Shaun Barnett in his happy place. Photo (c) Peter Laurenson.

This month, many members of our community have gathered in Wellington to celebrate the life of Shaun Barnett, who died peacefully at home with his close family by his side on June 5th.

Shaun was a member of Forest & Bird since 1986; and first worked for DOC in 1987 as a track worker and hut warden, while studying at Massey University, continuing to hold down positions within DOC, some paid, some as a volunteer, until he headed overseas for his O.E. When he returned he began building what became one of the most accomplished and recognised nature and backcountry writer and photographer careers in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Between 1999 and 2007 Shaun was a member of the executive of FMC, again demonstrating his willingness to give his time and energy to outdoor recreation and conservation. Following that, between August 2008 and November 2018, he was the highly regarded editor of the Bulletin/Backcountry, FMC’s quarterly magazine. Most recently, he stepped up again, this time in July 2020, becoming a member of Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa, New Zealand Geographic Board.

When Shaun was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour he responded in typical Barnett fashion - pragmatic, constructive, courageous, selfless. He was determined to do all he could to beat it but wasn't going to let it diminish what time he had left. His sense of humour and compassion never left him.

Our FMC whānau mourns the loss of one of our giants. Thank you Shaun for the huge contribution you made within the backcountry community and beyond.

Last year's entry: Goblin forest sunlight in Tararua. Photo (c) Lynsey Sutton.

It's that time of the year again when long cold nights lend themselves to browsing through your photos and making a selection for the upcoming Photo Competition. Remember, this is the perfect time to get your club competition going as well!

If you haven't run a club's photo competition before, there is still time to give it a try and if you need some help with that, we've got you covered! Check out our tips and tricks on how to run a competition, both in person and online.

The winning images of a club's competition are eligible to be entered into the FMC competition. FMC individual supporters can also enter and are pre-judged by FMC with the top shots gaining entry to the overall competition. Information on how to enter can be found on our website. Entries close on 1 September 2024 for individual supporters and 15 September 2024 for clubs. If you have any questions, please contact photocomp@fmc.org.nz

We are super excited to see what catches your eye out in the wild! Remember - by entering the photo competition, you are helping us with our advocacy work and making this world a better place. One photo at a time!

Are you passionate about the great outdoors and the protection of wild places we love? Would you like to turn your passion into purpose while still maintaining a good life-work balance? If you are looking for work that gives you enough time and flexibility to spend time in the great outdoors while meaningfully contributing to making this world a better place, then keep on reading!

FMC is looking for a new Executive Officer Operations to join our small but dedicated team. The Executive Officer Operations role is a unique and exciting opportunity for someone with strong administrative skills and policy understanding, looking to get involved at the very heart of our organisation and with Aotearoa New Zealand’s outdoor community.

For a full description and details, check the job ad.

Porters Pass ski area is a popular gateway to the backcountry.

The ski season is just around the corner! And whilst we're getting our gear ready for what we hope will be an epic season, it's important to have a few safety refreshers before hitting the backcountry.

In an attempt to alleviate friction between members of the backcountry touring community and some ski area operators, FMC created a set of backcountry touring access guidelines in 2019. This collaborative, one-page document articulates how to behave, when accessing backcountry terrain using ski fields, and promotes understanding of the ski area hazards and the code of conduct between tourers and ski area operators.

Check out the Backcountry Touring Access Guidelines on Wilderlife before you head out this winter.

A welcoming hut - a true treasure! Photo (c) Julia Mackie.

Make sure you plan a trip this November and become part of the Love Our Huts and Tracks Campaign. We're looking for clubs and keen people to connect their backcountry plans this spring with visiting some of our 951 public huts. Together we hope to visit them all so we can give them a quick spring clean, and also conduct a simple audit of their current state and from looking at the hut book, see how they are making a difference in terms of keeping people safe, conservation projects and types of recreation.

To find out more, and to sign up your trips please contact Mick Abbott (mick.abbott@fmc.org.nz). 

Keep an eye out for further updates, and join us so that together we look after and protect our outstanding and unique network of public huts and tracks both now and into the future. 

Allan Brent shares what he's been up to this month as FMC's Vice President.

Kia ora everyone,

“What are you up to?” is one of the most common questions FMC gets from clubs and supporters. So I’m pleased to bring you the first in a series of tasters for FMC executive board work. We will publish one in each Newsletter.

This month my main effort was on advocacy. I drafted FMC’s submission on changes to the International Visitor Levy, or IVL. The IVL is an important part of DOC funding. It could significantly boost DOC revenue if there was political will to raise it. But it also varies and that can leave DOC high and dry – as during Covid. On your behalf and after some careful thought, FMC argued for a much-increased IVL, retained as part of a balanced DOC funding mix.

This month we also made good progress on the next strategic plan at our June meeting. I also helped FMC nominee Stu Gray with our important Executive Officer position recruitment (check out the ad above!) as well as with other staff matters. I helped out our wonderful Communications Officer Masha Oliver preparing for FMC's visit to the New Zealand Mountain Film Fest – but less than I’d like as I got sick! As ever in the Vice President role, I also spent a lot of time supporting our indefatigable President Megan Dimozantos in her FMC endeavours.

Ngā mihi nui,

Allan

FMC's President, Megan Dimozantos, discussed what we stand to lose as recreationists under the new Fast-track Approvals Bill.

Like every year, the NZ Mountain Film and Book Festival did not disappoint!

The programme catered for all sorts of tastes: adventure enthusiasts, social movers, environmentalists, explorers, and boundary pushers. It offered a great selection of high-quality, inspiring films, so we encourage you to have a look at the online program and watch some online from home. Our support to the NZMFF also allows the festival to offer a 45-minute selection of this year’s films to schools and Scout groups for free! To register, please email programme@mountainfilm.nz.

During Sunday's Nature and Environment session, FMC's President, Megan Dimozantos, talked about FMC's recent work and the effects the Fast track Approvals Bill could have on the places we recreate in. Our stand at the festival attracted a good deal of attention with a Mountainopoly game, introducing visitors to FMC's work in an engaging and fun way. 

FMC is keen to be more closely connected with our member clubs. As part of this, we are hosting a quarterly online Club kōrero where clubs can dial in for an hour to get an update on FMC happenings and ask questions of the Executive.

Join us for our fifth kōrero on Wednesday, 7th August 2024, at 7 pm. Please RSVP to communications@fmc.org.nz, if you plan to attend. These meetings are becoming popular, so places fill up pretty quickly.

If there are items you would like to see on the agenda for discussion, please let us know so we can ensure we have the right information in front of us to answer your questions.

Matariki - time to remember, celebrate and look to the future. Photo (c) Sue Henley.

As the Matariki cluster rises low on the wintery sky, it reminds us to reflect on the year gone, remember everyone who left us this year, as well as make some time to map out the future.

The celebration of Matariki is deeply rooted in the concept of whakapapa, which in a wider sense refers to the interconnectedness of all living things and the importance of family and community. We encourage you to take some time in the next days to contemplate what interconnectedness means to you and how you can help it grow in the year ahead.

At the same time, we would like to thank you - our community. Thank you for supporting us, for standing with us and for believing in our work. Even though our mahi is sometimes hard to define and showcase, we are constantly encouraged by your words of support and appreciation.

We hope we can continue to advocate for what binds us together.

“We must closely guard the welfare of our National Parks and Reserves. These should not be regarded as the property of our minister or the government. They belong to the people of today and tomorrow. We must fight for their protection if necessary.” Fred Vosseler – Inaugural FMC President (1932)

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