Conservation comment: Let's hear it for volunteers

Another year has almost ended. It has been a bit of a roller-coaster, from the lows of the June floods and various other extreme weather-related events, globally and elsewhere in New Zealand, to the highs of finally securing in Paris some kind of international agreement to begin tackling the threat of climate change.

In September, Parliament passed the Environmental Reporting Act 2015, another potential environmental highpoint. By making national environmental reporting mandatory, it brings us into line with the rest of the OECD, and will force us as a society to properly address growing environmental deterioration.

You may well be sceptical about these and other apparent gains, because much depends on how their provisions are implemented and on the integrity of those guiding this, but we have to begin somewhere.

For me though, a highlight locally has been the ongoing growth and consolidation of volunteer contributions to the management of Bushy Park. Perhaps the stimulus, like so many other triggers to action, was a potential disaster. A year ago we were battling an incursion of rats, something that must have been building for some time, given how widespread the rats were. But with the help of many volunteers, and material and personnel inputs from the Department of Conservation, the Isis-like invasion was repelled. We've carried out four audits at four to six-week intervals since July. No rats have been detected. We will continue monitoring at this frequency throughout summer and autumn and, if all remains clear, at longer intervals beyond that. Each audit is an intensive exercise, and we rely crucially on volunteers to do this.

Combating and auditing the threats posed by rats and other non-native animals is not all that volunteers do. Bushy Park could not be the wildlife sanctuary nor the local tourist attraction that it is without the work of volunteers. From combating invasive plants, clearing and repairing tracks, and maintaining the fence and its perimeter, to providing sugar-water to endangered hihi and cleaning and repairing their nest boxes, volunteers are involved in all aspects of management. This was recognised by Trustpower's Community Award for Heritage and Environment this year.

Why do people volunteer? The question applies more broadly than just working at Bushy Park, but there are some special features to volunteering out there that are different from most other voluntary work.

Physical work under occasionally testing conditions is one of them. The weather is sometimes cold and wet, other times hot and broiling. The dense forest vegetation fights back. Away from the public tracks, conditions underfoot can be taxing, often slippery. Those who like a challenge thrive under such conditions.

What are the compensations? Apart from the pleasure of experiencing the sights and sounds of a largely intact native forest, and doing something purposeful at the same time, voluntary work at Bushy Park provides other rewards. For some, it is an opportunity to gain and share new knowledge or learn new skills. Physical exercise is a plus, especially as one slows down in other facets of life. There are also social benefits: companionship and laughter among like-minded people, and an opportunity to put aside the everyday cares of life. One volunteer even said that it provided an opportunity to avoid work at home! (Their partner's response was not recorded.)

So let's celebrate the contributions that volunteers make to our everyday life. Their work enriches our environment and provides opportunities that you can all enjoy. Why not join us? Season's greetings to you all.

-Peter Frost is an environmental scientist involved in re-establishing hihi in Bushy Park