Getting people off their backsides and out into the bush is the driving force behind Dunedin man George Sutherland's quest to tidy up the city's walking tracks.
Mr Sutherland (78) is the leader of the Green Hut Track Group, which spends every Wednesday maintaining 50km of tracks in the Silver Peaks and Silver Stream areas.
"That's why we do it. If it gets people off their butts and out there."
While always a keen outdoors man, his interest in the tracks themselves did not develop until he had a heart attack 20 years ago.
He joined a cardiac support group, the Phoenix Club, and joined in some of their tramps.
"Tramping is a fairly nebulous activity which I'd been doing for 60-odd years and . . .
I thought I'd clear the tracks instead.
"I love being out in the bush. It gives me something to do rather than tramping along."
So every Sunday, instead of going tramping, he would ask if anyone from the group wanted to help clear the tracks, but no-one took him up on the offer.
"One magical day a bloke said, 'Yeah, I'd like to come,' and we worked for years on the Silver Peaks."
Gradually, over the years, more and more joined the group.
He now has eight permanent group members, all unpaid volunteers who go out with him every Wednesday.
The group contributes more than 250 voluntary days a year.
"They love it. If it's a lovely day, it's heavenly out there."
The hospital rang occasionally asking if he would take people out with him, and one time he had five visiting Hawaiians who wanted to do some environmental work join the group for a day.
While the group used to be all heart club members, there were now more "non-heart" members, he said.
The work had helped his heart and fitness and as a result he was still skiing at 78.
Using equipment donated over the years, the group cleared scrub and clutter from the tracks following a list of tracks Mr Sutherland devised.
Sometimes, trampers contacted them if they noticed a problem on a track such as a slip, then a team went in to clear the site, he said.
"Everybody who comes through while we're out working says what a wonderful job we're doing."
Their work had been recognised in various ways, most recently as a runner-up in the TrustPower heritage and environment awards and by Keep Dunedin Beautiful.
While he said the days were "pretty relaxed", he never stopped for morning or afternoon tea, preferring instead to get as much done as possible in the day.
Department of Conservation Coastal Otago community relations programme manager David Mules nominated Mr Sutherland for the 2009 Coastal Otago Conservation Awards, for his huge contribution to outdoor recreation.
"His commitment, spirit of service, boundless energy, enthusiasm and good humour along with his love of wild places and the natural world, all are truly inspirational."
