The past few weeks have been productive and enjoyable, with a focus on brushing up on methods and ethical conduct of anthropological fieldwork. Part of this is because the last few weeks have been somewhat devoted to completing and obtaining ethical approval for my research with a certain University research ethics committee. With the guidance of my supervisor and one of the committee members, both professors, I wrote a discussion of the ways I will ethically conduct my fieldwork. Just a few days ago, I received some good feedback and met with the committee member again. We discussed three issues that were raised and all three were easily addressed. With a final information sheet for participants to be sent to the committee member, I think the ethics approval process should be completed.
The Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust has recently received a good amount of funding, that will be distributed over three year's time. In return, the Trust is contractually obligated to continue their work, specifically maintaining the pest-proof fence and keeping pests off the mountain. The promised funding has been contentious for some in the larger region. One person in particular, described as an American by the newspapers, has been critical about closed-door decision making processes concerning large amounts of taxpayer revenue. Thus, MEIT funding closed-door decisions have been a bone of contention. In a recent move, also hotly debated, the Trust's only four paid salaried staff members, including its Chief Executive, were let go. The stated goal is to move the Trust more toward what it is- a community project. I think they are hoping to get volunteers to take up the slack. The move does free up, or technically reduce operational overhead by over NZ$500,00 per year.
I am aiming to have my final proposal for the research completed soon and approved. Thus, very soon, official fieldwork can commence. In the meantime, I am enjoying my occasional trips up to the Waikato University's campus- it is quite picturesque in most spots. It has a number of small lakes around it, with plenty of gardens which include some very tall old growth native trees, I believe Pohutukawa or Kauri threes, fern gardens, and lots of native undergrowth plants, many of which are flowering varieties. I have included a picture or two of the campus, so enjoy. I hope to soon have a 'thank you' brunch out at my home, in the rear garden, for those persons who have helped me get here (at least those in NZ that is) and take my supervising professor up the Eco-Island project, as he as not yet been there. This is not an oversight on his part, nor any sign of disinterest. I would venture that he is the busiest professor in the anthro programme there. Thus, free time and breaks are not often had. A good deal of his time is spent helping students, teach, or trying to write material. One day I suppose, I will be lucky enough to be in the same predicament at some university as well.
Tomorrow I get to help out on a fieldtrip for the local elementary school. My son's class will be visiting another local environmental site of interest, and I will be driving my people-mover to take him and four of his classmates from the school to the site. This is yet again a perfect unofficial fieldwork opportunity. Calculations to live in Cambridge have come to fruition. These experiences in the past have allowed me to help the community, get to know teachers and local residents here, and talk with them. In these conversations on other fieldtrips I have helped volunteered with, I have been able gather various viewpoints local residents have concerning environmental conservation and learn of both the school's and their own contributory efforts in such projects. Perhaps on the next entry I will be able to post some pictures from this and past fieldtrip excursions. In fact, count on it. I can feel the momentum...can you?
