Surveying a new domain

James Vink of QS Jackson Rowe Associates has quit UK construction to survey the tropical reefs of Fiji. Vink is to lead an expedition to gauge the condition of the coral reefs.

He will live for a year on the beach in a grass hut known as a bure with no running water or electricity. Speaking to QS News on his final day at Jackson Rowe last week, Vink said: “Right now, it’s chaos. I’m still in the office and I’m flying out on Saturday. I know it’s going to be a lot of hard work but I’m very excited.”

Vink will be based on the remote island of Nasonisoni along with three other regular staff, including his girlfriend, and 18 volunteers rotating. His work will mainly consist of diving and teaching the volunteers to dive.

He said that the Fijian government currently has little idea of the state of its reefs. The expedition’s aim is to gather baseline data on them over a decade, which can then be used to track changes in the reef in future. “After we’ve completed the survey the government can do it again and assess how the reef is doing. They can look at whether it is growing, dying or being affected by global warming. Also whether it’s got more or less fish,” Vink said.

He added that life on Nasonisoni would be about “day- to-day survival”. “The diet won’t be that exciting. It’ll be mainly tinned food, pasta and rice. And we’ll have to collect rain water for drinking and washing clothes, although we’ll return to the mainland periodically.”

I know it’s going to be a lot of hard work but I’m very excited

James Vink, Greenforce

His expedition is being funded by international aid organisation Greenforce for the Fijian National Trust. It aims to integrate with local people and has a remit to teach them to dive and survey the reefs.

After his year leading the expedition, Vink and his girlfriend hope to open a diving school.

Vink was practice manager at Jackson Rowe for a year and previously spent over eight years as an officer in the Royal Navy. He said he had “huge regrets over leaving Jackson Rowe”. He has been replaced by Joanne Carter-Jones.

Jackson Rowe is headquartered in Crowborough, East Sussex. Its current commissions include providing cost consultancy and bills of quantities on the five-year Tube Lines framework.

For more information on Greenforce, visit www.greenforce.org