Senior ranger Denise Fastier with a Cooks petrel (titi) during the translocation programme. Photo / DoC
Senior ranger Denise Fastier with a Cooks petrel (titi) during the translocation programme. Photo / DoC
Denise Fastier, one of the senior rangers in biodiversity with the Department of Conservation in Hawke's Bay, summed up the philosophy of the dedicated team with two words — patience and passion.
Patience, as setting out to improve and care for some areas of the landscape is no overnight mission— it takes a lot of time, skill and devotion.
And passion — a passion for wanting to make effective changes to ensure our environment is in very good shape and can be explored and enjoyed by everyone.
"We love a challenge," she said, and there have been many of them to confront during her 13 years working in the Bay.
And there will be plenty more and she, like her colleagues, is good and ready to take them on.
Today will be another day to put the boots on and get to work, and today is also a day of recognition for people like Fastier and the army of rangers across the Bay and the rest of the country.
A robin at Boundary Stream, Tutira, near Napier. Photo / Paul Taylor
It is World Ranger Day, and she said she was proud to be part of that global team, and pleased there was a day of recognition for the work they have done, and will continue to do.
When asked where she originally came from she smiles and says New Zealand.
"Because I've moved around so much," she said, adding her early years were down Dunedin way.
She always loved the outdoors and always possessed a strong conservation ethic, so while at university where she was studying geology was more than happy to volunteer as part of a fellow student's PhD work in the McKenzie country where she focused on tracking and trapping ferrets and feral cats.
She clearly made a mark so that was that.
She was offered a job and in 1990 her career with DoC began.
She was the first ranger to be stationed on the Chatham Islands where she ran volunteer programmes as well as becoming involved in overseeing the wellbeing of unique species like the black robin, Forbes parakeet and the very rare shore plover.
And the Chathams tui...it is one-and-a-half times larger than the mainland tui.
Two more words emerged when it came to describing attributes needed to work across the islands, linked by often rough sea boat trips.
Resourceful and resilient, as there were times spent in huts where there was no electricity.
It is just part of her remarkable journey with conservation.
She has been involved in a huge range of translocations of precious birds through the years and led the work at Boundary Stream which is now an impressive 8800 hectare landscape of protection, as well as the hugely successful Mainland Islands programme — creating unique regions where people can enjoy hearing and seeing the precious wildlife.
The general public was becoming more aware of their environment today and that was pleasing, Fastier said.
Young people were becoming more involved and there were specific programmes, outlined across the DOC websites, they could take part in.
When she arrived in the Bay she took up the team leader role at Boundary Stream for six years — the area is one of the region's natural jewels where birds like the kakaho create the dawn chorus.
The work included baits and trapping as well as plenty of species work like lizard and invertebrate monitoring, kakaho translocations and translocations to reintroduce petrels to New Zealand's most inland seabird site.
It is working. The petrels are returning.
"We are definitely on the right path here," she said of developing and protecting the region's biodiversity, and said a great relationship had been forged with local iwi and councils.
"It's not just DoC...it's a team sport...everyone is working together."
There is also a devoted and equally passionate army of volunteers who are more than happy to do their bit.
"It is so good to see other peoples' aspirations aligning with ours."
Hawke's Bay, she said, was a unique region with unique landscapes and, of course, challenges.
New Zealand had some "great backyards" which people could explore.
"But get out and see your own though."
One of her strong ambitions today is to see the Kaweka Forest Park retain "good health" which was a challenge "but we have had some good wins".
So yes, todayis World Ranger Day and their devoted work goes on.
"I get up to go to work for eight hours...but usually do 10 or 12...we are a passionate crew," she said with a smile, adding that she had no plans to ever step back.
