A Rocha Kiwis: Helen Bathurst

In our second installment of the A Rocha Kiwi series – #ARochaKiwis – featuring people of ARANZ across the country, we chat with Helen Bathurst a long time volunteer and supporter based in Wellington.

What you do with A Rocha and how did you start getting involved?

I came across an A Rocha brochure at a friend’s house about ten years ago, rang the number provided for Wellington and became involved. Now I am a committee member of the A Rocha local group in Wellington and the historian, writing up or getting someone else to write up what we do. I am looking forward to working on a Wellington City project when it gets going (we’re currently exploring options) and becoming involved with some hands on work.

When and why did you become interested in conservation / caring for creation?

I am not sure when I first became interested in creation care. We always enjoyed being in the outdoors as children, I studied botany and zoology at university with an interest in ecology. Now I try to live simply making as little impact as I can on our environment.

How does your faith impact your work?

I am a retired early childhood teacher who had the privilege of working in childcare centres that were attached to churches. As well as praying for the children in our care, I was privileged to pray with them at prayer time, sing grace for our meals and read and talk about Bible stories. 

I also helped our centre to walk a greener path, reducing the amount of rubbish we put out, introducing vegetable gardening, erecting a washing line, making a lizard habitat, learning about God’s creatures (yes – even including bugs) etc. 

Tell us about one of your favourite A Rocha memories.

I enjoy all A Rocha activities, hui, practical conservation work etc. But perhaps one of my favourite delights is seeing the difference our conservation work makes over time; transformations from blackberry and gorse to native bush or wetland. Another delight was taking my grandchildren to a working bee at the Waiu Wetland and watching my 18 month old grandson sitting and playing with great joy in a mud puddle he had found.