Kia ora koutou e te whānau,

My name is Masha and I am the new FMC Communications Officer.

I grew up a few streets away from the first married couple who climbed Mt Everest Chomolungma. My whanau has always been closely connected to the mountains, and so have I, since my early years, when I questioned my mother’s speed up the hill from the safety of a child carrier. Now I don’t question anyone’s speed anymore. If I can’t walk up the mountain or don’t feel like it, I am equally content just admiring it from below. As a hermit by nature, I agree with Nic Low that the best paths are the ones where you meet no one*.

Before becoming part of the conservation and responsible recreation NGO network, I worked as a librarian and an exhibition curator for Christchurch City Libraries and as a DOC ranger in Te Anau. In the wild, I generally let the tramping boots take the lead. I occasionally swap them with climbing shoes or a split board. I like to be accompanied by a four-legged friend. When I’m not wandering in the great outdoors, I’m reading or writing – all just to wonder. 

It’s a privilege and an honor to be part of FMC and to advocate for what truly matters: freedom to roam and have access to unspoiled rivers, untouched landscapes, uninterrupted wilderness. There are many reasons why people venture into the outdoors on nature’s terms and all are equally valid. I fiercely believe in democratic values that underpin the idea of national parks and free access to public land. And above all, in the intrinsic values of nature. These are irreversible and irreplaceable. I also believe we are all visitors here and our most important role is being kaitiaki, the guardians, of the land and the environment, which we share with others. 

I am looking forward to building relationships and harnessing the connections to achieve FMC’s kaupapa, to highlight and raise the awareness of the invaluable work of the Board and tune into the needs and deeds of the wider outdoors community. 

See you out there.

Mā te wā,

Masha

 

 

*  Low N. (2021). Uprising. The Text Publishing Company.