From overwhelm to hope: a volunteer's inspiring journey
This article shares the inspiring story of our volunteer, Sonya English, and her volunteering experience with us as part of our Buffer project.
We are incredibly fortunate to live on a property surrounded by native bush and backing onto a beautiful council reserve. Our children have spent years exploring it, and it has always been one of the things we love most about where we live. We have wanted to do what we can to protect it and support the native bush around us.
The challenge has been the pest plants. Moth plant, morning glory and other invasive weeds have steadily spread through parts of the surrounding land and deeper into the bush. We had been working away at it ourselves for some time and had previously had some great help from the Pest Free Kaipātiki team. We would make progress, then another spell of warm, damp Auckland weather would arrive, and the pest plants would take off again.
Of most concern was, the weeds had spread through surrounding areas and were climbing over young native plants and, in some places, smothering them. We kept trying, but eventually it started to feel overwhelming. A few months ago, I contacted Pest Free Kaipātiki Restoration Society and asked for help.
That was when we met Ian Naguiat, Pest Plant Advisor and Keith longstanding Kaipātiki volunteer. Ian and Keith came to our property and walked through the bush with us. Ian’s extensive knowledge of pest plants, native flora and restoration was immediately obvious, but what stood out just as much was his enthusiasm and practical approach. He understood the scale of what we were looking at, but somehow made it feel manageable. He helped us see where to start, what to prioritise and how to work more effectively. Keith, also with extensive knowledge especially of the historical and practical knowledge of this area, so interesting and helpful!
Perhaps the biggest change was not in the bush at first, but in how we saw the task. What had felt endless suddenly felt possible when it was shared. Before long, Ian helped organise a community working morning. This is part of a project called the Buffer programme which is funded by Auckland Council to help communities be involved in protecting their reserves. Ian arrived with volunteers Kat and Rebecca, who were equally generous with their time and knowledge, and a wonderful group of people joined in.
Neighbours came, friends came and teenagers came. There was something quite special about seeing people spread through the bush together, pulling vines, learning what belonged and what didn’t, and gradually uncovering native plants that had almost disappeared beneath the growth.
In one morning, we achieved far more than we had expected. But what stayed with me most was not only the amount of pest plant that was removed. It was the sense of people working together, learning together and contributing to something that mattered. Ian, Kat and Rebecca showed us how to identify what we were dealing with, how to approach the work more effectively and how to give the native plants the best chance to recover. Their encouragement was just as valuable as their knowledge.
From there, things started to build. My husband and I, along with neighbours, friends and family, began doing small amounts regularly. A little bit on a weekend, another section cleared, another native plant uncovered. It became much less about trying to solve everything at once and more about continuing to make progress.
Slowly, the difference became visible. This Sunday was another special milestone when Pest Free Kaipātiki supported us with providing and planting native seedlings and plants. The aim was not only to replace what had been cleared, but to help stabilise the land and support the return of the native vegetation. Once again, the support from Ian, Rebecca and Kat was incredible.
What has struck me most through all of this is that the experience has become about much more than pest plants. We hear so much about what is going wrong in our communities and in the wider world that it can be easy to feel problems are too large or too difficult to change. This experience has reminded us to notice what is going right as
well.
It also reminded me how important it is to ask for help. Sometimes we think we should be able to manage things ourselves, but asking for support can be the very thing that allows progress to begin.
We are so grateful for the support, knowledge and generosity of Ian, Kat, Rebecca and the Pest Free Kaipātiki Restoration Society, and for every neighbour, friend and teenager who has turned up and helped.
What I will remember most, is how quickly things changed once people came together. The bush looks different, but so does the way we feel about caring for it. What had felt near impossible, now feels like something shared, worthwhile and possible. That has been a pretty special thing to be part of.
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