Taieri Blokes Shed volunteers for conservation

Taieri Blokes Shed volunteers for conservation

The Taieri Blokes Shed president welcomes the opportunity for his shed’s members to volunteer for the Department of Conservation.

Taieri Blokes Shed president Ian Miller approached DOC some months ago after hearing that Alexandra Men’s Shed had been given the task of making traps for the local DOC office.

“With 45 blokes to keep busy I was keen to see if the local DOC office wanted a hand with anything” Says Ian Miller. “The more we have to do the more members are able to feel useful and give back to their community.”

The blokes shed have since begun building and painting new DOC sign frames and shaping a large number of palisade battens for a fence around the Huriawa Pa site at Kiritane. Ranger Simon Alefosio-Tuck says “The tasks the blokes shed is doing are the sort of tasks that get left aside for a rainy day. It often takes some time before we get a chance to complete them. Thanks to the blokes shed we will now be able to get new signs in the ground quickly and complete the fence at Huriawa Pa site sooner.”

Department of Conservation’s regional Volunteering Coordinator Lucy Hardy explains “DOC wants to involve more people in conservation for greater conservation gains and groups like the blokes shed provide us with this opportunity.”

The Taieri Blokes Shed brings men from Mosgiel, and nearby areas, together to share their skills while voluntarily carrying out work for local community groups and individual members of the community.

“You name it whether it’s woodwork or light metal work, we will have a go at it” says Ian.

It’s not all work at the Blokes Shed though, it’s also a place that blokes go to socialise with like minded blokes to share their interests and have a good time.

ENDS

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