A GP Locum's nurture of nature
Announcing Ochre’s latest Golden Gratitude Award winner – Dr. Jeff Green
One of the highlights of Ochre Recruitment’s loyalty program is the Golden Gratitude Award, where each quarter our consultants nominate one outstanding Ochre GP. Not only do we celebrate and reward their remarkable achievements, but we also donate $1,000 to a deserving individual or charity of their choice.
We’re therefore delighted to announce Ochre locum GP Dr. Jeff Green is our Golden Gratitude Award winner for the October-December quarter – congratulations! You might remember Jeff from his recent blog adventures as the expedition doctor on board the ill-fated Greg Mortimer cruise ship, stranded off South America as the COVID pandemic hit.
A self-confessed hippy at heart, Jeff is passionate about bush regeneration and has donated his $1,000 to Plant Hawke’s Bay, a wholesale native plant nursery specialising in eco-sourced native plants for restoration projects. Owner Marie Turner and a team of volunteers are focused on replanting and developing native bush in Hawke’s Bay NZ to encourage the return of endangered wildlife.
“When I get back from locum work, planting is where I’m most happy. It’s a great balance to medicine,” Jeff explains.
“In the last 20 years, we’ve seen a total return of birdlife to what was once just bare paddock here at Cape Kidnappers in Hawke’s Bay. But there is so much more to be done. Ochre’s generous donation means we will be able to source a huge number of native plants to kick start the next phase of planting projects.”
Marie Taylor of Plant Hawke's Bay is thrilled with Jeff's contribution.
Marie 
grows almost 200,000 native plants a year which are sold to farmers, conservationists, councils or lifestyle block owners. She received a Queen’s Service Medal last year for her contribution to the survival of rare native species in the region. Plant Hawke’s Bay also supports the work of Biodiversity Hawke’s Bay, an umbrella organisation helping to fund high-quality ecological projects in the bay area.
“In Hawke's Bay, less than 1.5% of the natural indigenous vegetation remains,” Marie explains. “We’re therefore very focused on providing the right plants for local projects and grow lots of rare and endangered local species native to the Hawke’s Bay region.
“Jeff’s generous award will allow us to donate rare plants into a high-value conservation project such as a forest or wetland area or beach restoration. We may even use the funds for kakabeaks, one of the rarest and most beautiful plants in New Zealand with only about 120 left in the wild. Sadly, kakabeaks are highly palatable and goats have eliminated most of the plants except where they’re inaccessible such as on bluffs or cliffs. There’s a really good kakabeak restoration project underway in Hawke's Bay to establish a library of the wild plants, many of which we grow.
“No doubt, Jeff and I will work together to select a project close to his heart. Thank you, Jeff, for your support and tireless efforts over the years.”
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If you would like to donate to Biodiversity Hawke’s Bay, click here to find out more.
Ochre Recruitment places General Practitioners in locum positions across New Zealand, including Hawke's Bay. Find out more here.
