Today’s photo of the week is of a New Zealand fur seal pup. DOC is currently looking for volunteers to help manage visitors to the fur seal colony at Ohau Point, Kaikoura.
Continue Reading...Archives For 30/11/1999
By Philippa Christie, Community Relations Ranger, Murihiku Area Office
The Port Craig Hut began its life in 1926 as a school house in what was once a busy sawmilling settlement run by the Malborough Timber Company. At its peak, over 150 employees ran the mill and processed up to 1800 cubic metres of timber per month.
Volunteer Greg prepares a window to fit at Port Craig Hut
It was the largest and most modern sawmill in New Zealand at the time.
The settlement also had a blacksmith’s shop, a wharf, a cook shop, a bake house, and accommodation for the workers. While many remnants remain of these buildings and the sawmilling machinery, the school house is the only intact building that remains.
As the depression approached, demand for timber declined and the business venture struggled until it finally failed and closed in 1928.
Paul preparing the Port Craig Hut window frame for a replacement
The school house saw less than four year’s use, and began its second life as a tramping hut in the 1960s.
The commitment, knowledge and skills of two volunteers have helped keep this historically important hut in Southern Fiordland weather tight and true to its original fabric.
An annual volunteer trip is run to carry out maintenance of the school house and surrounding relics from the saw milling era. This year the wooden exterior of the 86 year old building was showing signs of wear and the windows needed replacing.
Two volunteers—Greg Clark and Paul Clements—offered their time and skills to the project. Greg is a joiner by trade and built new windows for the school house from scratch. Paul glazed and painted the windows and transported them from his home in Dunedin. Not only did they construct the windows, they were onsite to carefully install them.
Volunteers standing on the historic Percy Burn Viaduct in 2010
Paul has been involved in conservation volunteer trips for over 15 years, and during that time has made a considerable contribution in both time and monetary value to the historic heritage of the Port Craig area. He is also involved in manning the DOC stall at the annual Crank Up Days held in Edendale, and eagerly passes on his knowledge of historic areas and relics that DOC Southland manages.
Greg’s grandfather, Archie Clark, in 1940 built the last remaining split beech log hut in Fiordland—aptly named the Clark Hut. Greg’s interest in conservation and volunteering began when he was invited to help restore a wall section of the hut in 2010. He has also been involved in making replacement windows for Becketts Hut in the Takitimu Mountains.
Paul and Greg are shining examples of how volunteers are contributing to increased gains in the conservation of our natural, historic and cultural heritage.
Greg at the historic Clark Hut
Claudia Babirat
As part of the Conservation Awards this year, DOC Otago decided to celebrate two major milestones. One – the Department of Conservation turns 25 years old. Two – the amazing contribution the public has made (and is making) to conservation.
We were so inspired by these achievements that we decided to share with them with the rest of the country – the world even! To this end we got documentary filmmaker Claudia Babirat to produce two short videos for the big screen. This is what she has to say:
Ever since I was a little girl, DOC has been like a hero to me. The rangers did amazing things like save wildlife from the brink of extinction, controlled nasty predators, worked as archaeologists. I had a secret dream that one day I too would work for DOC. But wildlife filmmaking and science writing was always my number one passion.
That’s why, when DOC asked me if I wanted to make a couple of films about conservation in Otago (my home province), I jumped at the chance
The first film celebrates the fact that DOC turns 25 years old this year.
One of the things that really impressed me was just how many of the original rangers (i.e. from the establishment in 1987) are still around. They’ve dedicated their lives to conservation, and I think that’s pretty inspirational.
The other thing that struck me was how much of what we take for granted these days, has been the result of DOC’s hard work. For example, popular attractions like the Otago Central Rail Trail, which brings in an estimated $12 million to the province’s communities each year, was actually strongly opposed when its formation was first suggested! We now have conservation parks dedicated to tussock grasslands (as opposed to just forests). Several new species of rare galaxiids (a type of freshwater fish, which includes whitebait) in Otago were discovered as recently as the 1990s. The list goes on.
The second film recognises the fact that it hasn’t just been DOC that has contributed to all of these amazing achievements. In fact, many of them wouldn’t have been possible without the help and dedication of a whole range of people, including passionate individuals and volunteers, community groups, trusts, iwi, local authorities, landowners, and businesses. Each contribute in their own unique way – from fencing off their creek banks to help protect spawning sites for giant kokopu (one of those freshwater galaxiids I mentioned), to building and maintaining predator-proof sanctuaries, to providing sponsorship for long-term protection of precious wildlife such as the jewelled gecko and the takahe.
Producing the second film gave me a lot of hope for New Zealand’s future There are so many people out there who are passionate about conservation in New Zealand, and we can all make a difference.
In fact, I was so inspired that I made my child-hood dream a reality. I now work for DOC Otago as Community Outreach Coordinator – a brand new position aimed at helping more communities take part in conservation and enjoy all the things that make New Zealand the beautiful place it is.
