summer casuals, our highly skilled and motivated staff work hard to maintain the expected high standard of customer service, keeping abreast with changes and new information, and dealing with a broad cross section of nationalities and cultures. The feedback we receive in the National Visitor Centre about our network of centres is consistently positive and highly complimentary. Keep up the great work team!

On a personal note…

Most people don’t know that I… have always been a classical music fan. Having learnt piano for many years I decided in my forties to set some goals and sit my sixth and seventh grade Trinity exams. Surprisingly, I passed with merit, which proves it’s never too late to achieve goals in areas you are passionate about.

Wendy and the Nelson Marlborough DOC team at Molesworth Station.

Molesworth Station with the team from Nelson Marlborough

The song that always cheers me up is… an oldie but a goodie. City of New Orleans has always lifted my spirits as too with many other lovers of train travel. Released in the seventies by Arlo Guthrie, the song has an appealing rhythmic pulse and great lyrics that take you along for the ride.

My best ever holiday was… cycling from Wellington to Coromandel along SH1 in the eighties on a 10 speed. No helmet, safety gear or lycra. Just a tent, change of clothing and a credit card.

The best piece of news I’ve heard lately is… how Wellingtonians rallied to offer people rides and comfort distressed strangers in the street after the recent earthquakes. We certainly know how to pay it forward in this “coolest little capital in the world”.

If I could be any New Zealand native species I’d be… I would love to be a kea primarily so I could build my habitat in the high mountainous regions and soar the valleys screeching at trampers below. The temptation however, would be irresistible to also take advantage of my recognised intelligence and protected status, and swoop down into the campgrounds, carparks and ski fields with my mates and have a bit of fun.

Historic mining site on the Denniston Plateau.

Historic mining site on the Denniston Plateau

Deep and meaningful…

My favourite quote is… “Definition of an optimist: someone who figures that taking a step backward after a step forward is not a disaster – it’s more like a cha cha.”

The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is… “Don’t raise your voice. Just improve your argument”. Many who work with me will agree this is appropriate for me!

In work and life I am motivated by… positive, loyal, fun loving team players who value a high work ethic, and show friendship and mutual respect.

My conservation advice to New Zealanders is… spotted in a DOC brochure, an excellent concise message… tiakina, hakinakinatia, whakauru – protect, enjoy, be involved.

Historical information on the Denniston Plateau.

Historical information on the Denniston Plateau

Question of the week…

You have won a gift voucher to travel in time for a day, “when and where” would you go?

Last month I visited the Denniston plateau, and was impressed with the restoration and preservation of the remnants of the original coal mining camp that was operational in the 1880s. Having enjoyed Jenny Pattricks book The Denniston Rose, I would love to have been Rose for the day and wandered around the camp watching the full coal wagons at the brakehead being hitched for the dramatic descent down the 1700 ft incline.

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Jobs at DOC: Laura Porterhouse – Procurement Development Advisor

Department of Conservation —  09/08/2013

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 Laura Porterhouse, Procurement Development Advisor, Wellington.

Laura tramping on Mount Taranaki.

My first tramp in New Zealand – Mt Taranaki

At work

Some things I do in my job include… turning Government economic and procurement policy into DOC policy, and helping people who buy goods and services (i.e. do procurement) in DOC follow and understand it. Sometimes this involves lots of writing (guidelines, templates etc.), sometimes it involves going out and providing advice and training, and sometimes it involves helping figure out complicated procurements that crop up from time to time.

This helps achieve DOC’s vision by… DOC has hundreds of suppliers and spends a lot of money buying goods and services that help us deliver conservation. My work is about helping people get the most for their money and great results from suppliers, as well as making sure we comply with New Zealand’s trade agreements.

Laura searching for whio.

Wading through the icy Roaring Burn river in search of whio

The best bit about my job is… although I’m based in Wellington I get to work with and talk to lots of different people across DOC, who are all doing different jobs in different environments. Getting to see what goes on in so many parts of DOC never gets boring. Coming from Europe, I feel very privileged to work somewhere where I’ve been able to learn so much about New Zealand and the incredible places DOC looks after.

The awesomeist DOC moment I’ve had so far is… when I was in Southland last year to run some procurement workshops and meet staff out in the Areas to learn more about their work.  I was lucky enough to get a helicopter ride over Milford Sound with a group heading out to monitor whio on a beautiful spring day– absolutely amazing!

The DOC employees who inspire me the most are… the people who work quietly behind the scenes, who don’t always get much of a mention, but who are doing a great job and are committed to conservation even if they’re not out on the front line.

On a personal note…

Most people don’t know that… I can write with both hands.

The song that always cheers me up is… ‘Bean Fields’ (or anything uplifting) by the Penguin Café Orchestra, or ‘Mothership’—the album—when I need to get up and do something.

View of the Salinas, with nothing around.

Stuck on the Salinas with no way out

My best ever holiday was… travelling around South America after a hard slog at college in Buenos Aires. It was a dream come true to see Machu Picchu and the Amazon. A ‘near death experience’ (!) on the Salinas near Bolivia also etched that trip in my memory. Our car lost its spare tyre at 4000m above sea level just as the sun was going down. Two hours drive from the nearest village in shorts and t-shirts, we thought we would freeze to death on the roadside. Eventually someone appeared on the horizon and drove us to safety, obviously!

In my spare time I… go to art college, which means lots of drawing and painting, swearing if this involves accurate three point perspective, and getting told off for turning the front room into an ‘arts and crafts room’.

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… Leonardo Da Vinci, so I could harness his talents and incredible way of thinking and seeing the world around him.

Laura's broken down car on the Salinas.

The broken down car

Deep and meaningful…

My favourite quote is… “Life is not about being strong, but about making difficult decisions.”

The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is… invest in your shoes and your bed – you spend your life in one or the other.

In life and work I am motivated by… people who work with intense will and extreme humility, who don’t focus on what they’ve accomplished, but simply keep going and find something better to do.

My conservation advice is… everyone can do something for conservation. You don’t have to have the solution to global warming – simple things like planting natives, managing with one less car, and reducing your waste will all have a positive impact on the environment and the other species we share it with.

Laura on Macchu Picchu at sunrise.

Sunrise at Macchu Picchu

Question of the week…

What would you name a book about the story of your life? That’s a tough question. If think if I were to attempt an autobiography at this stage in my life, I’d probably name it something like ‘It’s all gone a bit bongomondo’. The highs and lows of life have been so random, plans have changed and the unexpected happened. You don’t always end up where you think you would be, but sometimes letting go of what you expected leads to a life you could never have imagined.

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Jobs at DOC: Ashley Mudford – Chief Information Officer

Department of Conservation —  24/05/2013

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 Ashley Mudford – Chief Information Officer.

Ashley having fun dressing up in his renaissance outfit.

Ashley having fun dressing up in his renaissance outfit

At work

Some things I do in my job include…

My job is about change—helping people to see how use of new tools can help them make a difference to how they work and enable people to be much more productive and effective. To do this means that I am involved in lots of meetings, doing a lot of listening, asking questions, connecting people together, and developing ideas on ‘how could things be better?’.

The best bit about my job is…

Seeing people’s eyes light up when they understand. This is about their having an ‘aha’ moment where they see how things can be different and that they wish to make that difference.

The awesome-est DOC moment I’ve had so far is…

Being on the 4th floor for the 25th anniversary of DOC, seeing the number of people who admitted to being here since it started, and seeing them being recognised for their contributions.

The DOC (or previous DOC) employee that inspires or enthuses me most is…

There is no single answer as there are so many people who keep me enthused or inspired. Probably the person who most inspires me is my Personal Assistant, Jo Winter—I am continually amazed at her ability to get complex and competing stuff done quietly behind the scenes, with little fuss, and she still has the energy to tease me.

The Great Wall at Badaling (near Beijing).

Ashley cites his time travelling around Beijing as one of his favourite holidays. This image shows the Great Wall at Badaling (near Beijing)

On a personal note…

The song that always cheers me up is…

Well… I don’t choose songs to cheer me up, they are used to help my thinking or doing stuff, such as Pink Floyd; Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac; Eric Clapton; Beatles (and other 60s & 70s musicians); Phantom of the Opera; John Williams (guitarist); Beethoven; Ella Fitzgerald; George Gershwin; Jessica Molaskey; Leonard Cohen; Madeleine Peyroux… the list goes on….

Before working at DOC I…

Started my career as a teacher, eventually working with disruptive adolescents in Social Welfare homes and people in prisons. This led me to be responsible for the New Zealand correctional education service, which involved fundamentally changing the delivery model at a time of significant political change. From here I led a significant change programme in prisons following from a Ministerial Committee of Inquiry, and eventually became responsible for the prison service Head Office. After lots of disruption I created my own organisational development business in project management and business analysis. This led me to DOC the first time (after Cave Creek). I then became responsible for developing a world leading programme for data exchange between New Zealand and importing countries about export agricultural products. When the Food Safety Authority was created, I became their Chief Information Officer.

My stomping ground is…

I spent a number of years in various places in Taranaki, but also lived in North Auckland, Waikato, South Canterbury, Christchurch and now Wellington. The most influential place for me was working on a farm outside of Kaponga (Taranaki).

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…

I do not want to trade places with anyone. I’m very happy being me (well most of the time! I’m not happy with myself when I get grumpy, then I’d certainly like to be someone else).

Ashley and Susan at dawn in the Sahara riding a camel after spending the night in a Bedouin tent.

Ashley and Susan at dawn in the Sahara riding a camel after spending the night in a Bedouin tent

My best ever holiday was…

Pakawau in the early 1980s. It was the first time that I learned how to relax on a holiday. Then again… driving 2500 miles in a Mustang convertible with the Beach Boys blaring out around California; or travelling over the Atlas mountains (Morocco) and travelling a camel into the desert is pretty awesome; or being in Rome at the same time as Pope John Paul II’s funeral; or being with my wife when she fell in love with Van Gogh’s ‘Irises’ at The Getty; or travelling around Beijing (including the Great Wall); or Taipei; or Istanbul; or flying over the Gobi desert at dawn; or travelling through South Africa; or spending time on the Masai Mara in Kenya; or wandering around St Paul be Vence (outside Nice in France); or attending the Renaissance Pleasure Faire in San Bernadino. I don’t think I can say I’ve had one best ever, I’ve been very fortunate in having lots….

In my spare time I…

Spend a lot of time working on renovating our Victorian villa, playing with computers, watching movies, catching up with neighbours, and cooking for occasions.

Restoring our house has been a hobby for the last 25 years and now we are updating stuff which we did 25 years ago. Renovating our villa is a significant part of our contribution to conservation.

Ashley's Mt Victoria villa: 1910, 1988 and 2010.

Ashley’s Mt Victoria villa: 1910, 1988 and 2010

My secret indulgence is…

A really good Port—or then again it could be trying boutique beers… or then again, maybe its creating occasions such as taking Susan in a 1950’s Rolls Royce over the Rimutaka Hills for lunch for her birthday….

Deep and meaningful…

My favourite quote is…

My job is to make your job easier, but if you don’t help me, I can’t help you.

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

From a friend who helped me through a difficult teenage period: Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference…and sometimes this can be hard!

In work and life I am motivated by…

Trying to enable the world to be a better place to live—this is at the economic, environmental and social levels.

My conservation advice to New Zealanders is…

Ask yourself the question: ‘What environment do you want your great grandchildren to inherit?’. This should then drive your actions.

Question of the week…

What would you name a story about your life?

The Difference.

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