Pest and plant focus in WITT partnership with Porirua

Taranaki’s conservation knowledge is helping to improve environmental management and protect kiwi down the line in a new partnership between WITT and Porirua City Council (PCC).

Porirua City Council staff members Brooke Allen-Collins and Bianca Arlar attended their first classes at WITT this semester, in Pest Operations and Horticulture programmes. And a third staff member will join the pest operations programme this semester.

Porirua has more than 950 hectares of parks and reserves, including wetlands and bush-clad ranges. PCC's Urban Ecology Team reached out to WITT earlier this year about providing work-based learning for staff in their parks and reserves, says Angela Ferguson, one of WITT’s academic directors. “We are very excited about this new partnership,” says Angela.

Upskilling in pest operations for Porirua is especially urgent, with kiwi recently heard in their catchment and neighbouring Tawa. Around 200 kiwi were released last year into the hills of Mākara on the coast of Wellington as part of Wellington’s Capital Kiwi project. Pest control is vital in protecting vulnerable kiwi and other native species, from predators such as rats, stoats, weasels, and feral cats.

 Kiwi getting closer

Brooke, who has been with PCC for five years, says she wants to upskill at WITT in predator control. “We are getting Kiwi in our area. They connect through the ridge line between Makara in Wellington and to Rangituhi in Porirua.”

Bianca is the first to do the new Taiao apprenticeship with the council to complete a three-qualification journey including New Zealand Certificates in Pest Operations (Level 3), Horticulture (Level 3) and Conservation (Level 4). She studied zoology and ecology at Otago University before moving back to Wellington to work on conservation projects.

She’s keen to expand her knowledge of horticulture as well as pest control methods. In her first two days at WITT, she’d learnt how to test soil in her horticulture class with tutor Carl Freeman, and new methods of pest control with tutor Daniel Waterson.

Brooke, Team Leader in the Te Ara Taiao Cadetship programme, which trains Māori and Pasifika rangatahi in conservation skills, says there is a lot she can learn here. “Looking around Taranaki there’s so much knowledge here that we can bring back to Porirua, like the importance of canopy trees. We don’t have enough canopy trees in Porirua.”

As a mentor and nature champion herself, she’s been inspired by the calibre and passion of her WITT teachers. Meeting Daniel made her aware she’ll learn more than the tools and techniques of predator control. “The way he leads and supports the youth, the rangatahi, through this polytech is so inspiring.”

It’s a style of leadership she describes as “real, open, honest” and sharing his passion for predator control has been “very engaging.”

Although Brooke and Bianca only spent a week at WITT, including the welcome pōwhiri, they will continue their study online and do practical projects, like trapping and other tasks as part of their council work, to be assessed through photographic evidence and the oversight of Porirua City Council officers.

Win-win for WITT and Porirua

Angela says it’s win-win opportunity for WITT to share its expertise and experience in conservation, pest operations and horticulture with another region. She hopes this could become a model for further collaborations with other councils or organisations seeking to upskill across the suite of conservation areas WITT offers.

Natasha Graham, Manager for Porirua City Council’s Te Ara Taiao (The Path to Nature) programme which Brooke and Bianca are part of, says “The Te Ara Taiao programme began with the cadetship, and the  development of the Taiao apprenticeship has evolved it to a new level, creating a space for rangatahi to develop practical skills, gain recognised qualifications and build meaningful careers in the environmental sector, whilst delivering good value mahi on the ground and strengthening their connection to place.

“We recognised a gap in the Parks sector for people to gain hands-on, on-the-ground experience that has a moder conservation focus while working towards a qualification that will not just be meaningful today but also in years to come. The apprenticeship was designed to build skills and knowledge in caring for nature through experience across Porirua City Council’s Parks teams, including biosecurity, nursery operations, coastal and tracks rangers, the gardening team and the restoration programme.”

The cadetship focuses on creating employment opportunities for the local community while building practical environmental skills, industry knowledge and strong connections to place over a year programme.

Bianca, who’d never been to New Plymouth, was impressed by Pukekura Park, especially the fernery, where the class visited last week. “Having a fully established park in the heart of town that everyone can enjoy - a safe space and educational with the tree signs – is great.”

Brooke is excited by the new ideas and possibilities she can take back to Porirua.

“It’s felt so welcoming here. It’s so awesome to know that our cuzzies up the line can help and support us in what we’re doing with sharing the knowledge and inspiring ideas.”

Caption - top pic: (from left) Angela Ferguson (WITT Director), Daniel Waterson (Pest Ops tutor), Brooke Allen-Collins and Bianca Arlar (Porirua City Council), and Carl Freeman (horticulture tutor).