Ten years ago I knew very little about NZ plants and I believed NZ was 'clean and green' and well-protected; I was proud to call myself a 'Kiwi' and thought that farming was a productive use of the land. My turning point came in 2005 when I was offered a fees-free course of my choice with the Open Polytechnic. I found this course and did the biggest U-turn of my life!
Complacency sits well with ignorance. One of the biggest shocks I had was that 95% of kiwi chicks that hatched in unprotected areas died before they reached 6 months; I didn't need to be a rocket scientist to realise that time was running out fast for our national bird with our identity becoming the equivalent of the dodo. The mirage of being clean and green evaporated as I learned to identify what was native and sustainable, the importance of estuaries to fish populations and that Mother Nature's life cycle had no 'waste' - in stark contrast to our own.
DOC has a number of free online courses on their website...
...and 3 of the 9 practical field-based courses are also free. The PlantID course is suitable for beginners keen to learn and for those wanting to brush up on the terminology. Our tutor, Beth, did a great job of leading us through and the resources you get to keep are great.
Ignorance may be bliss but I'm glad I've belatedly connected with the natural processes that this earth has perfected over millions of years - it just feels right.
