From Manaaki Ao to DOC
Te Kaha’s conservation journey
Te Kaha was born and raised in Whāingaroa and went all the way through Raglan Area School to Year 13 - a self-described “RAS jailbird”.
He took part in Manaaki Ao, our Raglan Area School-based environmental education programme, in 2017 and 2018. Delivered by the Karioi team, the programme used unit standards from agricultural pest animal courses, giving students the chance to gain NCEA credits through hands-on learning in an outdoor classroom.
At the time, Te Kaha’s motivation was pretty straightforward; he needed the credits.
“I didn’t really think much of it. I just kind of threw myself in head first.” But it quickly became one of his favourite subjects.
A big part of that was getting out on Karioi. Despite growing up right beside the maunga, Te Kaha had only been up there once before joining the programme.
“Spending time on our maunga, which I’d never really done… It was a nice thing to look forward to every week.”
Since leaving school, Te Kaha says he has mostly been “figuring out life”. There’s been lifeguarding, a lot of cycling - including some fairly serious adventures - and a few unexpected moves along the way.
Today, he describes himself as a friendly, chilled-out guy, “despite being quite a big dude covered in tattoos”. He’s approachable, quietly introverted and happy to go with the flow. He doesn't plan too much and isn’t too worried about knowing exactly where he’ll be six months from now.
One thing that did stick was conservation.
Te Kaha had wanted to work for DOC since leaving high school, and he says his experience with Manaaki Ao and the Karioi Project played a real part in that.
When asked what eventually led him towards DOC, his answer was simple: “Working with yous.”
He is now working with the Department of Conservation through a Tainui cadetship. Trapping was initially the big draw, and although he would happily do more of it, his main work at the moment is track clearance.
He’s also been involved in weed work, compliance, cat necropsies and other conservation tasks, giving him a broad range of practical experience.
And he loves it.
He talks warmly about the people he works alongside and the satisfaction of doing practical work that people notice and appreciate. Track clearance, in particular, gives an immediate sense of achievement.
“We get a lot of compliments from the public, depending on where we are - a lot of thank-yous.”He’s also rather proud of being the youngest person in the DOC office.
And now he’s come full circle - back volunteering on Karioi, the maunga where it all started.
Looking back now, at 25, Te Kaha has some pretty simple advice for his 17-year-old self:
“It took a while, but eventually you did get to DOC, and you’re getting more out of it than you were expecting. So yeah, keep it up, bud.”
And for other young people wondering whether conservation might be for them?
“If you do have those aspirations, go for it.”
Or, as his mate George puts it, it might just be “the best job in the world.”
