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 Trevor Johnston, Community Ranger in Greymouth.

At work…

Some things I do in my job include:

My days are varied and could include interacting and coordinating with any of the following groups: media, the public, businesses, army, foresters/loggers, local government, communities, landowners/farmers, coal miners, and gold miners.

Enjoying the view in the Grampians, Victoria.1972

This helps achieve DOC’s vision by:

Expanding the overall effort in conservation and new initiatives, and seeing New Zealanders place a higher value on what we have left (including our iconic landscapes –I’m thinking of the McKenzie Basin here).

The best bit about my job is: 

Now that’s a tough one to pin down – although when you bump into people who ask “how do I get a job in DOC” you are once again reminded of the great job (and responsibility) you have, and how many people are in total envy of what you do for a living.

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

Where do I begin – so many jaw dropping experiences to pick and choose from here, but I must declare, my encounter with a pod of orca a couple of years ago takes some beating. At one point they were only around 30 metres away which was especially breathtaking.

Of course there was also the southern right whale that wallowed around for a photo shoot at the mouth of the Grey River. Oh, by the way, did I tell you about the great spotted kiwi that came right up and sniffed my boots? And the list goes on.

That’s me on the left map reading with friend Kevin Dash on our Paparoa Traverse 1986

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

There are far too many inspirational people so it’s hard to narrow to just one. The Department’s strength is surely in dedicated staff right across the organisation. Gordon Roberts stands out. He’s 81 years young and still rocking up for work at the Greymouth DOC office as and when required; now that’s inspirational!

On a personal note…

In my spare time:

Defining ‘spare time’ is rather difficult. I guess I sleep in my spare time, because when I’m not at work, I’m either mowing our golf course, entertaining our B&B guests (Kiwi Wild Lodge), or checking stoat traps for Paparoa Wildlife Trust. Oh yeah, almost forgot, we watch the odd movie so that must be our spare time.

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 wouldn’t mind nudging Clint Eastwood out of his directors’ seat for a week. I’ve always wanted to direct a movie and he seems to get things done without too much fuss or fanfare.

If I could be any New Zealand native species I’d be:

South Island kōkako would be an interesting one – I would so love to be able to sing notes that grand – and I’d make myself a bit more obvious to all those keen searchers out there looking for me! It would be a real shame if I was lost forever, eh.

Most people don’t know that:

I was once a logger of our rimu and beech forests. Oh, how things have changed.

I’m the young fella under the red hard hat during those forest logging days of the 1970’s

My most prized possession is

My glasses rate fairly high – I’d be in a fix without em’.

Me and Gail enjoying our son Andy’s wedding

Deep and meaningful…

My favourite quote is:

I remember reading it a long time ago and it has stuck with me ever since – “We have to know, beyond the shadow of doubt, that we have within us all the resources of the one who upholds the universe” (Juan Carlos Ortiz)

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

“Don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today,” and I’m still trying to put this into practice.

Me at the helm of my inflatable in the Ahaura Gorge

In work and life I am motivated by:

All those volunteers out there, and the people who don’t have much but always seem to be able to contribute something (and sometimes the most).

My conservation advice to New Zealanders is:

Care for and appreciate what we have, because when it’s gone, it will probably stay gone! 

Te Mata School students Ahmed Khalid and Lucinda Newman recently visited Cape Sanctuary in the Hawke’s Bay, they share their story…

Last year we visited Cape Sanctuary to learn about sustainability and biodiversity. Cape Sanctuary is on a farm owned by the Robinson and Lowe families.

The predator fence at Cape Sanctuary

The team at Cape Sanctuary are trying to get rid of pests like stoats, possums, feral cats, rats, mice and rabbits by building a 10 kilometre long predator fence. They also use a variety of traps and tracking tunnels inside the sanctuary. They bait the trap, so when the pest walks in — “smash” — it kills the pest.

Te Mata School students learning about tracking tunnels

The sanctuary is helping to restore the past by bringing back our native species. We think they are doing a good job at Cape Sanctuary because they are saving lots of our endemic and native animals.

After our visit to Cape Sanctuary we decided to make our own tracking tunnels which were put behind our classroom. We discovered that we had hedgehogs and a ferret living in the vicinity.

Hedgehog tracks

We also undertook a classroom activity with an imaginary conservation scenario. To complete the activity we had a list of native and introduced creatures, we then threw dice to determine how many of each type of creature was present in our own imaginary sanctuary. We then decided what we needed to do to correct the imbalance in our sanctuary.

Ahmed with a kiwi on his head

The ‘dice data’ gave us information about threats, habitat and the potential for endemic animals to thrive. It showed us that in our imaginary situation feral cats were easy to spot and we had nine of them. Kererū were able to be found and there were ten of them present. We were helping a lot of kiwi because there were twelve. Unfortunately there was an awful lot of stoats so we needed more traps. Huhu grubs were rare so we needed to provide more rotten trees for them. We had planted a lot of trees in our imaginary sanctuary so there were eight tūī. Tuatara were common because we have lots of rivers with rocks.

Open morning for parents and friends at Te Mata School

The classroom activity and our wonderful trip to Cape Sanctuary has taught us a lot about conservation. We now have a better understanding of how we can protect biodiversity in our own backyard!

Eight year-old Olive Paterson from Blenheim was the winner of the recent ‘Find a Whio‘ competition. She won an exciting trip for herself and her family in Tongariro last month. Read her story…

When Robyn from DOC phoned to tell me that I had won the prize I was speechless… and very excited, but I had no idea what was in store for me and my family.

Day One

After meeting Robyn at the DOC office in Taupo, we drove to Tongariro National Park. We were surrounded by mountains and bush and in the distance we could see Chateau Tongariro like a miniature castle. Our room was very fancy and on the first night we had room service for dinner! 

Whio group all kitted out in their whio river gear

Day Two

The next morning it was time to meet everyone: Ranger Malcolm, his conservation dog Fern, and rangers Dean, Pani, Jerome, Rhys, Ali, and Sian.

Malcolm told me lots of funny stories, like the one about the dog painter who painted Fern’s spots but then ran out of paint around her neck and head, which are plain brown. Another funny story was when Fern gets angry with Malcolm, she swears at him in German because she is a German short haired pointer! He also told us all about the traps that keep the whio safe from rats and stoats.

We set off to the Mangatepopo River. Alice and I went with Ali in her truck. I sat in the front and Alice sat in the back. She had a walkie talkie in her truck. When we got there Ali told us it was a place only whio and kiwi rangers know about.

Olive watching over the whio family in the Mangatepopo River

We also met Cam from Genesis Energy at the river. He does a good job looking after the whio too. Suddenly we heard a whistle and Malcolm said it was a male whio. We walked down the hill and we saw two adult whio on a rock. I almost fainted with happiness to see the real birds.

Then we had to put on our togs and wet suits and water shoes and Malcolm gave Alice and me a wetsuit jacket so we didn’t get cold in our short wet suits. Pani gave us a walking stick so we didn’t slip on the wet rocks. I felt happy and excited.

Fern and Malcolm went to the top of the river and tried to see any whio and if they did, they would get Fern to chase them down to where we were so we could have a close look at them. We walked down the river and the water was up to my tummy. It was freezing but very clear and beautiful.

We watched while Dean and Cam set up a net to catch the whio so Ali could check them. Malcolm got on the radio to tell us that there were two adults and a fledgling coming down the river. When they reached the net there were two fledglings because Fern had found the other baby under a rock. Malcolm thought Fern was very clever as he didn’t believe there could be a duck under that rock.

Olive and Alice watch while ranger Ali Beath untangles one of the whio caught

After Ali had checked them it was time for us to release the whio back to the river. Me and my family released the family of whio. I got to release the new girl duckling which we called Fern. It was the most amazing thing and I gave Fern a little good luck kiss so she doesn’t become extinct.

Afterwards we walked back up the river and Robyn made us a yummy lunch on the back of Malcolm’s truck. She even brought my favourite: chocolate cake.

The Paterson family releases the whio back to the river

Day Three

Adventure! First was rafting on the Tongariro River. Our guide Jen made us bundle up in wet suits and I had to have wet suit socks! My family and Sian went in one raft and the rangers went with Danger Dan in the other raft. We saw three adult whio and one fledgling on the river. It was cool to see them in their natural environment. Jen let us do donuts down the big rapids. When the two rafts got close the other boat would pretend to forward paddle and splash us. My whole family loved the rafting and we all got soaked!

Rafting on the Tongariro River

Next we went to the Tongariro National Trout Centre to see the whio boot camp and we got to go inside the enclosure to feed them. We gave them meal worms which were very wiggly to pick up. The whio were practising getting their food off the rocks with their rubbery bill.

After we had lunch, we got to go fishing and caught two trout each. We each had a helper and mine was very nice. Once we had caught them, Dean and Pani said they would smoke them for us. We brought them down to Blenheim and had two delicious trout dinners.

As if that wasn’t enough for one day we still had a helicopter ride coming up at 4.00pm. We drove back to the Chateau and got ready for the helicopter ride and set off on another amazing adventure. I was in the front seat next to Malcolm and the pilot Dave. My Dad and Alice were in the back seat.

Thumbs up for the next adventure in the Whanganui Aero Works helicopter

I had the best view! When we took off my tummy felt very weird because the helicopter tipped forward. We flew all over Tongariro National Park and saw lots of trees and rivers and we flew over Mt Doom from Lord of the Rings, and over the crater of Mt Tongariro.

The one thing that I want to be when I grow up is a Whio ranger. I brought home a whio soft toy and I have named it Fern.

I would like to say a big thank you to all the whio rangers and Robyn. I loved my big trip and I loved that my whole family got to come.

To celebrate ‘Go By Bike Day‘ today’s photo is the impressive view of Matiu Somes Island taken during ranger Don Herron’s morning commute to work.

You can read more about Don’s beautiful ride to work, past Wellington’s conservation gems, in his recent blog post.

Go By Bike Day is a one-day event every year where thousands of Kiwis ditch their cars or trains and buses – and cycle to work or school.

Today’s activities are part of Bike Wise Month, an annual programme in February that encourages New Zealanders to enjoy cycling. There are heaps of exciting events happening nationwide.

You might have seen the Baring lighthouse in the distance as you stand on Wellington beach front, but have you explored the trails? DOC Senior Policy Advisor Paula Warren shares her recommendations.

My favourite walk at Baring Head:

My favourite walk at Baring Head is up the farm road to the ridge, then turn left and follow the markers along the ridge to the lighthouse.  Most of the walk is through farmland dotted with divaricating shrubs, with fantastic views over the coast and down the steep escarpment (clothed in rare grey scrub vegetation) to the river.

At a fairly slow pace, it’s about an hour from the bridge to the lighthouse.  The times on the council signs are fairly generous. With less time, you can follow the road over the hill to Fitzroy Bay beach, which is a lovely wild coast, and easily reached in 30 minutes.

View from lighthouse terraces down to Wainuiomata river mouth. Photo: Paula Warren.

A day at the beach:

The climbing rocks below the lighthouse is a great place to go on a day trip. Big stacks of rock were uplifted in the last earthquake and are now surrounded by sand rather than water.  There are sheltered spots from the wind, and the scenery is fantastic! You can get up to the lighthouse by climbing up the sand scree and following sheep tracks along the edge of the little gully on the left – recommended for the fit and agile.

Getting there:

If you follow the coast road through Wainuiomata, you eventually get to a new section of regional park at Baring Head, just before the coast. Park at the first carpark (which has a toilet).  There’s also another carpark at the coast.

Abbie and Jane get blown away by the wind. Photo: Sarah McRae

Track tips:

Pick a walk to suit the wind conditions.  In particular, I would avoid walking up the river valley into a northerly – it quickly becomes fairly miserable.  A strong northerly will also result in you being sand blasted on the southern beach near the river, but under the lighthouse the beach is completely sheltered in that wind.  The ridge walk is fairly exposed, so in a strong northerly walk back from the lighthouse via the road, which is a bit less exposed. There’s private land right next to the lighthouse, extending down to the coast, so take notice of any private land signs.

The river mouth is either closed with a deep lagoon behind it, or open with a braided river behind it. Whether it is safe and easy to cross changes constantly.  If the river mouth is partly closed, it may only be safe to cross when the tide is low, particularly if there is a big swell coming in.

Get involved:

Paula was on this walk as a member of Friends of Baring Head. DOC crew headed to the trails out of work time to pick up rubbish and pull out any horned poppies they saw along their walk.  So dedicated!

The trails around Baring Head are not DOC managed tracks, but the protected area was made possible in part thanks to financial contributions from DOC.

Find a short walk near you. Head to doc.govt.nz/shortwalks, take your pick and get outdoors this summer!

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 Shane Jackson, Information Advisor in DOC’s National Office.

Shane Jackson

At work…

Some things I do in my job include:

I work in Information Services. My job is currently split into two roles: information management and information security. My team is responsible for ensuring DOC’s information is handled securely and not exposed to unnecessary risk.

This helps achieve DOC’s vision by:

Enabling all DOC staff to get on with the business of protecting the greatest living space on Earth.

The best bit about my job:

The fantastic team I work with. I know it sounds cliché, but my colleagues here are the most supportive, fully functional and kind-spirited people I have ever been involved with.

Dad in Te Urewera

The funniest DOC moment I’ve had so far:

OK, it’s not exactly a DOC moment, but even so, the funniest story is from my dad’s years working in our National Parks.

As a teenager I would sometimes go with him into Te Urewera on horseback. I didn’t saddle my horse properly and rode down a rough gully. The saddle slipped down the horse’s neck bit by bit until I fell into the ferns.

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

My dad, Tim Jackson. What can I say? He’s the best dad ever, and he also represents my founding memory of what people in conservation stand for.

He has always loved the outdoors and worked well with people of all sorts to instil conservation values. Whether it was with the cockies as the first Reserves Ranger in the Catlins in the mid-1970s, mixing with Ngāi Tūhoe in Te Urewera, or hobnobbing like a fish out of water with dignitaries at the Waitangi National Trust Board meetings at Government House, I know he was always himself – a friendly guy with a sense of what was the right thing.

Dad can relate to just about anyone and I think his versatility made him a huge asset to Lands and Survey, National Parks and DOC.

I recently discovered an archive of staff memoirs written when the Department was created in 1987. Dad has three entries and the yarns he tells are good reading. It’s funny reading about yourself from when you were a kid, especially now that I work for DOC.

My dad, Tim Jackson – first ranger in the Catlins, 1975

On a personal note…

Most people don’t know that:

I am obsessed with writing by French cultural theorist Georges Bataille. I studied Bataille’s work for both my postgraduate Fine Arts and for my Master of Art History degree.

The song that always cheers me up is:

“Always Look On The Bright Side of Life” – Monty Python. Hey, how can anything by the Pythons fail to cheer you up? 

If I could be any New Zealand native species I’d be:

A tūī! Tūī are awesome. They are totally hilarious and free-spirited, they stick up for themselves (don’t take on a tūī!) and they love to get pickled on nectar and too much fruit. I remember watching them fall out of the very tall pohutukawa on the Waitangi Reserve because they were so drunk! 

My drawing of a tui for Granddad, 1979

My secret indulgence is`:

Trivial Pursuit, but it’s not really a secret to those who know me well. It’s sort of embarrassing; I know a fair bit of random stuff that isn’t much use for anything else, except quizzes maybe.

Deep and meaningful…

My favourite quote is:

I’ve never really had one. I read a great sentence that Dad wrote in his personal memoir recently. He said: “From time to time one wonders, what it is you wish for your offspring and I believe it is for them to be independent and happy.” He was always keen on us kids being happy no matter what we chose to do in life. It’s a nice line.

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

Make a living out of your art. I’m not there yet, but that has been my goal for many years now.

My recent painting of my daughters

In work and life I am motivated by:

My love for my partner, family and children. They mean everything to me – for them and me to be happy.

My conservation advice to New Zealanders is:

Recognise the uniqueness of Aotearoa’s flora and fauna in global terms. It needs protecting and it’s been here for aeons. Care needs to be properly funded and supported – push for this. Don’t be the generation to lose it all.

Every time you are in the bush, mountains or sea, remember that most people in the world aren’t lucky enough to experience this so near to where they sleep.

To celebrate Bike Wise Month Alan Eskrick from the MTB Trails Trust shares his favourite track to add to your hit list…

Maitland Ridge Track
Level: Expert
Duration: 4-5hr loop

At the moment my favourite mountain bike ride is the Maitland Ridge Track near St Arnaud. This track has been described as “like tramping on a bike”.

The track zig-zags its way up to a gently climbing ridge

The ride takes between 4 and 5 hours starting with a solid 600 metre push up the Beebys 4WD road, which heads off Tophouse Road. The climb takes about an hour and a half before reaching the bush edge where the Maitland Ridge Track begins at 1320 metres, heading east down a ridge to Red Hills Hut.

The track was only completed twelve months ago by the MTB Trails Trust through the DOC Community Fund, and has already proved popular with mountain bikers, trampers and trail runners.

Another set of zig-zags up the ridge takes you to a spot where the mossy forest floor and chunky stunted mountain beech trees create a Lord of the Rings like atmosphere.

Descending through Beech Forest

This is often a good place for a snack and a breather before starting the main descent. The track tilts downward, ever steeper, culminating in a series of sharp, steep switchbacks before heading across a slope with some tricky corners that keep you on your toes to another flat saddle.

As the adrenaline subsides the track takes you upwards out of the saddle on an easy grade for 800 metres into the ultramafic country typical of the Red Hills area where you drop your seat for the final rip roaring rock strewn descent to Red Hills Hut.

Alan riding his favourite track

From the hut it is a ‘cruisy’ ride down the Red Hills 4WD road to the flats. There is however a kicker here as the track skirts farmland for a kilometre or so by climbing steeply up a narrow ridge. Only really skilled riders are capable of ‘cleaning’ this section of track. After this though, it is a pleasant ride through beech forest to the Red Hills carpark adjacent. A couple of kilometres up the road takes you back to the starting point. We often do this part of the ride first to avoid riding up the road in the heat of the day.

After the ride it is worth visiting St Arnaud. The Alpine Lodge has some of the best nachos in the business and their coffee and pizzas rate highly too.

Beebys Creek

Track tip:

I’ll let you in on a secret; if you drop down to the north of the saddle through open bush for 10 minutes to Beebys Creek you will find a waterfall cascading into a bush bordered pool. Great place to cool off. Otherwise there is no water available on the ride, so take plenty.

Getting there:

Maitland Ridge Track is an expert level track leading from Beebys Track. Beebys Track starts at Tophouse Road, which is a part of the Teeotal Recreation Area, 1.5 kilometres west of St Arnaud on State Highway 63.

Do you have a Mountain Bike trail to recommend? Comment below.

By Sian Moffitt, Tongariro Summer Ranger

Over the summer I have been given so many amazing opportunities to get out and experience what DOC has on offer as a Tongariro Summer Ranger.

As a keen environmentalist working here has been ‘a dream come true’. I’ve had amazing experiences day after day!

My first day working with Check, Clean, Dry: A Wetsuit dipping station for the Half Ironman

On my first day of work we released two kiwi at Wairakei Golf + Sanctuary. Retallick the larger kiwi chick (named after All Black Brody Retallick) was 39 days old and weighed 602 grams. The other kiwi was 61 days old, and weighed in at 443 grams and didn’t yet have a name.

I was so lucky to hold the unnamed ginger kiwi chick while ranger Jenny put on its transmitter. This was a very special moment for me. But it was an even bigger deal as the unique ginger kiwi was a sibling of New Zealand’s first ginger kiwi chick, Kindara which my school Tauhara College had sponsored with their sister school Kindai in Japan last year. This was the start of a great day and marked the beginning of the many new experiences coming my way.

In the past six weeks at DOC I have developed so much confidence in my abilities thanks to all of the great opportunities. I have been writing media releases, stories, blogs, updating the website, entering whio data, organising Kids Greening Taupo activities and gaining lots of knowledge from talking to other staff members and researching.

I have been lucky enough to attend the Taupo DOC carving unveiling, worked with the whio/blue ducks at the Turangi National Trout Centre crèche, taken photos of takahē and kārearea chicks, been out on Check, Clean, Dry advocacy runs and helped out with three wetsuit dip stations, assisted  at Tongariro National Trout Centre fish-out days, helped out on the Kaimanawa Horse trip at Waiouru Army Base with the Mahi Aroha summer programme and worked with the “Find a Whio” competition winner and her family.

One of my highlights was working with the whio at Turangi. Initially I attended the training day for volunteers where I learnt how much effort goes into the whio behind the scenes. I then attended both December and January whio releases into the crèche and assisted in one of the health checks. Through working with the whio I have gained knowledge and love being able to answer questions from the public when out and about with DOC.

Another highlight was being able to observe and capture images of the beautiful takahē parents and chick at Wairakei Golf+Sanctuary. This was definitely a special experience and I really enjoyed watching the parents feed the chick and browse in the long grasses. As a passionate photographer any chance I have to photograph our unique New Zealand species, I grab hold of and make the most of the time I am given.

I was also lucky enough to meet the 2015 Conservation week “Find a Whio” winner; eight year old Olive and her family from Blenheim. Her excitement and enthusiasm was infectious. I loved being able to spend time with her and ten year old sister Alice talking about all the environmental opportunities I have had since I was their age.

Spending the day with the “Find a Whio” winner

It was also great to hear about her environmental involvement so far and what her school has been doing as an eco-school.

Part of Olive’s prize was to head out on the river with Fern the whio dog and several DOC rangers to ‘find’ four whio. We found two parents with two fledgling ducks and carried out the capture, checks and watched in on the micro chipping before Olive and her family released them back onto the river.

Olive kissed her little fledgling on the head before watching it swim back up the river with its family, thrilled it was ‘in the lead’.

This was an experience which will not only stay with Olive and her family for a long time to come but also with me.

We went river rafting, fishing at the Turangi National Trout Centre, fed the whio ducklings in the crèche and Olive, Alice and Dad Mike had a 45 minute helicopter flight around the Tongariro Forest and National Park. We ate very well thanks to Robyn’s buffet style lunches and Olive’s requests of chocolate cake to be included in this.

Working with the Department of Conservation has been the highlight of my year and it has definitely opened new doors full of future possibilities for me. I’d like to say a huge thank you to the Taupo DOC office and to Natasha Hayward, Robyn Orchard and Tania Wells for giving me this amazing opportunity and to Amelia Willis for letting me have many of these wicked experiences out in the field.

Before heading to Wellington and Victoria University to study my first year of a Bachelor of Science majoring in Ecology and Biodiversity next month I am off to the NZAEE Conference where I am  speaking as part of a Collaborative Community Conservation Education Model youth presentation.

Speaking at the Kids Greening Taupo launch about the logo which I had designed

The presentation is with two other students from Kids Restore the Kepler and Project Janzoon. I will present on Kids Greening Taupō and the opportunities this programme has offered me, including my work as a summer partnership ranger. We are hoping to see many programmes introduced throughout New Zealand with student leadership and involvement in environmental education to work towards fixing some of our local wicked problems.

I am excited to see what this brings and look forward to the new possibilities waiting for me in Wellington.

Today’s photo of the week is of a short-tailed bat in Pureroa Forest Park.

The endangered short-tailed bat is an ancient species unique to New Zealand and is found only in a few locations around the country.

DOC staff have recently spent time in Pureora Forest overnight to tag the resident native bat population. 225 bats were tagged by staff over three nights.

More information about New Zealand’s native bat species can be found on the DOC website.

Khaki-clad ‘fairy godmothers’ Alice Fairs and Mailee Stanbury have had a very important role this summer – they’re DOC fairy tern wardens tasked with protecting New Zealand’s most critically endangered bird during its breeding season.

Khaki-clad ‘fairy godmothers’ Alice and Mailee

Once widespread across the country, the fairy tern, or tara-iti, came close to extinction in the 1980s, when numbers dropped to an all-time low of 3-4 breeding pairs. DOC stepped in with a protection plan and there are now 40 fairy terns, including ten breeding pairs. They are confined to the lower half of the Northland Peninsula and breeding is limited to four wildlife refuges in Waipu, Mangawhai, Pakiri and Papakanui.

Fairy tern wardens Alice and Mailee work tirelessly to protect the birds from predators, human disturbance and the elements during the summer breeding season. A key part of their role is educating beach-goers about just how vulnerable the birds are. Fairy terns build their nests in ‘scrapes’ among shell strewn patches along the sand and can be almost impossible to see.

Fairy tern/tara-iti pair

“One of the greatest challenges of working with these birds is educating people not to ride motorbikes or walk their dogs on the beaches where the fairy terns are breeding,” says Mangawhai warden Mailee Stanbury. “Even the sight of a dog on a lead can scare the birds and cause them to abandon their nests. We’ve also had instances where people have stood on chicks. Fairy tern nest sites are cordoned off by fencing tape and we’re trying to educate people how important it is not to cross any of these barriers.”

The wardens’ job also includes protecting vulnerable nests from sand and rain storms, banding each bird so they can be identified and responding if a parent bird is unable to look after the eggs or chicks adequately. Abandoned fairy tern eggs are taken to Auckland Zoo where they are incubated in the same facility which rears Kiwi eggs.

In Mangawhai five scrapes have produced two surviving chicks so far this season. The breeding season started early at Waipu this year, with the first egg being laid in late October and a second a few days later. The eggs hatched in November.

Fairy tern chick

Fairy tern warden Alice Fairs says the birds at Waipu are intriguing to observe. “Because there are three males and only one female, some of the males have been competing for the female’s attention by courting her with fish, which she has been using to feed her chicks, she’s clever!”

DOC works collaboratively with Te Uri o Hau, The Te Arai and Mangawhai Shorebirds Trust, Birds NZ, The New Zealand Fairy Tern Charitable Trust and About Tern, whose volunteers recently helped to avert a crisis in Waipu when one of the males started acting aggressively towards the chicks.  Mailee says volunteering is a great way to learn more about fairy terns. “They are really interesting birds with distinct personalities.”

DOC’s goal is to increase the fairy tern population to 100 by 2021 and if we all play our part, Alice and Mailee are hopeful that these gutsy little birds will have a fighting chance.

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 Gareth Roberts, an Inspector based in Wanaka.

At work…

Some things I do in my job include:

I inspect huts, structures and tracks.

Me and the Dragons Teeth while tramping the Douglas Range

This helps achieve DOC’s vision by:

Ensuring our huts, structures and tracks meet the DOC service standards and that they’re safe for the public to use.

The best bit about my job is:

Getting out and about and visiting amazing parts of the country. Some stand-out places I’ve been fortunate to visit over the years are: Mokihinui Forks, Kahurangi Point, Resolution Island, Siberia Valley, Heaphy River Mouth.

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

Flying in a helicopter across Fiordland National Park, from Te Anau to Resolution Island.

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

Kim Forbes – he was great at getting things done. You’d often hear him saying to people JFDI (I’ll let you work it out).

My wife Carol and I on Buckland Peaks about to start track cutting work

On a personal note…

Most people don’t know that:

I can speak Welsh fluently. I grew up near Conwy in North Wales. My Father was a Welsh speaker, but my mother wasn’t. Fortunately my Dad decided that I should go to the local Welsh language primary school.

It was very useful later in life when I met Carol (my wife) who’s Father didn’t speak much English. It came in handy again whilst working for the Forestry Commission in Dolgellau on the west Wales coast, where 70% of the locals were Welsh Speakers, including my work colleagues.

Waiting for The Foo Fighters to come on stage in Christchurch

The song that always cheers me up is:

Seaside Rendezvous – Queen

In my spare time I enjoy:

Fly fishing. My interest in fishing started whilst backpacking around New Zealand in 1990. I hired a spinning rod in Queenstown and caught a tiny trout at Bob’s Cove, I was hooked, and I rushed out and bought my first fishing rod.

On returning to Wales my brother in law taught me how to fly fish, which has been my passion ever since. I now live in Wanaka and enjoy fishing Lake Wanaka, the Clutha River and a few other rivers that I’m not at liberty to talk about.

Landing a rainbow trout at a secret location near Wanaka

If I wasn’t working at DOC:

If I was financially independent, I’d like to go on a big fishing trip; fishing for salmon in Alaska, bonefish in the Bahamas, and marlin in Costa Rica (we’re all allowed to dream).

My hero is:

Nelson Mandela. I read his autobiography ‘Long Walk To Freedom’ and was amazed at the way he was able to work with the people that had treated him and his people so badly to bring about positive change in South Africa.

Me and Anna (my daughter) at Speargrass Hut

Deep and meaningful…

My favourite quote is:

“I told you I was ill” – Spike Milligan’s epitaph

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

Don’t eat the yellow snow (Frank Zappa didn’t personally give me this advice, but I do think its excellent advice).

Me and Fred on our way to The Roaring Lion for some huntin’ and fishin’

In work and life I am motivated by:

Passionate people. If someone is passionate about something, they’re usually interesting to listen to and spend time with.

My conservation advice to New Zealanders is:

Conservation is everyone’s job; do your bit.

Blogger Sharlene Laskey tells us about her mission to visit all of New Zealand’s huts and shelters.

Trekking to 67 huts over the last few years has been an amazing adventure which all started at New Zealand’s Tongariro National Park in 2012.

Pahautea Hut on Mount Pirongia

DOC’s Mangatepopo Hut on the northern circuit was my first ever hut experience and it spurred me on to become a passionate visitor with a soft spot for our shelters. My family is not very ‘outdoorsy’ so it was the first time I truly realised how beautiful our backyard is.

After my first remarkable adventure, I began discovering more spaces, and I started to notice the diversity and historical significance of the huts.

Some are old and some are new, they are full of history, or history is waiting to be made. You can stay in huts of all shapes, sizes and materials and often they spring out at the last moment in a valley or are perched ‘just so’ to make the most of the view.

Mangahao Flats Hut in the Tararua Forest Park

The things I love most about the hut experience are:

• People coming together from all walks of life in a unique setting.

• The array of visitors, a combination of locals and overseas guests, ranging from families with young children to those still enjoying the outdoors well into their 80’s.

• The way it brings life back to basics (no time schedules or deadlines) and nourishes your soul.

• Beholding stunning scenery and landscapes.

On the way to Angelus Hut via the Robert Ridge Trail

DOC is doing great work to help maintain our huts. Throughout my journey so far I have also met countless individuals and groups all over the country who have fallen for our huts just like I have. Many of them are volunteering time and effort to bring our shelters back up to the mark.

My blog came about once I decided to try and inspire others to get outdoors and see what I was seeing. Hopefully I can encourage readers to be equally as zealous as I am. The first step to save our huts in the future is to cultivate the passion now. Every hut has a place, and they are all important in the bigger picture of looking after our history.

I’ve visited lots of huts, but it’s just a drop in the ocean when there are more than 900 to discover. It’s my lifetime journey and weekend by weekend, holiday by holiday, I’ll be experiencing huts and sharing summaries of the gems in our backyard on my blog.

Bushline Hut in the Nelson Lakes National Park was my favourite of 2015. Looking at the huts still on my list, I’m confident the best is yet to come.

Collection of pictures from our stay at Bushline Hut

You can follow my expeditions through my blog, or on my Facebook page. Happy huts everyone!

By Nicola Toki, Threatened Species Ambassador

Summer is a really busy time in the world of threatened species, so I’ve been racing all over the country to catch up on some of our work, attend events and meet some of the awesome people who are doing their bit for our nature.

New Zealand sea lion pups

In late January, I headed down to my old stomping ground of Dunedin, where throughout the coastal Otago area, we have seen some heartening signs of New Zealand sea lion pups being born in good numbers. This has kept our rangers very busy as they try to keep up with where these wee mammals are.

Where possible we try to tag and microchip the pups so we can monitor the population on the mainland and work out which pup is which. For one of the pups on the Otago Peninsula, the DOC team, New Zealand Sea Lion Trust and a local farmer, who along with his grandson had been keeping an eye on it. It’s a neat experience to chat to the farmer to hear that he lifts his fences down near the beach at this time of year to let the mother into the pine forest to give birth. Watch the news story about the new sea lion pup on the TVNZ website.

Sea lion pups aren’t what people expect to find among the pines!

Further down the coast in the tiny seaside community of Kaka Point, the DOC team have been thrilled with the dedication of the visiting Morris family from Christchurch, who had the amazing experience of a mother sea lion giving birth under their crib (that’s ‘bach’ for non-Southlanders), while they were on holiday there. This is the first pup to be born in that area and is a very exciting occasion. The family took on the responsibility of keeping in touch with DOC and watching the mother, called Matariki and her brand new pup under the house. The DOC team were extremely grateful for the love and attention paid by the kids. One of the children, Regan, wrote a diary of their experience.

Diary excerpt from Regan Morris:

1/1/16

My Uncle Geoff, his family and another family were staying at the beach house at Kaka Point when a sea lion came to the property, by the clothes line, then looked through the glass door and then went under the house. Geoff said he got a hell of a fright.

2/1/16

My Grandfather, Grandmother, Cameron, Todd and I came to Kaka Point to visit our cousins for the day and sure enough, I saw a sea lion under the house and then it went under the back deck. We couldn’t believe it! Geoff phoned the Department of Conservation (DOC), to let them know and to get some advice. We left that evening to Gore.

5/1/16

We came back to the beach house to stay with Mum and Dad, who had come back to stay and found a very rare event had occurred, IT HAD GIVEN BIRTH! (On January 4). A DOC ranger came to check on the pup, and thought the sea lion would go out to sea in three-four days time to feed and leave the pup behind. That evening I saw the pup feeding on milk.

7/1/16

Today the pup seemed more active and it is only a matter of time before the sea lion goes out to sea.

The Morris kids with their DOC certificates for helping to look after Matariki and her pup

The whole Kaka Point community got behind Matariki and her pup. Their support included police escorts for her crossing the road, the surf lifeguards ensuring she had safe passage to the beach, and the wider community ensuring that dogs could not get her and her new pup. Thanks so much from all of us to this community for their consideration and care!

Sadly, in January we also discovered an adult sea lion had been shot further down the coast. Over the years we have experienced repeated examples of sea lion shootings, which is extremely disappointing. The New Zealand sea lion is in the same threat category as the kākāpō and should be loved and protected just as much.

Royal cam

While I was in Dunedin, I was also very proud to help launch Royal cam, the live streaming web cam on our northern royal albatross family at Taiaroa Head.

It wasn’t all glamorous though – as I discovered helping to clean the lens on the day we launched (a raging southerly, which the ranger pointed out was great weather for albatross, but not great weather for a media launch).

Cleaning the royal cam lens

This live action footage of the growth of one of our precious royal albatross chicks has proven extremely popular. The Royal cam page on the DOC website has had over 63,000 views since we launched it a couple of weeks ago. The public response on the page has been fantastic, with strong engagement from people watching here and across the world. John Campbell on Checkpoint fell a wee bit in love with our albatross too (you can watch that interview here and social media has also picked it up strongly (see #royalcam). Even the cruise ship companies are making the most of the spectacular views to be seen from the camera.

A cruise ship spotted on royal cam

This opportunity came together through a fantastic collaboration starting with the albatross ranger Lyndon Perriman, our amazing web team and the rangers who set up Kaka Cam from the Wellington City Council (WCC). The WCC team flew down to Dunedin to help set up our cam, staying at a DOC staffer’s house for the weekend, and continued to help us with technical advice throughout. We also had support from the Dunedin City Council, Dunedin Enterprise, Otago Peninsula Trust and the Pukekura Management Committee. Thanks!

Great spotted kiwi release

This month I was also invited to attend a release of a great spotted kiwi chick into the wild by the Paparoa Wildlife Trust.

Jo Halley of the Paparoa Wildlife Trust and I just before releasing Pino into his new home

Tucked under the shadow of the Paparoa Ranges, eighty enthusiastic West Coasters made their way to the predator-proof crèche to see the kiwi before we released him to a safe spot in the wild. It was a fantastic experience, and I was really impressed with the dedication and care of the Paparoa Wildlife Trust, DOC and the local community who in true West Coast fashion are doing all they can to make sure that the great spotted kiwi have a better chance of survival in their area.

Last week we welcomed our newest kākāpō into the world.

On Thursday 7-year-old female kākāpō Tiwhiri hatched her first ever chick. The chick was discovered by kākāpō rangers on Codfish Island when they viewed Tiwhiri’s nest camera.

It looks like 2016 will be a bumper kākāpō breeding season with many more eggs still to hatch. To date, 30 confirmed fertile eggs have been found, with more nests still to be discovered.

Prior to this breeding season the living population of kākāpō was 125.

More information can be found on the DOC website.

By Lou Sanson, Director-General

Te Pukenga Atawhai – Northland

Last week I joined our Northland and Auckland staff for two days at our Te Pukenga Atawhai programme at Motatau Marae in Northland. Having done my first Pukenga at Otakau in Otago in 1999, I was really impressed at how the course has been developed.

Attendees arrive at the Marae, where they’re welcomed by Joe Harawira

Since 1998 over 2,000 DOC staff have been through our 3-5 day Pukenga courses, which cover the skills needed by DOC staff to build and maintain effective relationships with tangata whenua.

Our staff who led the course all did a superb job of passing their knowledge on and bringing in local iwi leaders.

Participants on Te Pukenga Atawhai at Matatau Marae, Northland

A particular privilege on this course was to hear Kevin Prime’s remarkable stories of conservation and kiwi recovery.

Possums first arrived in Motatau Valley in 1957 and by 1970 they were having a significant impact on kukupa (pigeon). By 1985 Kevin could no longer face the tragedy unfolding in his valley where Maori had lived for 450 years.

He became one of New Zealand’s first importers of stoat traps and along with his work on possums has lead a turnaround towards predator free in Motatau Scenic Reserve. The recovery has been so remarkable that the Minister of Conservation appointed Ngāti Hine as trustees and guardians in 1994. Kiwi numbers are now at remarkably high levels through sustained pest management by Ngāti Hine.

Kevin Prime (Ngāti Hine) at Te Pukenga Atawhai

Community fundraisers for predator-free New Zealand

Two events I attended earlier this year have confirmed to me why ‘conservation is everyone’s business’.

Just before Christmas I attended a barbeque and auction hosted by the MOA Conservation Trust in Wellington. This group led by Jamie McNaught includes people like Steve Tew (New Zealand Rugby Union CEO) and Peter Chrisp (CEO of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise). They run a series of possum and stoat lines in the Southern Rimutakas and at this fundraising evening raised $67,000 to purchase GoodNature self-resetting traps to expand their predator control programme.

Project Island Song’s Richard Robbins and Fleur Corbett, Lou and Guardian of the Bay of Islands committee members

In January, I attended an Air New Zealand Environment Trust and Project Island Song event with Kerikeri staff. The event brought together all key private landowners to set a vision for predator free Eastern Bay of Islands.

With the support of our DOC Community Fund and Air New Zealand, Project Island Song has eradicated predators from a number of islands in the Bay of Islands. The real focus now is to stop pests getting back to the islands.

This community group plays a major role in spreading the word about island biosecurity and is now heavily focused on working with private landowners to secure all mainland sites around the eastern Bay of Islands, to create a halo effect from our remarkable predator free islands.

Visit to the Chathams

In January, I took some of our major partners to the Chatham Islands, so they could see first-hand how their support of DOC is making a real difference to conservation.

We picnicked at Caravan Bush on Pitt Island where we talked to locals about the new community-led parea/Chatham Island pigeon and royal albatross projects DOC is funding. The community is really excited about these fantastic initiatives.

Ambassador Wang and Science Secretary Wu from the Chinese Embassy, with DOC’s Connie Norgate and Pitt Islanders Chip and Tussock

We were then humbled to see the work of the Taiko Trust.

The Trust’s project to establish a second breeding colony for Chatham’s albatross is internationally important. Previously the only known breeding colony was on The Pyramid, a small outcrop south of Pitt Island. They’re now relocating 60 chicks a year to Point Gap on the Chatham Island mainland, giving this endangered species a better chance to thrive.

Our DOC Chatham Islands Team

I was impressed to learn that Chatham Island Food Co is donating four tonnes of fish and squid a year to feed the albatross chicks.

While on the Chatham Islands, we also saw progress on the new predator fence for Chatham albatross – one of the largest projects supported by our DOC Community Fund last year.

The communities on Pitt and Chatham are so committed to conservation and preserving their unique natural heritage. We were shown great hospitality by the Chatham and Pitt islanders and our partners were made to feel so welcome.

With me for the journey on 16-17 January were Chinese Ambassador Wang Lutong; Chris Mace, Chair of the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA); Rick Ellis, CEO of Te Papa; Fonterra’s Miles Hurrell, Air New Zealand’s James Gibson, and Quinton Hall, CEO of Ngai Tahu Tourism.

Restoration of Mungo Hut, Hokitika

Just before Christmas, a small team led by Rob Brown from Federated Mountain Clubs went in and restored the Mungo Hut at the head of the Hokitika River.

The hut has special significance to me because it’s where I shot my first deer when I was 15 years old, and it was one of my favourite huts I visited growing up in Hokitika.

The DOC Community Fund funds hut restorations like this one through the New Zealand Outdoor Recreation Consortium, which receives funding for volunteer projects on New Zealand’s backcountry hut and track network. The Consortium has restored huts in some truly magic places, where so many of us have grown up experiencing our first backcountry adventures.

Silicon Valley meets New Zealand

Last weekend I spoke on ‘Climate Change and Conservation’ at the 2016 New Frontiers workshop in Whitemans Valley, Upper Hutt. New Frontiers is an innovation hub set up by Brian and Matthew Monahan with Yoseph Ayele that aims to bring technology thinkers from Silicon Valley to New Zealand to provide an international perspective on sustainability.

Other speakers came from NEXT Foundation, Air New Zealand and Federated Farmers with a particular focus on ecosystem services, natural capital and sustainability.

The New Frontiers team have also set up KiwiConnect to help technology thinkers and companies move to New Zealand to help address issues of sustainability and make the most of New Zealand’s innovation opportunities.

On Saturday Brian and Matthew announced their vision for regenerative farming including predator free for 1,000 hectares of their land in Whitemans Valley.

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 Natasha Hayward, Operations Manager in Te Kuiti.

Kererū at Otorohonga Kiwi House

At work…

Some things I do in my job include:

As a Partnerships Manager, my job was leading and inspiring my team to work with others to increase conservation. My new role in the King Country will be much the same, and I’ll also focus on other top priorities like working on cultural and employment opportunities with iwi, supporting recreation tourism, and telling the stories of the amazing species found in the region.

This helps achieve DOC’s vision by:

Engaging with others and increasing conservation.

The best bit about my job is:

Working with and leading a team of dedicated and passionate people who want to make a difference.

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

Paul Green, current Chair of Project Tongariro. I have really enjoyed working with him because he just gets it. He knows it’s about relationships and getting the work done.

In the new Forest Tower at Pureora Forest

On a personal note…

If I could trade places with any other person for a week, it would be:

Marilyn Monroe – she was an incredibly interesting person, and just living in the whole Kennedy era.

My greatest sporting moment was when:

I represented Taranaki for netball in the Under 21 team when I was only 17. I played centre and wing attack, and I’m still playing competitively now.

Winning a silver medal at the 2015 Masters Games in Brisbane

If I could be any New Zealand native species I’d be:

A kererū. They have good fashion sense and are sociable and strong.

My secret indulgence is:

Wine. It’s always wine o’clock somewhere in the world.

My hero is:

Richie McCaw for his leadership, his sporting prowess, his sense of community and family values. He is also very easy on the eye!

With my sons Isaac, Ethan and Nicholas

Deep and meaningful…

My favourite quote is:

“Hamilton is the new gateway to Te Kuiti!”

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

It’s not about what you know, it’s about how you apply it and work with others.

In work and life I am motivated by:

Doing the best I can, feeling fulfilled, and helping others to be the best they can.

My conservation advice to New Zealanders is:

We need to appreciate and protect what we have now.

Dulux is providing support for a complete exterior repaint of the Old Government Buildings in Wellington – the largest wooden building in the Southern Hemisphere.

Old Government Buildings entrance

Completed in 1876, Wellington’s Government Buildings Historic Reserve once housed our entire public service and, for 56 years, was the home of Ministers’ offices and the Cabinet room. It’s one of the Department’s Icon Heritage Sites – special places that tell a wide range of stories about our national identity.

Now Dulux is helping the Department preserve this historic place by supporting a 16-month project to repaint the exterior of the building.

Dulux is supplying the paint, paintwork specifications and will provide quality assurance on the paint application. Commercial painters Carus Group Ltd are undertaking the painting work. The project will see the paintwork restored using the same classic historic colour scheme it sports today.

Throughout the project (which is expected to run until April 2016) the public will still be able to access the building.

A piece of architectural history

Construction of the building was completed in 1876, which marks a significant moment in New Zealand’s political history. Provincial governments were disbanded that year and the wooden building became home to the newly formed central government.

The Government Buildings were completed in 1876

The building is known for its extensive use of kauri, one of New Zealand’s largest native trees, which is now under permanent protection. The government at the time designed it to be similar in style to an Italian palace to portray our young country’s strength and stability. However, it was built out of native timber and not out of stone. The Government didn’t want to be seen as spending too much money, so the inexpensive option of native timber was used instead.

Today, the building sits in the heart of the capital at 15 Lambton Quay, surrounded by the central business district and directly across the road from the Beehive. A large part of the building is currently leased to Victoria University’s Faculty of Law, though the ground floor and Cabinet room are open to the public.

The view from a nearby building

Take a tour

Guided tours are available on Saturdays and Sundays at 11.00am and 2.00pm during the summer months (up until Easter).

These tours take in all the beauty and the many different features of the Old Government Buildings, including the ‘hanging’ staircase, the birdcage lift, the Cabinet room and other features restored in DOC’s 1994-95 restoration project.

The free-hanging staircase in the Government Buildings in Wellington

These tours start at the main entrance on Lambton Quay and are free. Bookings are not required.

For more information, members of the public can contact the Pōneke/Wellington Visitor Centre or by visiting the DOC website.

By Robyn Orchard, Communications Advisor

Whio Awareness Month got off to an early start with the release of six blue duck/whio on Mount Taranaki last Friday.

There to do the honours was Minister of Conservation Hon Maggie Barry, local iwi, DOC staff and a group of ‘Whio Ambassador’ students.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry releasing whio

This was the first of three releases planned for captive-bred blue ducks over the next 4-6 weeks. The six whio released on Friday were hatched at Isaac Wildlife and Conservation Trust and Orana Park in Christchurch and hardened at the whio hardening facility in Turangi.

Another 12 whio will be released on Thursday on the Manganui o te Ao River in the Whanganui National Park.The final three North Island captive bred whio will be released in the Tongariro area at the beginning of April.

Whio at Mangatepopo in Ruapehu

The South Island will see a cluster of whio releases during Whio Awareness Month. Six whio fledglings will be released into the north branch of the Routeburn, five juvenile whio ducks will be released into the Oparara River, and four wild fledglings will be translocated from the Arthur Valley to either Rock Burn or Beans Burn sometime during the month.

About Whio Awareness Month

DOC is once again promoting Whio Awareness Month during March, alongside our Whio Forever partner Genesis Energy. A number of whio-related activities are planned for the month.

The annual Great Whio Adventure competition kicks off today and runs for the whole month. This year there are two prize packages offered, one each for the North and South Island. The prize package gives two adults and two children the chance to have a whio adventure in the wild, including return flights, accommodation and a day out with the whio ranger.

Catching and releasing whio during a whio adventure

Help support Whio Awareness Month by promoting the Great Whio Adventure and the family-friendly events to continue educating people about this precious bird.

The annual Whio Family Fun weekend in conjunction with Auckland Zoo, Genesis Energy and DOC will be held this weekend – March 5 – 6.

Whio Family Fun Day at Auckland Zoo

The Great Fiordland Whio Race

Whio rangers from Opotiki, Tongariro and Whanganui will be talking whio to the more than 7000 people expected at the zoo during the weekend. They will be ‘herding the ducks’ during the annual blue duck race on both days on the stream running through the zoo near the whio enclosure.

The Great Fiordland Whio Race will be held in Fiordland for the second year on March 19th on the Upukeroa River in Te Anau. The inaugural event was very successful and raised more than $600 for local whio conservation. As well as the race there is a BBQ, dress up competition, face painting and a chance to meet the local conservation dogs.

A new ‘Whio Forever’ education resource is now online for teachers on the DOC website.

Genesis Energy and the Department of Conservation have partnered together in a five year programme to secure the future of this unique vulnerable native bird. Operating under the name of Whio Forever this partnership is fast tracking implementation of the national Whio Recovery Plan to protect whio and increase public awareness.

The support of Genesis Energy is enabling DOC to double the number of fully secure whio breeding sites throughout the country, boost pest control efforts and enhance productivity and survival for these rare native ducks.

Happy Seaweek New Zealand!

To celebrate, today’s photo is from the Kapiti Marine Reserve.

DOC’s Danica Stent captured this photo of spotties amongst the seaweed in the reserve around Kapiti Island.

Organised by the NZ Association for Environmental Education, Seaweek is New Zealand’s annual national week about the sea. It’s about exciting and inspiring all New Zealanders to renew their connections with the sea!

There are events happening all around New Zealand throughout the week.

More information can be found on the Seaweek website.

By Amelia Willis, Community Ranger in Taupo

Following in the footsteps of Sir Peter Blake, the ten-day Young Blake Expedition took 14 students on an adventure aboard the HMNZS Otago to the Auckland Islands, 465 kilometres south of Stewart Island.

The Young Blake Expedition crew

The student voyagers were there to carry out important research alongside a team of experts and, in doing so, hopefully gain inspiration for their future careers.

Shay van der Hurk and I represented DOC on the expedition, joining the students, four scientists, an environmental educator, two media personnel, a doctor, an environmental engineer, an aquarist, two Blake leaders and of course the Royal New Zealand Navy crew of the HMNZS Otago.

Shay with student voyager Guy McDonald

The most rewarding part of the experience was watching the young voyagers get excited about everything from the tiniest plankton, to charismatic megafauna, to the bigger picture of global climate change.

The first few days of the trip were spent on orientation –  getting our sea legs and introducing the science modules we would be undertaking on the islands. This gave Shay, who has been with DOC for nine years, and myself, a relative newcomer, the opportunity to get to know the students, talk with them about the ‘Subs’ and what we might see and experience when we arrived. Just like everyone on board the HMNZS Otago we brought different experiences and strengths, offering a wide variety for the students to engage with and learn from.

Students walk the boardwalk on Enderby Island

The student voyagers came from all over New Zealand, with a wide variety of backgrounds and interests. Shay and I were impressed with the motivation and maturity of the students. They asked smart questions, and we had some really interesting discussions about the differing values associated with the subantarctic, i.e. how do you get the average kiwi to care about flora they’ve never heard of, found on islands hundreds of kilometres away from their daily lives?

After crossing through the roaring forties and into the furious fifties (where swells reached up to eight metres) everyone was pleased to step ashore on the first day and get straight into work with the scientists. Four days of sampling what we couldn’t really see – microorganisms, plankton, algae and sediment – were complemented by two final days spent at the DOC visitor sites with sea lion, albatross, historic huts and yellow eyed penguins.

A special encounter with a sea lion and her pup – step back!

As blown away by the impressive wildlife as we all were, it was also wonderful to see the human history of the islands so well preserved. The Southern Islands team have done a fantastic restoration of the WWII-era Ranui coastwatchers’ hut and lookout. It was pretty cool to add our names to a visitors’ book dating from 1963 which had Governor General Sir Jerry Mataparae’s entry on the previous page. As a great supporter and patron of the Sir Peter Blake Trust, he visited the islands with them last year, and even farewelled us when we departed Auckland.

Visitors’ book at Ranui Cove

To see such a range of unique species and the harsh nature of existence in such a remote and windswept place really put life into perspective for many of the students. At our final debrief, 17-year-old Tama Poutaka shared his thoughts with a whakatauki: “Ahakoa he iti, he mapihi pounamu – even though it’s small, it has great meaning.” Appreciating the significance of little things within the ecosystem encourages the young leaders to make a difference, no matter how small or big their contribution.

Taking a closer look at plankton with marine expert Sally Carson

Although it was tough for everyone to step off the ship the final day, the students disembarked knowing the journey wasn’t over. Sharing the experience and passing on all they learned is just as important as the expedition itself.

HMNZS Otago in Port Ross while exploring Enderby Island

About the Young Blake Expeditions

This was the Sir Peter Blake Trust’s second expedition to the Auckland Islands. Educational initiatives such as the Young Blake Expeditions and Blake Ambassador Programme are part of the Trust’s commitment to supporting Sir Peter Blake’s legacy.

DOC supports the work of the Trust as part of our commitment to growing strong and effective environmental leaders for tomorrow, and our work towards encouraging more New Zealanders connect and contribute to conservation.