Careful owner

Lance Rickard - agricultural consultant

"We are caretakers of our land and we have a responsibility to protect the New Zealand we love so that our tamariki can enjoy it," says agricultural consultant Lance Rickard.

Lance has spent all his life on his Gisborne farm. "As a child, my mother taught us kids about conservation and taonga, to leave things as you find them, and not to interfere too much."

Lance has already witnessed the effects of climate change in his area, including erosion and changing weather patterns. "My mountain is Hikurangi and it was snowing in late October which is unusual for our area. I've seen such changes in the weather over time and believe we must be responsible to ensure our land doesn't run away to the sea or fall down a gully."

Concerned about the potential impacts of climate change, Lance has implemented a number of programmes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. "We compost our organic waste, we recycle and we have a pig bucket for other scraps.

"We also plant trees around the farm to provide shelter for our stock, and because they actually control a lot of water flow and prevent erosion. Our back yard is dominated by native trees."

Lance encourages other farmers to plant native trees on their properties. "Planting trees benefits our land, our animals and our environment by absorbing carbon dioxide which helps reduce the effects of climate change."

He finds the Maori concept of guardianship for the land particularly appealing.

"When it comes right down to it, even though I own my land, I never really do. I am always just a caretaker. Really my children own it, and when they inherit the land then their children will own it. This is why we have to make the right decisions - for our children's future."

"As a father of five children I firmly believe we must all take care of this country. We have such a great country and sometimes I fear that we have become a bit complacent, because we have it so good.

"We must teach our children about the importance of preserving our land to ensure future generations can enjoy it and we must set the example."

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