Tramping with a purpose

This week is National Volunteer Week, a chance here in Hurunui to celebrate those people in our communities who do their bit to help others… because they want to.

Here’s a story from trapper Xander, donating his time to help with pest control with the Doubtless Conservation Group, based near the Boyle River, in the Hurunui District.

“It's been an awesome time being involved with Doubtless Conservation. The concept for volunteers has been pretty simple - just commit to one weekend a year, bring your mates, and go tramping while doing something positive for the bush. For a busy person like me, it has made it accessible and like a fun annual tradition!
For me, it can be pretty overwhelming seeing all the bad things going on in the world that we have no ability to influence and control, and as a keen tramper I see all the time the impacts humans have on even the most remote parts of New Zealand’s backcountry. Getting involved in trapping in a project like this, was for me, a practical and meaningful way to actually do something that is helpful.
Over the three years I've been involved, it can be hard to measure the impacts clearly as the traplines are all new, but it has been great to see the possum numbers trend down in particular and to do something to help the birds in an area that has been very absent from predator control.
Fundamentally, I get to go tramping with my mates, enjoy some time in pristine alpine valleys at a slower pace than I am used to, while doing something positive - it feels like selfish volunteering at its best! And one of the best parts is getting the chance to bring others in my tramping circle into the world of trapping in a fun and safe environment.”

Thanks Xander and friends!

Hurunui District Council has supported volunteer efforts to carry out maintenance of the Nina Bivvy at nearby Lake Sumner Forest Park, used for overnight stays by this group of volunteers.