Weaving people together: Q&A with local volunteer

It’s Volunteer Week and this year’s theme is ‘Whiria te tangata – weaving the people together’. We would like to acknowledge and thank all the volunteers who have dedicated their time and effort to making Whakatū Nelson a wonderful place to live.

We had a quick chat to Nicola who volunteers in two community groups to get the low down.   

Q: Where do you volunteer and what drew you to the role and/or organisation?  

A: I’ve been volunteering for nearly three years. I volunteer on the Grampians in Nelson in two community groups. The first group, called Wild About The Grampians, works to restore an area of native forest by removing invasive weed species and replanting native species. The second group, called Bird Life on Grampians, is involved in trapping introduced predator species such as possums and rats, to improve the habitat for native birds and other species. I was drawn to both of these organisations as I enjoy walking and running on the Grampians but felt sad that much of the Grampians native bush is degraded by weeds and vines and that the bird life can’t survive against predators without support to manage predator numbers.  

Q: In your experience, what are the benefits of volunteering?  

A: I get so much joy from seeing the progress that we make in the areas we work in and hearing the flourishing native bird song every morning. The native bush in our area is now able to thrive without being choked by weed species and our newly planted native trees are growing well. I love the sense of community that volunteering creates. I work alongside a group of wonderful people who I wouldn’t have met otherwise and we have lots of fun working together in the bush. Working outside is a lovely contrast to my paid job, which is office-based. There is something very restorative about working in nature.  

Q: Any highlights you would like to share with us? 

A: There are many highlights but seeing the steady growth of our new native plants is very rewarding. I also get lots of pleasure from the enjoyment of other people who walk in the area and notice the transformation. Our community planting days have also been more successful than I expected and allows a wider range of people to be involved in a one-off event.  

Q: What would you say to anyone thinking of volunteering?  

A: Go for it. There are many different ways to volunteer and be part of your community. Pick something you are interested in and join in. Even if you can’t give many hours, anything you can contribute will be appreciated and will be rewarding for you too.  

Q: Anything else you would like to share?  

A: Thank you to all the people who contribute to the success of both of these projects and to NCC for their ongoing support also. 

A big thanks to Nicola for taking the time to chat with us.