GREBE GRABS GREATNESS
Never heard of the Puteketeke or Crested Grebe until fast talking, fact amassing comedian, John Oliver of the American network, spluttered about the grebe a couple of weeks ago.
It is a kind of duck and not seen in the North Island for ages and only a 1000 survive in the bowels of the South Island.
Oliver has done me a favour. The annual NZ Bird of the Year is a bit of a farce and so when it came to the NZ Bird of the Century which promised to be equally farcical, along comes Oliver, whom I have a great admiration for, and dug the knife deeper into farcical.
Every year we are virtually told by NZ Forest and Bird whom to vote for in Bird of the Year or at best given a list of maybe three birds and advised who could be favoured. The idea is to spread it around the dozens and dozens of birds that grace our lands. So it is a joke this annual public voting. It is just a publicity stunt.
And who can forget that two years ago Forest & Bird promoted a non- bird for the Bird of the Year and of course sheep-like voters complied and the animal ( a bat) won.
Be that it may, we were told to select who we like as NZ Bird of the Century but to really go for the North Island Brown Kiwi.
In steps Oliver and proclaims on his televised weekly show that the Puteketeke nestled in Australia, NZ and in some other Pacific islands should be honoured with the title and not the little Brown Kiwi.
The Kiwi is reserved, rather dour, colourless, quiet and a night-time-only prowler. The Crested Grebe is the opposite. Colourful, quirky, well adorned and can make a splash.
Oliver's choice and his organisation's promotional costs won out by a landslide - over 290,000 votes to the 12,000 allotted to the NI Brown Kiwi.
if you have never before heard of John Oliver you have now. Thank you John. NZ Forest & Bird just might feel compelled to change the way they promote animals that live in NZ in future.
Poll: Have you ever been bullied?
People associate bullying with children in schools, but it can actually stretch beyond childhood to workplaces or neighbourhoods.
This Friday is Pink Shirt Day, which began in Canada in 2007 when two students took a stand against homophobic bullying after a new student was harassed for wearing pink. People across the globe are now encouraged to wear pink on this day to take a stand against bullying and promote inclusivity.
Have you or your whānau ever experienced bullying? Share your thoughts on Pink Shirt Day below.
Type 'Not For Print' if you wish your comments to be excluded from the Conversations column of your local paper.
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79.8% Yes
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19.9% No
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0.4% Other - I'll share below
For Sale: Location Location Location. Open Home Sun 12.30-1.30
35 Fendalton Crescent! Situated on the lower slopes of Pinehaven this Vendor is priced to sell! Four bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and 3 living rooms! BEO$847,000! A short walk to all Silverstream's many amenities as well as the bus at the corner of the street to the Train station! Great for a family or professionals working from home! Great entertainers home and kitchen for the gourmet chef! Be quick or let this great home with a great price go to someone else!
Vacancies at Volunteer Wellington
🌟Two opportunities to join our team! 🌟
➡️ Manager Member Services
This is a part time role working 25 hours per week.
In this busy and varied role, you will be managing and developing our member services programme which will include expanding the membership base, raising the profile of the volunteer sector, and developing meaningful relationships with key organisations.
Bringing experience across the NFP/Volunteer sector will be the foundation to your success. You will be experienced in managing and developing a member services programme, be proactive, truly believe in the value of volunteering and have a strong community focus.
You will be required to work all day Monday and Wednesdays with the rest of the hours to be negotiated around what works for you. Working in a small team of 8 passionate people, you will have a great level of support and assistance around you, to deliver great results.
The day-to-day responsibilities will include: leading the Member Services Programme; retaining and growing membership; developing and delivering resources; attending events and evaluating the service offerings of our organisation.
The preferred candidate will: have experience working in a NFP/NGO/Charitable organisation; have a passion for volunteering with experience or exposure to volunteer services; with strong communication skills and exceptional customer service.
If this sounds like an opportunity you would like to discuss further and you have the relevant skills and experience, we would love to hear from you. Please apply via the Forte Recruitment link below:
🌐 forterecruitment.co.nz...
➡️ Coordinator Preparation for Employment programme
Fixed term contract: 20 hours per week
Are you someone who enjoys making a difference in people's lives?
We are seeking a part time Coordinator for our successful Preparation for Employment Programme on a one year fixed term contract from 1 June 2024 to July 2025. You will work closely with people on a main Work and Income benefit and support them into volunteering as a pathway into employability. Our goal is to help remove some of the barriers to sustainable employment for our clients and we know volunteering is a great pathway towards this. You will be required to work all day Monday and Wednesdays with the rest of the hours to be negotiated around what works for you.
Primary Objectives of the role include: engaging with, and motivating our Work and Income clients to identify their strengths and overcome their barriers to employment; accurately recording information and fulfill accountability reporting criteria. Building relationships with key Work and Income staff and with our community membership is essential to develop meaningful support to the clients.
To be successful in this role you will have: motivational interviewing interviewing skills; experience with one to one mentoring; empathy and an ability to motivate and build confidence in clients; an awareness of the complexities and impacts of being out of the paid workforce. And above all patience, perseverance, and a positive attitude. If this sounds like you please apply via the seek link below:
🌐 tinyurl.com...
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