• /
    • Archives /
  • 30/11/1999

Archives For 30/11/1999

Jobs at DOC: Little Barrier Island Ranger, Nichollette Brown

Department of Conservation —  02/03/2012

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 Little Barrier Island Ranger, Nichollette Brown.

At work…

Position: Ranger, Little Barrier Island

What kind of things do you do in your role?

As Ranger on Hauturu/Little Barrier Island my role is pretty varied. My ‘office’ and home is a 2817 hectare island and nature reserve in the Hauraki Gulf. I share the role of kaitiaki with Richard Walle and his family; his wife, Leigh Joyce, and children, Liam (7) and Mahina (9). My main role involves running the island’s weed programme. 

This is me weeding for Madeira vine on the cliffs at Raoul Island

Due to the terrain, (steep!) the ground-based grid searching can get pretty exciting and if that doesn’t get the adrenaline pumping, flying in the helicopter strop for pampas spraying will! 

I also run the annual reptile monitoring programme which, since the rodent eradication in 2006, has shown a promising recovery. When I’m not involved in these programmes I assist Richard with the island maintenance and operation, the tuatara breeding programme and provide support to researchers and translocation projects. We also host volunteers and visitors to the island. 

What is the best part about your job?

Me in my get up for heli spraying pampas grass on Little Barrier Island. I'm hanging from a 70m strop beneath a helicopter

Waking up every morning to a dawn chorus lead by kōkako, and sharing the path home in the evening with kiwi, bats and the scratch of wētā punga in the trees. 

It’s easy to become blasé about it all after a time until you get to share it with visiting researchers and volunteers who remind you what a beautiful and unique place Hauturu is. I think Marcus Lush (when he visited Little Barrier in his series North) put it perfectly: “(the ranger) clearly has the best job in the world…”
 
What is the hardest part about your job?

Being away from friends, family, and events on the mainland for long periods.
 
What led you to your role in DOC?

A lifetime exploring New Zealand’s bush, mountains and oceans; a postgraduate degree in ecology; and a love for conservation, and maintaining and improving our natural resources. Oh, and several years in the corporate world wondering why I was there!
 
What was your highlight from the month just gone?

So many! Generally, the excitement of never knowing what the day will bring. More specifically, the release of two captive bred tuatara, hanging 70 metres below a helicopter to spray pampas grass on the island’s cliffs, tramping from one side of the island to the other over two days, and meeting lots of interesting and dedicated people as part of the reptile monitoring programme. 

Back in September 2011 we welcomed 28 baby tuatara back to the island. They had been sent off as eggs the year before to Victoria University in Wellington for hatching

The rule of three…

Three loves

  1. The ocean
  2. A good story in which you can escape into, whether it’s a book or a movie
  3. Great home cooked food eaten in good company

    This is me in the island boat Hine Moana coming in to pick someone up off the rocks

Three pet peeves

  1. Animal cruelty
  2. Needless waste
  3. Littering

Three foods

  1. Chocolate
  2. Cheese
  3. Garlic

Three favourite places in New Zealand

  1. Hauturu (of course!)
  2. Arthur’s Pass National Park
  3. Aoraki/Mount Cook (Tasman Glacier)

    One of my recreational activities - mountaineering. This is a trip I did with friends to Mount Cook National Park, climbing out of Kelman Hut at Tasman Glacier. This might be the Hochstetter Dome summit

Favourite movie, album, book

  1. Movie: I’m a movie addict! It changes constantly. 
  2. Album: Currently anything by Trinity Roots, Age Pryor, or any Jack White collaboration.
  3. Book: The Torchlight List by Jim Flynn—an excellent summary of all the books you should have read and why.

Deep and meaningful…

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

A quote by Goethe, “Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.”

Who or what inspires you and why?

People passionate about a cause, loving the work they do, and being keen to educate others— infectious enthusiasm!

Completed Building Project—we rebuilt the Derrick shed on Raoul Island with the island mechanic Ash Mangnall. This is the opening ceremony. Apparently it got pretty hammered in a cyclone the following year but is still there!

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

A vet, or was it an astronaut? An artist, and I think there might have been a fire(wo)man period…

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

A research scientist in Antarctica, or working in the natural history section of a museum (a nice mix of education, history, and research), or working with developing countries to educate and improve environmental practise, sustainability, and biodiversity.

What sustainability tip would you like to pass on?

Be aware of your impact on the earth—get online and calculate your ecological footprint. This measures the amount of resources you use and the waste you generate. It’s a great way to make yourself aware of where you can make changes to improve your sustainability and reduce your impact on the world. Currently the average human exceeds the Earth’s regenerative capacity by about 30%. The biggest gains can be made in reducing fossil fuel use—do you really need to drive or could you walk, cycle, or take public transport? Also, careful consideration of your energy provider e.g. supporting renewables, will make a big impact on your footprint. And finally: reduce, reuse, and recycle! 

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

Reduce, reuse, and recycle. The amount of packaging these days is obscene. Where possible I hope to grow my own veges, buy in bulk, and consider a product’s packaging and its ability to be recycled when purchasing. I will aim to mend and fix things rather than replace them—kind of a requirement anyway when living on an island! I’m also keen to make better use of library services rather than buying books and magazines.

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

It sounds like Sirocco has a pretty good life jet-setting round the country advocating for his species and for conservation!

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

Get out and enjoy our beautiful parks and wild areas. Make a multi day tramp the focus of your next holiday—staying  in DOC huts is a lot cheaper and more rewarding as a family than staying in a hotel in the city! Encourage children into tramping, climbing, and swimming—and educate them about our natural flora and fauna. Get involved in volunteer programmes—many of them take you to some amazing, remote places that most people don’t have access to.

In Jobs at DOC , , , , , , ,
permalink

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.

In Jobs at DOC , , ,
permalink

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.

In Jobs at DOC, Otago , ,
permalink

Jobs at DOC: Community Relations Ranger, Gabriela Gomez Fell

Department of Conservation —  10/02/2012

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 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.

Book – In 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.

In Hawke's Bay, Jobs at DOC , , , ,
permalink

Jobs at DOC: Ranger Cadet, Kevin Carter

Department of Conservation —  03/02/2012

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 Ranger Cadet, Kevin Carter.

At work

Position: Ranger Cadet

Mount Fox makes for a great, nearby day walk with spectacular views

What kind of things do you do in your role?

A little bit of everything. As part of the cadetship programme I spent the first year working across all delivery programmes. There is a fantastic variety—from track maintenance through to weed control, from health and safety audits to being on the front desk, to name but a few. I’m really looking forward to working on the Haast Tokoeka team and starting my Community Relations placement!

My first time holding a kiwi - a great spotted female called Marama near Arthur’s Pass

What is the best part about your job?

Living down in the beautiful and isolated South Westland. This is a truly special part of the country. I love the vast tracks of lowland forests, the gorgeous mountains and the fantastic array of native wildlife. I love having the opportunity to contribute as much as I can and I’ve been lucky enough to have been offered many chances to do just that.

South Westland is one of the best spots in the country

What is the hardest part about your job?

Starting from scratch every time I join a new programme. There’s a new learning curve each time and you only have a few months (sometimes a few weeks) in each to take in as much as you can. It’s a great challenge though and it means unparalleled job variety!

What was the highlight of your month just gone?

A two and a half hour whitebait compliance helicopter flight along the coast line from Fox Glacier down to the Cascade river mouth. The coastal views of bluffs, isolated beaches, rock stacks and forested hills were simply spectacular. You get an amazing perspective of the landscape.

The rule of three…

Three loves

  1. Indian food
  2. Backcountry tramping
  3. Star gazing

Tramping in the Cobb Valley

Three pet peeves

  1. The maximum exposure time on my camera being only eight seconds
  2. People saying “your” when they mean “you’re”
  3. Facebook and Twitter logos all over the show 

Three things always in your fridge 

  1. Sour cream (gorgeous with a bag of corn chips)
  2. Dijonnaise mustard
  3. Worchestershire black sauce (best condiment out)

Three favourite places in New Zealand

  1. South Westland of course
  2. Arthur’s Pass area
  3. Cobb Valley, Kahurangi

Favourite movie, album, book

  1. Movie: Rob Roy—fantastic acting and a good story
  2. Album: At the moment: Gary Moore’s Back on the streets
  3. Book: River God by Wilbur Smith

Deep and meaningful…

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

Don’t be so shy, get out there and make the most of it.

My surprise 21st birthday trip to the West Coast. I passed through two of the top three spots in the country

Who or what inspires you and why?

People who dedicate all their time and effort to a cause they believe in so passionately.

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

I went through many stages, beginning with a postman and including ‘Farmer Brown’ (I didn’t really consider the surname an issue). As I got older I thought about being an architect, an astronomer and even considered working in I.T.

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

This is tough since working at DOC has been a long-time ambition! It would have to be an outdoors role, perhaps guiding or something in adventure tourism. Working as an astronomer would be amazing as well.

I spent many weekends trying to see as much of the North Island as I could during my summer work placement

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

A kea—with an impressive intellect and the ability to range from the alpine to the lowlands there’d be a stack of fun to be had. I could also join one of the ‘hoon groups‘ that maraud some towns.

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

That conservation is the most important work we can undertake. Healthy ecosystems are the foundation of our economy, recreation, identity and lifestyle. We rely on our natural environment and we need to be protecting it to the best of our ability. Our species and ecosystems are all interconnected and looking at the big picture of conservation is critical.

In Jobs at DOC , , , , ,
permalink