JASON Bowering works in parks and gardens for Wattle Range Council.
“Most people think we just mow lawns, but we trim all the trees, prune the roses, put mulch on gardens and clear fallen trunks and broken limbs,” Mr Bowering said.
He sits in the council depot’s break room as the rain pours outside Thursday afternoon, portending the polar wind storm that would bash the South East the following day.
“Yesterday we had plans to finish pruning roses and then we got a call that a massive tree branch was down on Petticoat Lane,” Mr Bowering said.
“There goes the morning.
“So we have got to go out and do that and then the boss goes out and has a look and makes sure it’s safe and we also have concerned locals telling us that the branch is from a 140-year-old tree and they want to make sure that we do not cut it down.”
The 140-year-old tree continues to live in the lane much to the relief of Penola residents, but instances like this are common in Mr Bowering’s line of work.
“People have the misconception that we do not care, but we actually do care quite a bit about what we’re doing and take pride in our work,” he said.
“It is really rewarding when you have finished a park, you think about what it looked like before and now it looks really nice and then you can walk away feeling proud.”
Originally a childcare worker, Mr Bowering decided to make a change after he started experiencing high amounts of stress, which was not making him as available to his wife and children as he wanted to be.
“I have been given an opportunity and I have not looked back,” he said.
“It is a lot less stressful when there is fresh air and you’re outdoors all of the time and we have really good mentors here.”
Mr Bowering concedes the job does have its moments, citing sand removal at Southend as a repetitive task.
He said people making jokes in the ‘working hard or hardly working’ vein can also be frustrating and disheartening.
However, the good outweighs the bad, with a touching moment early on in Mr Bowering’s career staying with him.
“We were tidying the cemetery in Millicent and an elderly lady came up and tapped me on the shoulder and said ‘thank you so much, the way that you people present the cemetery and make the garden so nice, it makes it easier to come here’,” he said.
“She was very sincere and it was very touching.”
For those interested in joining the parks and garden department, having a green thumb is not necessary, but Mr Bowering said an interest in the environment helps.
He said the main requirement is to demonstrate commitment.
After expressing interest in the job, Mr Bowering was advised to get a truck licence, which he did promptly.
This impressed management who gave him a casual position and Mr Bowering’s work ethic was subsequently rewarded with a full time position.
“Show them that you’re keen and forget about misconceptions – it’s actually a hard job,” he said.
“Do not think you’re just going to get a cruisy little job on the lawnmower.”
