The Department of Conservations's Kaimahi for Nature project is being hailed as a lifeline for some struggling businesses in the South Westland district.
The region relies heavily on tourism, and the project allows employees of those businesses to work when they don't have people coming through the door to take part in the traditional tourist activities.
Currently, there are nine South Westland businesses signed up with 30 employees working on a variety of DOC projects.
One of those is INFLITE skydiving based at the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers and their base manager, Robbie Stewart, spoke to Māni Dunlop.
