This week's ASB Good as Gold recipient is a retired school Latin teacher who has become a conservation trailblazer, creating lush reserves for Waitākere residents to enjoy.
John Staniland and his hundreds of volunteers have been spending the last five years resurging horse paddocks near Bethells Beach — creating a thriving ecosystem.
He's been passionate about conservation for decades, first revitalising bush in 1978 when a block of forest land below his house came up for sale.
Now, he's turned 157 hectares of land into reserves — restoring it to what it once was.
Staniland described the work as being "very, very satisfying".
"It feels like my life work," he said.
"It setting the scene for conservation in the future, especially wetland conservation that was forgotten."
Some of the land is owned by Forest and Bird, with a trust owning the rest — Staniland said he does it out of love for the forest.
"I feel as though when I'm in the forest, I'm surrounded by friends. I am not alone.
"Just feeling the calm and the peace and the diversity."
And it's not just the land that's been impacted by Staniland's passion — but his small army of volunteers, too.
"He brings his energy and his knowledge," volunteer John Sumich said.
"Protecting areas of bush by making them a reserve and covenanting them."
"Who can think this was all paddocks five years ago," volunteer Annalily Van Den Broke said.
If you know a deserving New Zealander you'd like to nominate for ASB Good as Gold, click here.
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