Jenny Steven

As one of its five voluntary trustees, Jenny is involved with Trust operations – fundraising, promotions, contract management and interactions with other groups and agencies involved in kiwi conservation. She also gets involved in on-the-ground kiwi work, helping with kiwi call surveys in Taranaki’s forests, and with egg and chick transfers.  

The Trust has two part-time paid staff – a field officer who handles administration, advocacy and education, and is working with landowners on trapping programmes, and a kiwi ranger working on BNZ Operation Nest Egg™.  Jenny says that finding funding for existing programmes and wages is an ongoing challenge, as these need to be maintained before the Trust can expand its efforts. To that end, she has done some training in how to effectively seek corporate and individual sponsorship money, new territory for the Trust.

Why kiwi?

Jenny says working with kiwi allows her to contribute skills and knowledge about both biodiversity protection and managing funds. ‘After years of paid work, I wanted to give something back by being involved in the voluntary sector.  Kiwi protection happened to come up, and while I am still very much interested in the wellbeing of all biodiversity, it did not take long to be captured by kiwi. Holding an adult kiwi in the wild when helping at a transmitter change made me look at the forest in a completely new light.’

High point

Jenny’s high point is watching people light up as they watch and gently stroke a kiwi for the first time. ‘Kiwi releases for our BNZ Operation Nest Egg project on Mt Egmont /Taranaki never fail to inspire me and our visitors on the day.’

Another high point was when 17 landowners decided to take action to protect kiwi on their own properties. ‘The Okoki community hosted us at a cosy supper around an open fire in the community hall.  It makes the paperwork and coordination time all worthwhile.’

Low point

Human behaviours that discourage co-operative effort create a low point.  

Thoughts for the future of kiwi

‘It’s fortunate that kiwi can inspire community and individual action,’ she says. ‘I think the communities will continue to pick up responsibilities for protecting and restoring local kiwi populations, and they’ll reap the benefits from taking such responsibility – greater community pride, new networks and social cohesion.’

Jenny hopes kiwi protection is not divorced from wider interest in ecosystem protection, and will keep working on ensuring that does not occur in Taranaki.