Two students with aspirations to work in scientific and environmental fields have been the friendly faces of the Department of Conservation this summer, as ambassadors for nature and protected species across Coromandel.

The six-week seasonal placements for Kylie Harris, 18, and Hayley Forlong, 19, have focused on education and advocacy and a “mountains to sea” kaupapa, sharing information about the district’s precious environments and vulnerable protected species.

Harris has recently graduated from Paeroa College and is starting a Bachelor of Science at Waikato University, majoring in ecology and biodiversity.

Forlong has just gained a Level 6 Diploma in Environmental Management and this year will get her Bachelor of Applied Science in Biodiversity Management at Toi Ohomai Polytechnic in Windemere, Tauranga.

Harris and Forlong say the most rewarding part of their roles has been engaging with more than 4000 members of the public who were out enjoying nature and sharing what they themselves have learned.

They’ve been discussing topics ranging from the safe management of dogs in dotterel habitats to how visitors can limit the risk of spreading kauri disease by following advice on protecting the majestic taonga trees.

“We had some great questions from the public including things like ‘do our dogs need to be on a lead if they have had kiwi avoidance training’ – and yes they do, to protect the kauri tree roots, keep the dogs safe and prevent harm to other wildlife living in our forests, such as native frogs and invertebrates,” Harris said.

For her, educating people about dotterels has been eye-opening.

“People think ‘dotterels are stupid’ and to that we say ‘nuh uh’,” she said.

“Some visitors to the DoC [Department of Conservation] marquee came to us with this mentality, mostly because of how and where dotterels nest. Dotterels need to nest close to the water’s edge as dotterel chicks must feed themselves after they hatch.

“Along with this, due to houses getting closer and closer to the beaches, it gives the dotterels less space to nest, and they need 360 degrees of vision to spot any threats.”

Harris and Forlong say they’ve loved working alongside experienced and passionate DoC staff.

“I’ve enjoyed working in the Hauraki office – everyone is amazing and has so much knowledge to share,” Harris said.

“I’ve always loved nature, so being able to work in this role where a majority of my time is outside of an office has been wonderful.”

“I have always wanted to work for the Department of Conservation, so it’s been great to get a step in the door and get an idea of what it’s like working for DoC and the different job roles they have,” Forlong said.

Harris and Forlong have a few more public event commitments as part of their summer ambassador role and they’ll return to their seasonal roles next summer.

– Copy supplied by DoC