Monday: November 13 It was the first day I would be volunteering with Conservation Volunteers New Zealand (CVNZ). I wasn’t sure what to expect for the day. Would I be removing invasive species, tree planting, or surveying bugs? These are all things I’m used to doing when volunteering back home with Great River Greening. It was going to be a surprise. We were picked up … Continue reading Conservation Volunteers: Week 1: November 13-17

Saturday: November 18 Saturday afternoon was pretty uneventful. I spent most of the day updating and uploading photos to my blog. I also got to hang clothes on the outdoor clothesline. I had been talking about doing it for four days so needless to say, I was pretty excited to try it out. Marie got a kick out of it. Saturday night Marie, Romain, Lasse, … Continue reading Rugby and the Zoo: November 18-19

Monday: November 20 David had the day off so Aviva picked us up instead. We drove to a coastal area, Breaker Bay,  to remove some nonnative weeds/plants. We met Ranger James who shared some facts that may or may not be true. He confessed that he’s good at making things up as topics arise. A skill that I do not possess. Ranger James offered some … Continue reading Conservation Volunteers: Week 2: November 20-24

Monday: November 27 It was an easy day. All we did was transplant little potted plants into larger pots at the nursery. While it’s not terribly exciting, I enjoy being at the nursery. It’s a bit more relaxed and not too labor intensive. The first two images are of a wētā. After we got done at the nursery, David dropped us off at Owhiro Bay … Continue reading Conservation Volunteers: Week 3: November 27-December 1

Saturday: December 2 I woke up early and finished up my weekly blog post while sipping on a cup of coffee. I was still a bit tired so I went and laid down in my upgraded suite*. I watched Moana and closed my eyes for a half hour. The nap was refreshing, but now it was time for some grub. I really wanted to try … Continue reading Last Weekend in Windy Welly: December 2-3

Monday: December 4 We drove to another community preserve. I mainly removed tradescantia (wandering willie) today, but also worked with others bringing mulch up a side of a mountain. I learned about another New Zealand native tree while releasing, the Totara. I liked this tree so much that I thought about incorporating it with the tattoo I plan on getting (sorry pops 🙄). Totora’s uniqueness … Continue reading Conservation Volunteers: Week 4: December 4-8

l arrived in Te Anau on December 19… just in time to start work as a housekeeper at a luxury lodge, Fiordland Lodge, the following day. Oofta. It’s been a few months, but I’ll try to fill ya’ll in. I spend most of my weeks working, but I’ve definitely gotten to venture out a few times, I even met up with a fellow coworker from … Continue reading Te Anau: December 20-January

February 1 Chantal spent approximately six hours in aisle 7 searching for a conditioner.  I left her to be by herself so she could make a decision.  I came back to her and she says to me with a serious face “something terrible has just happened.” Of course I was a concerned but was instantly relieved with laughter when she told me that as she … Continue reading Te Anau: February

April 1 On this day Laura and I headed south to Dunedin.  Our good friend Ed Sheeran was to play a show.  Laura’s other half didn’t want to attend the show so I purchased the ticket from him.  It was perfect since I got to spend some quality time with my girl! Once we got into the city, we went straight to Baldwin Street which … Continue reading Te Anau: April

I’ve made it to New Zealand all the way from Minnesota! Yay! I’ll try to update this blog at least once a week to share what I experience. I anticipate many memories (like the suitcase episode… I’ll explain later), new friendships (like Marie from Germany), and adventures (like flying into Windy Wellington- blah!). And if you’re wondering what nymph2dragonfly means (thanks to Andrea, Rachel, and … Continue reading The Adventure Begins