A new Bay of Plenty conservation initiative is tackling barriers to practical training, with low-cost field courses now under way and new online learning programmes set to make conservation skills accessible to people across Aotearoa.

Several courses are being offered in the Eastern and Western Bay of Plenty this spring, starting with a pest control course at Ōhope Scenic Reserve on Saturday.

The Introduction to Pest Animal Control course will provide an introduction to the principles, tools and practical approaches used to manage pest animals.

Three further courses are planned for next month:

■ Introduction to GIS in Conservation – Sunday, October 18, Katikati. A beginners’ course covering GPS data collection, basic mapping and how geographic information can support conservation projects.

■ Freshwater Conservation – Wednesday, October 21, Ōhope. A practical day exploring stream ecology, freshwater monitoring and the tools used to access the health of the waterways.

■ Identifying NZ Birds – Saturday, October 24, Ōmokoroa. A hands-on course focussed on building confidence identifying native birds by sight and sound in the field.

Tauira Mahi was developed by Bay Conservation Alliance to make high-quality conservation training more accessible to volunteers, community groups and people wanting to build their knowledge and confidence in the field.

The programme combines practical, hands-on learning with experienced conservation practitioners and is designed for people at different stages of their conservation journey, from those just starting out through to existing volunteers wanting to strengthen their skills.

Bay Conservation Alliance chief executive Michelle Elborn said building capability was an important part of supporting the thousands of people contributing to conservation across the region.

“Community conservation is powered by passionate people, but passion is even more effective when people have the knowledge, practical skills and confidence to put it into action,” she said.

“Tauira Mahi is about making conservation learning approachable and useful. People can spend a day in the field learning alongside experienced facilitators and leave with skills they can take back to their local project, workplace or community.”

The programme also provides an affordable professional development opportunity for people working in conservation, environmental management or related sectors who want to broaden their practical knowledge.

Each field-based course runs from 9am to 4pm and costs $49, helping remove some of the financial barriers that can make specialist training difficult for community conservation volunteers to access.

Tauira Mahi is also set to expand beyond face-to-face training, with online learning units currently being developed for release this spring. These will enable people from throughout Aotearoa to access conservation learning regardless of their location.

Elborn said the expansion reflected Bay Conservation Alliance’s wider goal of strengthening conservation capability beyond individual projects or organisations.

“There is an incredible network of people doing conservation mahi throughout Aotearoa. By making training easier to access, both in the field and online, we can help grow the collective skills and knowledge available to protect our native species and ecosystems.”

Tauira Mahi covers a growing range of conservation topics, including bird and plant identification, forest ecology, freshwater conservation, navigation, pest animal control and foundational conservation knowledge.

Registrations and further information are available at training.bayconservation.nz