Two students with aspirations to work in scientific and environmental fields have been the friendly faces of DOC this summer, as ambassadors for nature across Coromandel.
The six-week seasonal placements for Kylie Harris (18) and Hayley Forlong (19) have focussed on education and advocacy, and a "mountains to sea" kaupapa sharing information about the district's precious environments and vulnerable protected species.
Kylie has recently graduated from Paeroa College and is starting a Bachelor of Science majoring in Ecology and Biodiversity at Waikato University. Hayley has just gained a Level 6 diploma in Environmental Management and this year will get her Bachelor of Applied Science in Biodiversity management at Toi Ohomai Polytechnic in Windemere, Tauranga.
Kylie and Hayley say the most rewarding part of their roles has been engaging with more than 4,000 members of the public who were out naturing, and sharing what they themselves have learned.
They've been discussing topics ranging from the safe management of dogs in dotterel habitats to how visitors can limit the risk of spreading kauri disease by following advice on protecting the majestic taonga trees.
"We had some great questions from the public including things like 'do our dogs need to be on a lead if they have had kiwi avoidance training' – and yes they do, to protect the kauri tree roots, keep the dogs safe and prevent harm to other wildlife living in in our forests such as native frogs and invertebrates," says Kylie.
For Kylie, educating people about dotterels has been eye-opening.
"People think 'dotterels are stupid' and to that we say 'nuh uh'," she says.
"Some visitors to the DOC marquee came to us with this mentality, mostly because of how and where dotterels nest. Dotterels need to nest close to the water's edge as dotterel chicks must feed themselves after they hatch.
"Along with this, due to houses getting closer and closer to the beaches, it gives the dotterels less space to nest, and they need 360 degrees of vision to spot any threats."
Hayley and Kylie say they've loved working alongside experienced and passionate DOC staff.
"I've enjoyed working in the Hauraki office – everyone is amazing and has so much knowledge to share," says Kylie.
"I've always loved nature, so being able to work in this role where a majority of my time is outside of an office has been wonderful."
Says Hayley: "I have always wanted to work for the Department of Conservation, so it's been great to get a step in the door and get an idea of what it's like working for DOC and the different job roles they have."
Hayley and Kylie have a few more public event commitments as part of their summer ambassador role and they'll return to their seasonal roles next summer.
NATURE LOOKS DIFFERENT FROM HERE
Nature isn't scenery. Nature is a society that we rely on for everything, every day. It's behind our identity and our way of life.
