Finally, one of them

Press, 26 April 1988, Page 12

Finally, one of them

Kevin Smith, who isj the West Coast conservation officer for the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society, has been the one surrounded by the most controversy, but Barbara is the most well known locally. She is the link, the person the locals see on a daily basis.

Opossum trapping was a turning point in how; people regarded her. she believes. i ■ j ! . •

"A lot of thi? locals were quite amazed when I went out trapping on my own. Some of the;older guys would look after me— used (to check up on me. A couple of times they had search parties oui after ii was dark."

Her .mother Was horrified, but for Barbara it was great. She loved being ( out in the bush; the bush( which was the ' reason for living! on the Coast. She used to laj about 30 traps a day, and often carried outopposums whole.

"I can’t even lift what I managed to carry then.” ' I ( | She trapped fbr a year and a half, before she became pregnant, and her first child, Rachel, was born in 1978. "It was a dreadful year. Nine months of constant rain, and it was very' cold. I used to get quite depressed. But then on a brilliant day, t was all worth it."

Coming to be accepted by the local community was! not easy, but Barbara worked at it. Although .she and Kevin ( are still • known as! ('the greenies,"! people are now Biore accepting of them.

"The fact we built our house here and stayed living in the area. made a difference." | ;

Barbara suspects ! being a woman meant she was more easily accepted than Kevin, because of her daily contact with other women, j ;

"My friends see me as a woman with children, like tijem. With some, it is really hard to discuss conservation: they either have no Understanding! of it, or just choose to ignore it. Bpti it doesn't matter: we just concentrate! on the things we do have in common. "The time I really felt I wasjaccepted ! was when Rachel was a babyj and the I local mill manager's wife) came up to !me and asked: ‘How’’s our (baby?’ I (really felt I was one of them! then.

"Perhaps being a woman; made it easier, but I’m also a born talker, and I like people." ( ! i J She has formidable organisational skills as well. 1 She and Kevin run natural history tours for the Forest and (Bird Society. Barbara does the bookings >nd cater- ( ing, and organises transport and accom- ( modation. She also does the cdtering for the bigger Forest and Bird fieidtrips held in the South Island. l

She approaches the problem of feeding 120 people with the same quiet practicality as she does everything else. "You just think how mluch food you’d cook for 10 people, and (star! multiplying-" I She is optimistic about (the future, and anticipates hardened opposition to conservation issues might soften!

"Conservation is seen to be providing jobs through tourism, the only industry i on the Coast With growth potential. > “We have a positive approach, and it gives people some hope, (and encourages them to go out and do something for ( themselves."

Abusive phone calls in the middle of the night at “the greenies"! household mav well be a thing ofj the past.