Valissa Williamson spends her days eco-sourcing seeds and propagating thousands of native plants that go on to be planted throughout Pōneke each year.
Valissa is one of Wellington City Council’s many staff, who is passionate about enhancing the city’s native wildlife. She is part of the Parks, Sport and Recreation team, which is kaitiaki to Wellington’s parks and reserves and works to promote wellness among Wellingtonians through recreation and the outdoors.
The City Council’s only Seed Propagation Technician, Valissa thinks she has the best job in town.
“I have the most rewarding job. I get to wander the hills in our native reserves and coastlines to eco-source native seeds. My role is to propagate over a hundred different native species. We produce about 90,000 plants annually, which are planted into our local environment by our community groups and PSR teams.”
Wellington City Council works with more than 100 volunteer groups, many of which have contributed significantly to the regeneration of Pōneke’s biodiversity through planting and trapping.