You can contact LEARNZ, part of CORE Education, at:
Postal Address:
PO Box 13 678,
Christchurch 8141,
New Zealand
Meet Ian
Job description:
Working out and making plans for the jobs we need to do in the Raukapuka/Geraldine district to help protect the amazing plants and animals that are found here. Reporting back up the line that we’ve done what we said we’d do.
Work background:
A couple of years as a zookeeper then six years working for DOC with threatened species such as kakī, mohua, kākā, robust grasshopers, Haast tokoeka, pāteke, hihi and kōkako. Then another 15 years back at Auckland Zoo in a range of roles including Curator of NZ Fauna and Field Conservation Manager.
Favourite part of job:
Feeling like I’m helping look after NZ wildlife. Working with a great bunch of people who also care about NZ wildlife. Getting let out of the office every now and then to spend some time in this amazing landscape.
A (humorous) story about a job that went badly and what you learned:
Twenty years ago, I was flown up the top of the Haast range with a colleague to attach radio transmitters to Haast tokoeka. The transmitters are turned on using a magnet and when we unpacked and looked around it turned out I’d forgotten to bring the magnet! I couldn’t quite face calling my boss on the radio and asking him to send the helicopter back up the hill (at great expense) just to bring up a magnet, so I dredged up memories of science classes at school and managed to fabricate a weak (but strong enough) electro magnet by winding a bit of wire around an iron bar and attaching it to a couple of batteries. My colleague and I both thought it was pretty funny that a bunch of random stuff lying around the hut could do the job – and that I’d remembered enough of my science classes to give it a go. What did I learn from all this? Sometimes it’s not a bad idea to listen to the teacher, and it never hurts to check your gear list twice before you hit the road (or get in the chopper).
Qualifications:
MSc (hons) – Zoology (University of Auckland).
Interests outside work:
Old stuff, especially old motorcycles.