At a time when the Department of Conservation (DoC) celebrates its rangers, one Far North man has won the top award in his field.

Monday was World Ranger Day, a time to acknowledge the critical work of rangers in front-line conservation across the globe.

At the same time DoC announced that this year’s national Stephen O’Dea Award winner is Jamie Werner from DoC in Kaitāia.

The Stephen O’Dea Award was established in 1996 in memory of Stephen O’Dea, who was the field centre manager at Punakaiki who died along with 13 Tai Poutini Polytechnic students when the Cave Creek viewing platform collapsed on April 28, 1995. The award is granted to one person per year and includes up to $5000 funding and one month’s paid special leave to be used for professional development.

This year’s winner is Werner, a senior ranger for community, Kaitāia. Since the award nomination Werner has moved into the programme lead, Wild Pigs role.

Werner said he has his new role and rangers pride themselves on working really closely with our treaty partners, community, and whānau. Offering up an intimate approach to working in our taio (environment).

He said the best bit about his job is working with people who genuinely love the environment.

“It’s infectious being around such inspiring people,” Werner said.

“The best DoC moment I have had was working with three of our treaty partners to write up Jobs for Nature applications. To have three of them in the same room together talking of creating opportunity for our people in Te Hiku was special. It resulted in a $10 million investment, creating 45 jobs in the Kaitāia District. The day I got to stand in a room with these people, was one of the proudest moments of my life.”

He said by winning the award he hoped to inspire others to take the time to celebrate their success and not be afraid to go after things available within this organisation.

“The department offers up some amazing opportunities if you are willing to put yourself out there.”

As part of his special leave Werner will be travelling to Tuvalu to work with rangers on the ground to support the Tuvalu National Environmental Week and work in the Funafuti Conservation Marine Sanctuary.

“I relish the opportunity to talk with them about having climate change on their front doors and dive deeper into their adaption and resilience plans being established. What does/ did the social process look like for them to help prepare themselves to move forward?” Werner said.

He said his happy place is the moana – the ocean.

“I love being in it, on top of it, sleeping beside it, or just sitting there with my little family watching the sun go down.”

In his spare time, Werner goes fishing and diving with his kids.

“The morning my kids woke me up at 5am to go fishing was a very proud ‘Dad moment’. I am also very committed to providing for our old people and serving my community. It’s a good way to keep myself and my family grounded.”

And his conservation advice to people is: “Get out and see other places, talk with people from other areas. It will open your hearts and your minds to all the amazing work going on across the motu. It’s my best advocacy tool I use to engage people in nature.”