Nature's Keepers

This 700-hectare (1,730-acre) valley covered in mature beech forest and canopies of native trees, established in 2004, is a haven for a variety of endangered species. Its 14.4-kilometer (9-mile) pest-proof fence wraps around the valley, making it the South Island’s largest predator-free fenced sanctuary — and the second-largest in New Zealand. The fence keeps mammalian predators such as rats, stoats and weasels at bay, thereby protecting all the indigenous flora and fauna that call the sanctuary home.

“One advantage we have is that we started with pristine native bush, which puts us hundreds of years ahead of some of the sanctuaries that have established the same as we did,” says Ru Collin, Brook Waimārama’s chief executive. “We also had the support of a willing council that helped get things moving.”

Another advantage that the sanctuary has in defending itself against the onslaught of predators: a wealth of volunteers, many of them aged 65 and over, who donate their time to protecting this unique ecosystem through activities such as bird monitoring, fence and track maintenance, pest detection, planting and weeding, and tour guiding. Like other parks and reserves across New Zealand, the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary has tapped into a strong network of older volunteers whose passion for conserving wild places has proved invaluable in sustaining the sanctuary’s mission.

“We’re fortunate to have an amazing volunteer team, and over the past years, we’ve put in a lot of effort into making sure we have a good culture,” Collin says. “We spend a lot of time talking to new volunteers and try to place them in teams they will probably enjoy.”

Yvonne Kyle, 75, has been volunteering at the sanctuary for 15 years. As part of the pest detectionteam, she monitors the rectangular wooden traps scattered along the sanctuary lines and spurs, peeking inside for any predators and inspecting the white tracking cards for footprints. “I get a ride up to the perimeter fence, do my lines at the top of the sanctuary and come down. I keep very fit,” says Kyle. “I’m into learning more about trees and birds. I sit there with my binoculars and watch them, and I take lots of photos. I love it. It’s a win-win for me.”

“I get a ride up to the perimeter fence, do my lines at the top of the sanctuary and come down. I keep very fit,” says Kyle. “I’m into learning more about trees and birds. I sit there with my binoculars and watch them, and I take lots of photos. I love it. It’s a win-win for me.”

Collin notes that the age of volunteers at the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary ranges from 25 to 83, with an average age of just under 65. “We tend to attract older volunteers because they have time,” he says. “They’re drawn to something that requires a degree of fitness because they’re keen on looking after themselves.”

This is true for Deryk Mason, 74, who has been volunteering at Brook Waimārama since he retired 10 years ago from a management role in the packaging industry. “Most of the people here are retirees, so they’re able to be flexible,” he says. “We can choose which day of the week and how many hours we need to work as long as we get the job done. That makes it very attractive.”

“Most of the people here are retirees, so they’re able to be flexible. We can choose which day of the week and how many hours we need to work as long as we get the job done. That makes it very attractive.”

Meanwhile, 25 kilometers (15 miles) to the east of the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary, Julie McLintock, 74, is clearing out unwanted underbrush from a thicket of trees at the Paremata Flats Reserve, a 30-hectare (74-acre) alluvial plain encompassing lowland coastal forest, as well as estuary and salt marsh environs home to the at-risk wetland birds moho pererū (banded rail) and mātātā (fernbird). A few feet away from McLintock, her fellow volunteers hunch low, bent on the ground as they weed out old man’s beard, an invasive, fast-growing vine that infests forests, smothering and collapsing tall trees.

“A team of about 10 of us come out here every week and work away, checking [predator] trap lines and looking after the trees we plant,” McLintock says. “I can work beside people and chat with them. We break for morning tea and lunch, and it is social. That helps your health, too.”

Miang Lim, 67, a retired food scientist and now artist who has been volunteering at the Paremata Flats Reserve for five years, echoes this sentiment. “I like being outdoors with friends who like the same thing,” she says.

Volunteering offers a number of health and well-being benefits for older people. Research shows that volunteering can facilitate healthy aging, helping reduce the symptoms of depression and lessen feelings of isolation through enhanced social connections, as well as improving physical capacity and providing higher life satisfaction. Volunteering may also have a positive impact on older adults’ level of autonomy and self-esteem.

But the benefits go far beyond the physical. As so many volunteers express, through their unpaid work they feel a sense of purpose from the meaningful work they do. “Every tree planted helps, and you become part of seeing the trees grow,” says McLintock. “Since we’ve taken over the trapping, birdlife has definitely increased. The fernbird and banded rail have multiplied. It makes you feel good because you can see results.”

Most importantly, volunteering is a way to leave a legacy. “I was born and raised in Nelson, and when I retired, I thought it’s time to give something back,” Mason says. “The idea of reintroducing lost species into the sanctuary and bringing back the native birds I saw when I was a child is worthwhile.”

For Lim, it’s all about creating a livable world for future generations. “When I was growing up, we were taught to leave the world a better place when we go,” she says. “I hope that is something I can do through volunteering." ●