New Zealand Certificate in Conservation (Operations) (Level 4)

Program Overview

This one-year full-time program provides technical skills and practical knowledge for carrying out operational conservation work. Students learn about ecology, conservation planning, vehicle handling, chainsaw use, and Māori perspectives on conservation. The program emphasizes respect for Te Tiriti o Waitangi and working with local iwi or hapū tikanga and kawa.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

Get the technical skills and gain practical conservation knowledge to carry out operational conservation work and provide sustainable stewardship of the environment while working respectfully with Te Tiriti o Waitangi, local iwi or hapū tikanga and kawa. You’ll learn about ecology, conservation management planning, maintaining personal and public health and safety, teamwork and so much more. You will gain the technical skills and gain practical hands-on conservation knowledge to carry out operational conservation work and provide sustainable stewardship of the environment while working respectfully with the Treaty of Waitangi, local iwi or hāpu, tikanga and kawa. Students will learn about the concepts of project planning and surveillance as it applies to managing weeds. The principles of weed monitoring will also be taught.

• CCO3.004 Vehicle Handling: To provide students with appropriate vehicle handling skills to safely operate quad bikes and/or LUVs in a conservation setting.
• CCO3.009 Chainsaws and Construction: To provide graduates with appropriate skills to safely use a chainsaw in a conservation setting.
To develop practical skills in basic construction on a remote building site. To prepare students to actively participate in the preservation of wāhi tapu and taonga tūturu by understanding the significant tikanga associated with a site according to tangata whenua.
• CCO4.002 Mātauranga Māori: This course provides an introduction to Te Ao Māori (the Māori world view).
• CCO4.005 Kaitiakitanga and Rangatiratanga: To prepare learners to engage in the role of Kaitiaki in a manner consistent with the perspective of tangata whenua.
To enable learners to examine historical and contemporary examples of tino rangatiratanga and te Taiao and relay this to their own conservation practice, whilst following kaupapa Māori.
• CCO4.006 Risk Assessment and Conservation Technology: This course will evaluate common aspects of risk involved in conservation-based activities.
Students will appraise levels of risk and determine the appropriate actions required to maintain personal and public safety. To prepare graduates for delivery of practical conservation and the use of supporting technology.
• CCO4.007 Communication and Legislation: To develop graduates skills in professional communications to be applied in a conservation context.
• CCO4.008 Animal Pest Management: Students will gain an understanding of the vital nature of animal pest control perserving NZ’s native environment.
As part of this course students will gain their handler’s licence for a selected toxin.

Other:

• Duration: 1 year full-time
• Domestic Fees: $6,655
• Additional Expenses: Approximately $1000 to purchase PPE, appropriate boots and clothing, and a notebook/computer as required.
• Katelyn’s experience: As part of Katelyn’s 30-week Level 4 Certificate in Conservation (Operations), she has mapped a local reserve, used GPS coordinates to place monitoring tunnels and subsequent traps.
Katelyn feels like she has discovered the field for her after initially working and training in horticulture. She enjoys studying the way things are naturally and recommends the course to anyone interested in conservation.