On a mission to collect rubbish

Carol Jones of Matakatia takes to local streets almost every day to prevent the rubbish that is dropped on the ground from blowing onto beaches, or going down the drain and into the sea.

When Carol retired three years ago, after 40 years as an anaesthetic technician and nurse, she “did not want to sit around in an armchair”.

Her working life was one of service, including nursing in Middlemore Hospital’s spinal unit; becoming a founding member of TASC, which helps increase tetraplegics’ independence; volunteering for the AIDS Foundation in the late 1980s; and being a youth mentor with Coast Youth Community Trust. Carol likes to keep fit and active, including body building at the gym and regular walks – something that, along with family life, she was able to focus on in her retirement. “The amount of rubbish I found on my walks was horrendous, and so I grabbed a black plastic bag and started picking it up,” she says.

Soon, collecting rubbish, and educating the people she meets along the way, including children, about it, became a job in itself for the 73-year-old.

Her kit consists of plastic bags, a trolley made from an old recycling crate by the team at the Hospice Shop, and a $2 Shop pick up stick.

Several times a week, Carol walks around various loops in Whangaparāoa, including in Shakespear Regional Park; Matakatia to Fisherman’s Wharf and back via Tindalls Bay; Gulf Harbour; Stanmore Bay and Red Beach.

She generally fills three or four large plastic bags with rubbish on every two-hour walk. At times she is horrified at what she finds (such as used nappies and condoms) but most of it is plastic, takeaway packaging, bottles and cans.

She once took a bag of rubbish that she had picked up around Whangaparāoa

McDonalds into the store and told them they need to clean up around their premises. Recently she is finding more polystyrene from building sites, which she takes to be recycled at the Whangaparāoa Recycling Centre.

“Just by doing this, I hope to raise awareness,” she says. “I would like others to notice rubbish too and pick it up rather than just passing by. Many don’t realise that it washes down the drain and into the sea, or blows onto parks and beaches, where the plastic and other contaminants affect birds and marine life. Once you see it, you can’t just leave it on the ground.”

Skywalkers aim high

The Manly Skywalkers – a team of 10 volunteer firefighters from Manly Brigade (pictured) – all successfully completed the lung-busting Sky Tower Challenge on Saturday, May 21. Deon Holgate and Nathan Glen went the extra mile by completing in the Firefighter of Steel category. The team’s fastest time for the 51 flights of stairs was Jarrod Oberto who completed the climb ‘donned and started’ in 16 mins 45 secs. Deon completed 60 flights of stairs with a steel breathing apparatus set in 25min 52sec. Firefighter Jade Wickman says a lot of the volunteers want to do the Firefighter of Steel category next year, so training will have to start soon! The event is a fundraiser for Leukemia and Blood Cancer NZ and the Skywalkers have so far raised $7351. Fundraising continues for another month after the event – to make a donation, go to https://firefighterschallenge. org.nz/t/manlyskywalkers