Media and Event Appearances
‘Faces of Funding’ – Our collaboration with the Rata Foundation.
In our ongoing collaboration with the Rātā Foundation, we are proud to acknowledge their pivotal role as a major funder, enabling Project De-Vine Environmental Trust to continue their impactful conservation efforts. Thanks to the Rātā Foundation’s generous support, we have been empowered to offer land-owners funding opportunities, creating a unique “matching contribution” system for work conducted on their land. This collaborative approach has significantly amplified the scale and impact of conservation projects in the region.
Immerse yourself in the captivating video that showcases the Rātā Foundation’s unwavering commitment to facilitating ongoing conservation work in the region. Keep a keen eye out for our dedicated PDVET team as they diligently prepare and maintain a planting site at Baigents bush, demonstrating the transformative work made possible by the Rātā Foundation.
To gain a deeper understanding of the Rātā Foundation’s comprehensive and inclusive approach, and to explore their instrumental role in supporting Project De-Vine’s conservation endeavors, click the button below.
Newsline – Wetland Restoration
Project De-Vine Environmental Trust leads the way with two three-year eco-restoration projects in Tasman District to control a wide range of pest plants and trees.
We are thrilled to receive the grant to employ a team in Golden Bay that will advance our invasive plant and tree control work goals. They will learn a wide range of weed control skills, kill wilding pines, and set up a trapping scheme at the Grove.
Equally, the contract to employ nine people to carry out invasive plant and tree control throughout the Tasman District is a fantastic chance to assist many properties with a high biodiversity value, which would be struggling otherwise.
These two projects show how valued this work is in the conservation world.
Chris Rowse
Project Director
Project De-Vine team heading off to work Nov 2021 Credit: Jo Richards
Key aspects of the two JFN projects
1/ The JFNTNC contract
- This project is led by the global non-profit organisation The Nature Conservancy, in conjunction with DOC, and the Tasman, Nelson City, Buller, and Marlborough Councils. The project is called the “Restoring and Protecting Flora” Project. The Nature Conservancy has co-partnered with the Kotahitanga mō te Taiao Alliance – see background notes below. It involves wide-scale organised weed management across 35,000 hectares of the northern South Island and will explore the possibility of expanding the protection of some sites through QEII covenanting. Funding of $6 million through Jobs for Nature will employ 29 people with mobilised teams who can work across different locations and provide support to public and private landowners in their aim to leave an environmental legacy we can all share.
- Almost $1.8 million of this funding has been contracted to Project De-Vine Environmental Trust (PDVET) and will be used in the Tasman District to carry out this work due to end in March 2024.
- PDVET is contracted for three years to employ 9 FTEs – 4.5 in Golden Bay for local work and 4.5 based in Motueka for sites throughout Tasman.
- One FTE is 30 hrs – PDVET will be offering 37.5 hrs per week and expect to deliver about 33 hrs per week, allowing for wet weather.
- Where possible, we will employ extra staff recruited from those without work in the quiet months of the tourism industry – we expect this to be in the winter months of 2022 and 2023.
- The contract allows funding for a Team Manager (50%) per team + Office staff, which can include the Team Manager (50%)
- The contract is to carry out weed control work directed by TNC, TDC and DOC at multiple sites throughout Tasman District.
- We will be employing extra staff when the opportunity arises as we need to catch up on the five-month delay in starting, i.e. more than nine when we have capacity.
- We can move staff from our other Jobs for Nature contract, see below, for the winter period etc., to keep them employed.
- When we carry out work at private properties, we will be sending out reports to keep landowners informed of our progress on their property and how it relates to our other work in their area. This will help to encourage landowners to keep up their control of these fast-growing invasive plants.
- We will provide updates of our work in public locations with posts on our website and on social media, as well as press releases.
- There is frequent reporting to the funders.
- Staff training – growsafe and first aid will be provided for those that stay more than six months.
- Darren Foxwell at Takaka DOC Office, and Dan Chisnall at Motueka DOC office, are the Delivery Managers for this contract and will be overseeing our work.
- For more information, see these links:
- You can use the two linked releases from DOC and Buller District Council as a guide:
- https://www.doc.govt.nz/news/media-releases/2021-media-releases/teaming-up-to-protect-top-of-south/
- https://bullerdc.govt.nz/jobs-for-nature-funding-awarded-for-buller/
2/ The JFNCCF grant
- The Jobs for Nature Community Conservation Fund has awarded $700,000 to Project De-Vine Environmental Trust to train people in a range of eco-restoration jobs, giving them a usable range of skills to continue working in this field of work.
- It is for three years and will employ 3.5 FTEs per annum in Golden Bay
- Finish date – three years from final signing – August 2024.
- They will learn skills by carrying out invasive pest plant and tree control work in western and eastern Golden Bay. Plus, wilding pine control near the Abel Tasman and Kahurangi National Park’s boundaries and helping to set up a trapping network in and around the Grove Scenic Reserve. See map and table of hours per year for each task.
- For economies of scale, we intend to have a team of four staff + Team Manager (50%) + Office staff, including the Team Manager (50%) for approx. Nine months per year.
- This nine-month training course will be promoted as a package to give a range of skills to enable the staff to either be absorbed by PDVET or the JFNTNC contract or take on work elsewhere.
- We will be sending out reports to keep landowners informed of our progress on their property and its relation to our other work in their area. This will help to encourage landowners to keep up their control of these fast-growing invasive plants.
- We will provide updates of our work with posts on our website and social media, and press releases.
- There is frequent reporting to the funders.
- Staff training – growsafe and first aid will be provided for those that stay more than six months.
- Darren Foxwell at Takaka DOC Office is the Delivery Manager for this contract and will oversee our work.
Background information
- The Nature Conservancy (external site) (TNC) is a global environmental non-profit organisation working to create a world where people and nature can thrive. Founded in the United States in 1951, TNC is involved in conservation in 72 countries and territories. TNC has partnered with Kotahitanga mō te Taiao (external site) to provide funding, science, global expertise and financial tools and support, engaging with stakeholders.
- Kotahitanga mō te Taiao Alliance was established in 2017 to work together to help nature and people thrive across Te Tauihu/ the Top of the South.
- It includes Buller, Tasman, Nelson, and Marlborough councils, the West Coast Regional Council, Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō Trust, Te Pātaka a Ngāti Kōata Trust, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Kuia Trust, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rārua, Ngāti Tama ki Te Waipounamu Trust, Te Atiawa o Te Waka-a-Māui Trust, Rangitāne o Wairau Settlement Trust, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Waewae and the Department of Conservation.
- The Nature Conservancy, a global conservation organisation, operating in over 70 countries worldwide, supports the Kotahitanga mō te Taiao Alliance to deliver on their strategy and manages the weed management Restoring and Protecting Flora Project.
- The Department of Conservation granted the project $6 million, of which $1.4 million will be spent in Buller.
- The three-year project involves wide-scale strategic weed management across 35,000 hectares of the northern South Island and will employ 29 people across four districts. This includes mobile teams working across different locations providing support to public and private landowners to leave an environmental legacy.
- Jobs for Nature is a $1.219 billion central government programme that manages funding across multiple government agencies to benefit the environment, people and the regions and is part of the COVID-19 recovery package.
- The Commissioner for the Environment has released his Weeds report on 11th November: “Space Invaders – A review of how New Zealand manages weeds that threaten native ecosystems”.
- In the report, PDVET is highlighted as one of the four groups whom they have chosen to write up their work in detail. Our group is on pages 195 to 197. We are also mentioned in the following pages regarding various aspects of our work.
GB Weekly Article 03 December 2021
