ETEC Ranger Jayden Fabish

Jayden Fabish believes in keeping it local. As a ranger at East Taranaki Environment Collective, Jayden is helping protect and restore native biodiversity not far from where he grew up. 

“I grew up in on a dairy farm in Tariki, a 10-minute drive from Inglewood. After I finished my studies and completed work in other parts of the country, I wanted to return home and begin working in conservation in the areas I grew up around.  

“I think this adds more importance and pride into my work and gives me a greater drive to do the job right.” 

Jayden, who studied Zoology at Massey University, says the best part of his role as a ranger is the variety. He might be trapping, track cutting or doing surveys outside, or he could be writing reports interpreting data and undertaking advocacy work in the office. 

“This adds enjoyment to my work as I am not stuck doing the same tasks every day. I am also frequently learning new skills and adding to my knowledge of conservation and biodiversity,” he says. 

Jayden enjoys seeing the positive impact the work makes, though that can sometimes take years to see increased birds and other animals where restoration work has been carried out. 

“I am a huge believer in our country one day being pest free and our native species being able to sustain and grow themselves without the need for human intervention through trapping and breeding programmes. Essentially, I want us as a country to get to the point where we no longer require anyone to do this for a job.” 

East Taranaki Environment Collective is a community-led conservation initiative restoring biodiversity over 13,000 hectares in East Taranaki by controlling invasive pest species. Its office is based in Inglewood.