From many excellent applications for the 20 hours a week Trust Ranger role, the Trust has recently appointed Linden Brown and he takes on the role from 26th October.
The Trust is sad to be farewelling Ranger Matt Charteris, who is leaving to focus on other conservation projects and build a new home, but we will maintain close ties with him on future blue penguin projects on his doorstep in Charleston.
Linden grew up on the South Coast of New South Wales, spending much of his childhood swimming in the ocean, and running around in the nearby forests. After completing a Bachelor of Environmental Science at the University of Wollongong, he spent six months volunteering on Raoul Island which ignited a passion for conservation in New Zealand. This has taken him to other predator-free islands such as Hauturu and Whenua Hou, giving him a glimpse of how New Zealand wildlife can thrive when given the chance.
For the last five years Linden has called the West Coast home, working in the DOC Biodiversity Monitoring Team in Hokitika monitoring vegetation, birds and introduced pests. He brings a broad set of skills and experience to the Trust including planning and delivering field work, leadership, processing monitoring data and high standards of safety on top of a strong scientific background.
The Ranger role encompasses field work during the penguin breeding season, a year round trapping project at Cape Foulwind, planning field work and supporting our tawaki rangers in South Westland and volunteers on other projects such as Seal Island trapping, gathering, reviewing and analysing data – whether breeding success or predator numbers, writing up findings, staying on top of the latest penguin science and techniques, community engagement, and advising the Trust as to improving current and developing new research and practical conservation projects.
Although handling penguins is minimal and minimised, relating only to the GPS foraging study of blue penguins or rescuing any sick or injured penguins that might be brought to our attention to transfer to penguin rehabilitators, Linden also has some useful wildlife handling experience. His broad set of conservation skills and his versatility allowed him to spend a month assisting the Kakapo Team in 2019, where he gained valuable skills and experience including wildlife handling and bird health checks.
During his spare time Linden enjoys recreating on the West Coast, where you will be able to find him kayaking on a river, spending time in the mountains, or riding his bike.
The Trust is delighted to welcome Linden into our small team.
While materials were chosen that would stand up to the harsh coastal conditions, those same coastal conditions are conducive to plant growth! Occasional checks of the fences have been carried out by volunteers and rangers so that any maintenance needs can be identified and remedied. The never-ending need for maintenance is managing the vegetation that can grow through the fence, for example gorse, blackberry and hydrangea, pushing it to breaking point in places, or flop over causing damage from the weight of rank grass, rushes and weeds such as montbretia.
Volunteers recently spent a few hours tidying up the main fence along Woodpecker Bay north of Punakaiki so a big shout out to them - thank you Fiona, Jony, Reef, Katrina, Mandy, Marty, Teresa and Deb! Flax had been pressing down on the fence, but now the fence has been freed up by these wonderful volunteers - and they picked up a fair bit of rubbish too.
Volunteer Natassja Savidge has offered to check and help maintain the Hokitika penguin protection fence and joined Ranger Lucy Waller and Manager Inger Perkins in May to inspect the length of the fence. Some minor issues were found but the main finding was the extent of the vegetation growth that was damaging the fence in places. Big thanks to Natassja!
