KIWIS PAYING IT FORWARD - We're doing it for love

It’s Volunteer Week and to celebrate these unsung heroes, Rebekah Hebenton finds out what ignites their passion

- Rebekah Hebenton

Growing up in Red Beach on Auckland’s North Shore, Charlie Thomas, whose preferred pronouns are they/ them, spent their childhood surrounded by nature and wildlife. Charlie caught the conservation bug young and signed up for beach rubbish pick-ups and tree plantings after learning about plastic polluting our oceans and the many threats to native plants.

Then, at nine years old, Charlie, whose mum is Breeze radio host Jeanette Thomas, got the chance of a lifetime when they were selected by kids’ show What Now to be a Department of Conservation ranger for a week.

“I spent the whole week tracking whio duck, working with takaheÌ„and building little toys for kea down in Te Anau, which was fantastic.”