Jason Grant has been voluntarily opening his home - a catamaran on Lake Tarawera - to young people wanting to learn about the great outdoors.
On weekends he takes youth aged 10-18 on overnight development trips and says it’s as much about giving them his time and something to look forward to as it is teaching them to trap pests, cull wallabies, hike, sail, swim, cook and clean.
For some, it’s about keeping them out of trouble and, as one mum puts it, showing them there is “more to life than just robbing cars”.
“Unless they have something to look forward to, they will go down the tubes,” Grant said. “Getting out here, they’re stopping doing the stupid stuff. Anything at all helps.”
He had been running the programme for about 10 years and his 32-foot (9.7-metre) catamaran has sailed more than 50,000 nautical miles. He sold his home in Rotorua just over eight years ago to live on the water and considers himself a caretaker of the lake.
Grant said he was police-vetted, having previously worked for Child, Youth and Family (now called Oranga Tamariki — Ministry for Children).
Each trip costs around $150 and is funded by Grant.
He said the programme had grown through “word of mouth” and he would often stay in touch with those who sailed with him and their whānau.
One boy who first sailed with him eight years ago was now 18 and living out of the area but they still caught up.
“A big thing for me is to meet the families and meet the children.”
He had around 15 families he would call or Facebook message about upcoming trips.
Many were lower-income families. “That’s what I’m trying to target a little bit more,” he said.
Some of the youths were from single-parent homes or did not have access to a boat.
He said some of the families did not have much support and it was hard to organise a trip, with weekends lost to people confirming a trip and then not showing up.
“That’s been difficult but that’s part of the game and it doesn’t mean I give up. I keep in touch.”
Grant said he knew of a teenage boy who was “keen as anything” to get on the boat this week.
“He’s out of school, unfortunately. This will give them something to look forward to each week.”
He said it did not matter who the kids were or what they wore on the boat.
“You don’t have to look cool [in] Nikes and all that sort of stuff. Out here you can be yourself.”
He believed young teens were often “craving time” with someone.
“Sometimes it will be two kids and me. They really appreciate someone talking to them and teaching them something.”
Trapping pests was a big part of Grant’s volunteer conservation work. The youths learn to set, check, clear and reset traps targeting possums, rats, stoats and mice.
Grant said the youth could see the “big difference” their pest trapping made in the active bird life in parts of the lake.
Many of the teenagers he took out had links to the land dating back to the eruption of Mt Tarawera in 1886.
“For some of them to explain where some of the villages were and to step on parts of the land, it’s pretty neat for them.”
“Some of the kids have done over 100 trips.”
Grant started a Give a Little page to raise funds to do more trips and help cover costs such as gas for pick-ups in town and for the boat, food, upgrading life jackets, warm clothing and gumboots.
Donations so far had allowed him to purchase warm clothing for the children from Facebook marketplace.
All of Renee Rodgers’ four children have been on trips with Grant. She said he was a “male role model” for her children.
Her son Antonio, 10, has enjoyed hunting with Grant over the past two and a half years. He had done around 100 trips on the lake. Her 17-year-old son Callum liked “killing the pests” with Grant.
Rodgers said the trips gave her children “confidence and life skills in an outside environment”.
“The male bonding is good for them.
“People should support Jason because he is doing it out of his own free will. It’s positive too. Shows there’s more to life than just robbing cars.”
Phil McArthur met Grant on Lake Tarawera about five years ago. He said he was an “amazing guy” who was selfless.
“He loves the environment. He lives for the environment and helping others.”
McArthur said growing up he had a similar experience to many of the youth Grant took on the development trips.
“I would like to hope it’s given them another direction in life.”
He said Grant had dedicated his life to teaching the children life skills and respect for the environment.
“I take my hat off to him.”
Long-time lake friend Gene Macrae said Grant and his passion for taking care of the lake and teaching others to do the same were as “genuine as they come”.