Conservation Volunteers New Zealand – Wheelbarrows and a willingness to organise logistical help
With wheelbarrows and a couple of spare pairs of gumboots at the ready, Conservation Coordinator Donna Lusby is instructing eight people of varying ages on how to have a safe, productive and enjoyable morning planting trees.
As the local volunteer coordinator for Conservation Volunteers New Zealand, Donna arranges many such events and activities on a regular basis. She liaises with a variety of reserve and land management groups to provide human resources – along with some gardening gear – for working bees.
“Basically we just go out and help different groups, supporting them in their endeavours,” says Donna, who has been with CVNZ for almost 6 years.
“I think in the face of the climate crisis, people want to feel like there’s something practical they can do,” she says.
Today’s volunteer group is at Ōtukaikino Reserve, a 13 hectare “hidden gem” wetland in Belfast, with cultural and environmental significance. It’s also known as a Living Memorial, where bereaved families can donate plants in memory of loved ones. With oversight from the reserve’s ranger Matthew Brosnahan, the CVNZ volunteer party are digging in native grasses along a rather muddy streambank.
“The volunteers are awesome,” says Mathew, who welcomes this CVNZ assistance and anticipates an average of four CVNZ organised visits per year.
“Volunteer input here is critical to making this place look the way it is: the scale we can work on and the quality of the reserve. We are going for a pristine wetland – what it was like in the 1880s – getting rid of all weeds, convolvulus, blackberry and even dock,” he says.
Somewhat ironically – in light of Donna’s safety briefing – the group includes an injured Ben Lowe, although the splint on his thumb was not the result of volunteering.
“Even with one hand, I feel I can contribute,” says Ben, cheerily lifting a spade with his operable hand. He’d rather be feeling useful than stay at home, he says.
The sunshine, too, might be an inducement. However, in rain or shine (but maybe not hail), CVNZ volunteers contribute to making a lasting green legacy for the city. At Ōtukaikino, for instance, their efforts combined with the reserve’s ‘Friends’ group and others has resulted in two species of rare bird taking up residence: the Australasian bittern and spotless crake.
Donna has experience overseeing two volunteer management projects for the Christchurch office of CVNZ: the community conservation programme – of which today’s group is a part – and a residential programme designed for international volunteers. She is no longer the local team lead for the latter, which is picking up in popularity again in the wake of the COVID pandemic.
Both programmes have allowed Donna to meld beautifully her ESOL teaching skills and a qualification in organic gardening from the Lincoln based Biological Husbandry Unit.
She enjoys connecting people of all ages, from students to retirees, with te taiao (nature) and witnessing how volunteering gives people a sense of purpose.
Conservation Volunteers was established in New Zealand in 2006, after the concept migrated from Australia. It has offices in Christchurch, Auckland, Wellington and the West Coast. Individuals, school groups and businesses can volunteer on a one-off or regular basis.
(Sept 2024)
