Grant Knight: The Quiet Force Behind the Transformation of Puāwai

When people walk into Puāwai, the headquarters of Pest Free Kaipātiki, they see a welcoming space — a hub for ecological restoration, education and community building.

What many do not see is the enormous amount of volunteer labour that went into transforming this former bowling club building into what it is today.

And at the centre of that work was Grant Knight.

Grant in the woodshed after digging out all the soil left behind by the former bowling club

Now recognised as a Lifetime Member of PFK, Grant played a major role in restoring Puāwai from a rundown building into a functioning headquarters for the organisation. Many of the stories about his contribution were shared by his wife, Jo, who has also been instrumental to PFK’s success over many years through her own leadership, organising and restoration work.

 

Taking on the hard jobs nobody else wanted

When PFK first acquired the building, it required extensive renovation work. Funding support for restoration was limited, so volunteers largely took on the project themselves.

According to Jo, Grant became the person who consistently tackled the difficult, exhausting and often unpleasant jobs that needed doing.

Grant cutting up pipe for kākā nesting boxes

He cleaned areas while wearing protective equipment, helping to safely deal with removing material and unsafe ceilings in dirty, physically demanding conditions.

During the COVID years, Grant often worked alone in the building for many hours at a time, steadily continuing the restoration process.

Jo described him as incredibly persistent, someone who simply kept going until the work was finished. There were many jobs other people abandoned along the way, but Grant was often the one who stayed behind to complete them.

 

Building Puāwai piece by piece

The restoration of Puāwai was far from glamorous.

In the early stages, the building had no proper lighting or power supply. Volunteers even needed to run a generator simply to boil a kettle. Materials and tools were salvaged and reused wherever possible: timber that needed every nail removed by hand, insulation that had to be sorted and installed, and endless piles of materials waiting to be transformed into something useful.

Grant was there through all of it.

Grant cutting insulation with fellow volunteer Bruno

He helped line and insulate the garage so chemicals used for predator control could be safely stored there, worked on demolition and rebuilding tasks, and stayed late to finish difficult jobs.

While many volunteers contributed to the project over the years — including people helping paint walls, hang doors and rebuild spaces — Grant became known as the steady presence who kept things moving forward no matter how difficult the work became.

Jo explained that while she often focused on bringing ideas and projects together, Grant was the person who quietly followed through and made sure the work got done.

A lifelong persistence

Grant’s determination and love of nature was shaped long before his time at PFK.

Originally trained in zoology, he later worked as a biochemist — a career that required patience, problem-solving and perseverance. Those same qualities became central to his volunteer work.

Grant and Maxie (dog) in the original toolshed, before he and other volunteers cleaned it up, fully insulated it, lined it with ply and installed shelving — all using donated materials.

Outside of his work renovating Puāwai, Grant also spent 30 years volunteering at Hadfield Street Reserve, helping remove invasive ginger, clear tracks and maintain the reserve after storms and slips. He also contributed to restoration work at Odin Place Reserve.

Jo said Grant has always been deeply connected to nature. A longtime diver and environmental enthusiast, he brought that same curiosity and commitment into every restoration project he worked on.

But among all his contributions, the transformation of Puāwai is Grant’s greatest source of pride; it is a reflection of his persistence, strong work ethic, and willingness to take on the hard jobs others avoided.

A lasting legacy

Today, Puāwai stands as a thriving community headquarters used by PFK staff and volunteer groups across Kaipātiki.

Its transformation was only possible because of years of Grant’s dedication to quietly putting in the hard work behind the scenes.

Grant, as always, mowing the lawns at Puāwai

Jo described Grant as action-oriented and self-motivated: someone who did not wait to be asked, but simply got started. At 81, he has slowed down somewhat, but he continues to frequently mow Puāwai’s lawn, and his contribution to PFK remains woven into the walls, floors and foundations of Puāwai itself.

PFK is proud to recognise Grant Knight as a Lifetime Member and celebrate the extraordinary contribution he has made to the organisation and the wider Kaipātiki community.