Office with a view: Ranger

We’re highlighting the work Hawke’s Bay Regional Council staff are doing across the region. This time we hear from the new ranger, who looks after the Regional Council’s parks, trails and river spaces.

Kia ora to Mark Brinsdon, taking the reins of Ranger at Hawke’s Bay Regional Council.

He’s come to the Regional Council after 19 years of public service in the Police Serious Crash Unit. Mark is dedicated to making sure the region’s parks and rivers are great places for everyone to enjoy.

Mark looks after public use of rivers, regional parks, river mouth openings, and pathways. He also educates people as he goes so that people can do what they enjoy while sharing it with others. This involves letting motorcross riders know where the best places are for them to ride, educating users on fire risk, cleaning up rubbish and teaching people how to keep our rivers clean, as well as looking out for any feathered friends who may be nesting in the river corridors.

Mark has the not-so-nice job of picking up rubbish that is dumped in Regional Council areas. In the month that he has been here, Mark reckons there have been 20 trailer loads of rubbish dumped. This is a real issue for the Regional Council, and the main reason for part of the access to the Tūtaekurī River to be closed in late 2019.

Mark said he’s really enjoying the wide range of this new role.

“I’m learning so much about biodiversity, ecosystems, and looking after our whenua and wai. I’m enjoying the conversations with everyone I meet – so please say hi if you see me round.”  

A day for Mark can change with the ring of his phone.

Morning:

• Hop in the ute for a drive up the Tukituki River in Central Hawke’s Bay to check on gravel extraction to make sure the right amount of gravel is being taken from the right place.
• Have a chat to a fisherman about water quality and whether he’s had any luck with a catch.
• Get a call from Hawke’s Bay Trails about damage on the stopbanks following a storm. Note the area where the damage is and remove a branch off the track. Help out some tourists who aren’t sure which winery to head to next.
• Swing past Waitangi Regional Park to make sure it’s in order, check the river mouth is open, spot a fire that’s recently been put out next to a group of cars. Have a chat to the people beside the it and let them know about the fire risk.
• Drive back to the office for lunch and a brew, and send email instructions for repair work to gates.

Afternoon:

• While back at the Works Group office, head down to the Tūtaekurī River to check out what’s happening. Have a yarn to some motorcross users letting them know the best places to go to keep them and other users safe. Also talk about the fire risk in the middle of summer from the slightest spark and ask them to keep an eye out.
• Respond to a call out about a load of concrete dumped on the Ngaruroro and tidy it up while letting the pollution response team know what’s going on.
• While out on the Ngaruroro spot some river edge erosion (where the water is causing the banks of the rivers to erode); stop to take some photos and note the location so that the Council’s River Engineers can design a solution to guide the river back to the centre.
• Home time.

18 February 2020

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