A day in the life of Rosemary Thorne: Training/Recruitment Coordinator for Te Korowai o Waiheke.

What does your day-to-day look like?

From my house on Te Matuku Point Lane, I overlook the Marine Reserve, and I awake to the feathered residents making themselves heard – the screech of the kākā overhead and the agility of the tūis twisting and turning their way through the kanuka and totara. I check the foreshore and see dotterels, godwits, oystercatchers, and blue herons all busy wading in the incoming tide for their breakfast session – while I have my own breakfast - coffee and boiled eggs.

Then it’s off to work in my role as the Training and Recruitment Coordinator with Te Korowai o Waiheke. The role includes recruiting the field technicians required for the rat pilot project and the stoat eradication programme.

A person fitting a role on paper is just the start – listening to their motivation for wanting a job with Te Korowai is also key. It’s also a two-way street, and it’s important for me to communicate the awesome Te Korowai vision to prospective staff and showcase Te Korowai o Waiheke as the considerate and professional employer it is.

I get great satisfaction from concluding the selection process with a successful applicant with whom you have developed a good relationship and knowing they will love joining the Te Korowai team and perform well.

How did you get into this type of work?

By complete accident – human resources was not a term I was familiar with, but when doing temp work overseas I started in a support role to an HR Manager, and I discovered that it fit well with my enjoyment of developing relationships and helping people. I went on to complete a post-grad diploma in Employment relations – and here we are!

What has your previous work experience looked like?

I have worked in several large corporate organisations, including agri-business and media – radio mainly where I have held senior management roles in Human Resources.

What attracted you to working in conservation?

My vision has been to bring back the dawn chorus and having visited Tiritri Matangi in the Hauraki Gulf many times; I wanted my own sanctuary. For the past 19 years, my husband Peter and I have been working towards this vision at Te Matuku Bay, Orapiu Waiheke. Turning a farmed area back into regenerating native bush is not for the faint-hearted – clearing pest weeds, baiting, and controlling rats is hard work but invigorating and rewarding every day. I volunteer my time as a stoat trapper with Te Korowai o Waiheke and feel proud to be part of such a hardworking and dedicated team. Being a custodian for the island is a special privilege and one I value very much.

How did you get to Waiheke?

We sailed around the island for many years – visiting and enjoying the slow pace of life. Belonging and being part of our community has created great friendships and provided me with new skills and opportunities to broaden my knowledge of our native species and contribute to preserving them.

What’s the weirdest job you’ve had?

Can’t think of anything weird – when I say I trap stoats and rats, that generally gets a second glance though!

How long have you been working in conservation?

20+ years

What’s your best work story at Te Korowai o Waiheke?

Just last month - knowing that the education and knowledge Te Korowai o Waiheke provided to my local community at Orapiu about how to recognise a stoat and how to report a sighting literally resulted in a female stoat being trapped. A real thrill for me to have the person who reported the stoat sighting tell me that it was the information he and I discussed at a community hui that gave him the confidence to know that what he had seen was in fact a stoat – they went online and reported it, resulting in the stoat team responding to ensure traps in the area were primed – a big success for all parties involved.

A day in the life of Te Korowai o Waiheke's Training/Recruitment Coordinator, Rosemary