Dedication to pest control recognised
A Hāwea man, alongside a mighty team of volunteers, is continuing the fight for predator control in Makarora despite difficulties.
Ian (Mo) Turnbull recently won the Forest & Bird Old Blue award for his dedication to protecting the region's native species, but he did not want to welcome this victory alone.
He made it clear this was not an award for himself but one for a team of over 70 volunteers equally committed to the same goal.
"Anything that I do that they thought was worth giving me a gong for is not done by one person, it's a whole team," he said.
"There's hundreds of people out there doing the same sort of thing that I do."
He had followed in the footsteps of his father who had built a home in Makarora during the 1950s and was also involved in predator control.
Before moving to Hāwea in 2013, Mr Turnbull started his journey by possum trapping on a block of land on the Otago Peninsula in 1993.
His more recent work had been mainly with the Central Otago branch of Forest & Bird and Southern Lakes Sanctuary, working with a large team of volunteers on a predator control programme in Makarora.
"It's a very long-standing predator control programme at Makarora, and it's been getting bigger over the last few years, mainly because of the support that it gets."
This has included setting up trap lines between the bushes or safely laying down poison to catch predators such as rats and stoats to protect native species including the mohua or yellowhead bird.
The project is not an easy undertaking, with the growing team of volunteers having to cover large areas across Mt Aspiring National Park.
"There's a lot of land out there that we can't get at," Mr Turnbull said.
"But in areas where the team have been doing a lot of very intensive work with trap grids and poison bait station grids, we are seeing very good results."
Although the use of poisons such as 1080 was not preferable, it was necessary to cover mass amounts of land.
Scale was a recurring issue, which was not easy to tackle with limited funding and manpower, but Mr Turnbull was not ready to give up.
"We're just getting more and more stuck in and doing more and more work," he said.
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Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Dedication to pest control recognised
Proud to receive the Forest & Bird Old Blue award are (from left) Ian (Mo) Turnbull, of Hāwea, Calvin Lloyd, of Dunedin, Jim Young and Jane Young, of the Catlins. PHOTO: SUPPLIED A Hāwea man, alongside a mighty team of volunteers, is continuing the fight for predator control in Makarora despite difficulties. Ian (Mo) Turnbull recently won the Forest & Bird Old Blue award for his dedication to protecting the region's native species, but he did not want to welcome this victory alone. He made it clear this was not an award for himself but one for a team of over 70 volunteers equally committed to the same goal. "Anything that I do that they thought was worth giving me a gong for is not done by one person, it's a whole team," he said. "There's hundreds of people out there doing the same sort of thing that I do." He had followed in the footsteps of his father who had built a home in Makarora during the 1950s and was also involved in predator control. Before moving to Hāwea in 2013, Mr Turnbull started his journey by possum trapping on a block of land on the Otago Peninsula in 1993. His more recent work had been mainly with the Central Otago branch of Forest & Bird and Southern Lakes Sanctuary, working with a large team of volunteers on a predator control programme in Makarora. "It's a very long-standing predator control programme at Makarora, and it's been getting bigger over the last few years, mainly because of the support that it gets." This has included setting up trap lines between the bushes or safely laying down poison to catch predators such as rats and stoats to protect native species including the mohua or yellowhead bird. The project is not an easy undertaking, with the growing team of volunteers having to cover large areas across Mt Aspiring National Park. "There's a lot of land out there that we can't get at," Mr Turnbull said. "But in areas where the team have been doing a lot of very intensive work with trap grids and poison bait station grids, we are seeing very good results." Although the use of poisons such as 1080 was not preferable, it was necessary to cover mass amounts of land. Scale was a recurring issue, which was not easy to tackle with limited funding and manpower, but Mr Turnbull was not ready to give up. "We're just getting more and more stuck in and doing more and more work," he said.
Otago Daily Times
08-07-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Award acknowledges conservation work
The work of Dunedin ecologist, botanist, science educator and farmer Kelvin Lloyd has been recognised. Dr Lloyd received an Old Blue Award at the Forest & Bird annual meeting recently. Dr Lloyd said the award was appreciated and followed a long history of ecology and conservation work in his professional and personal life. Dr Lloyd and his wife Beatrice Lee and their two teenage sons run sheep and beef on their 88ha farm near Waitati. About 300 ewes and up to a dozen cattle were taken through winter and fed baleage. More cattle were purchased in spring. An aim on the farm was to sell 200 prime lambs each year, he said. The 88ha farm includes 45ha pasture, 30ha native bush and 11ha of native regeneration and gorse in the Emissions Trading Scheme and a small amount of forestry. He and his family live on a 6ha lifestyle block in Waitati, where he restored a wetland, filling it with harakeke flax and fencing it off. Livestock was shifted between the farm and lifestyle block. Ewe hoggets were currently on the lifestyle block. Dr Lloyd said the clients he had worked for included non-governmental organisations, such as Forest & Bird and farmers and other developers. "Credibility is the rock of my professional work. I strive to get better outcomes for biodiversity in all my work." Dr Lloyd said his conservation work started with trips to the Catlins with botanist Sir Alan Mark to plant trees and being part of the Dunedin branch's project to tackle wilding pines across Otago. A keen tramper, he was also a member of the national executive of Federated Mountain Clubs for five years and a member the of Otago Natural History Trust for 15 years during the period the trust's Orokonui Ecosanctuary proposal was developed and became a reality. Forest & Bird Canterbury and West Coast regional conservation manager Nicky Snoyink said Dr Lloyd was a former Dunedin branch chairman of Forest & Bird and had been a vital expert witness for the conservation organisation in the Environment Court. Dr Lloyd had also given up large amounts of time volunteering for other conservation-related organisations. "For several decades, Dr Lloyd has played an immense role in New Zealand conservation. "Kelvin's expertise and knowledge of New Zealand's native botany, especially rare species, is a major asset to the country." Beginning work with Wildland Consultants in 2004, he quickly became a valuable source of expert evidence. Among the successful outcomes he was involved with was prioritising wilding conifer control sites for the Ministry of Primary Industries, which led to $16 million being allocated for wilding pine control. His expert evidence also contributed towards improving protection for wetlands on the West Coast. Dr Lloyd's knowledge of wetlands and botany had been very valuable to Forest & Bird in the Environment Court and other forums. His evidence was pivotal in the Environment Court's decision to turn down the proposal for a mine at Te Kuha on the West Coast. He also provided evidence against the land swap for the Ruataniwha Dam in Hawke's Bay and Forest & Bird eventually won its case in the Supreme Court. Dr Lloyd had always been generous in sharing his knowledge and treated others with kindness and respect, Ms Snoyink said. His experience, enthusiasm, reliability and communication skills made him a standout among botanists in New Zealand, she said. "As a science communicator, Kelvin has mastered the art of taking complex scientific information and making it accessible to everyone." Other southerners to be given an Old Blue Award in the latest round were Mo Turnbull, of Hāwea, for his outstanding contribution to Forest & Bird's Central Otago Lakes branch and to conservation in the region, and Jane and Jim Young, of South Otago, for their outstanding service to Forest & Bird and to conservation in their region.
Scoop
06-07-2025
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Pensioner With No Power In Caravan For Six Years Finally Gets New Home
Article – Alisha Evans – Local Democracy Reporter Steven Connelly, 67, spent years on a waitlist. 4 July 2025 A pensioner living in a leaky caravan with no power for six years now has a new home to call his own. Steven Connelly, 67, moved into his home at the new elder housing village in Katikati two weeks ago after four years on the waitlist. Connelly previously lived in a caravan on a relative's property. There was no power, a long-drop toilet and Connelly slept with a bucket on the bed to catch the leaks when it rained. Asked if it was good to have somewhere warm and dry to live, he said: 'Oh hell, yeah.' The village was named Te Āhuru Mōwai o Hiria, meaning the sanctuary of Hiria. Hiria Wills, of Ngāi Tamawhariua hapū, and her husband Vic were residents of the original elder village in the 1980s. They did not have children so Ngāi Tamawhariua hapū kaumatua gifted the village the name to keep their memory alive. Ngāi Tamawhariua hapū chairman Hone Winder-Murray said the three housing blocks were named after the maunga they faced, Kaimai, Mauao and Hikurangi. Māori principles had been incorporated into the design and the brickwork patterns were inspired by tukutuku panels at Te Rereatukāhia Marae. Winder-Murray said the village was a 'monumentally beautiful thing on the landscape of Katikati'. Western Bay of Plenty Mayor James Denyer said the village came in under budget but did not disclose the final cost. He said providing safe, secure and affordable housing was one of the most effective ways to enhance people's lives. 'These new homes are about more than just the buildings themselves. They represent the kind of community we want to be, a community that values its elders, supports their wellbeing, and creates spaces where people can live with dignity and connection.' Denyer said the opening of the village was a special day for Katikati. Ian and Jo Dickey, both 76, had been renting in Tauranga but Ian had to work fulltime at his gardening business to be able to afford the rent. Ian had undergone two hip replacements and would be tired from heavy lifting all day, Jo said. They also worried their rental would be sold. Ian and Jo moved into one of the two-bedroom homes, allowing Ian to drop to working one day a week. Jo was so excited about their new home she would visit the site every fortnight while it was being built. 'I was really wanting something for the rest of our lives and this is a place that feels secure,' she said. 'It's brand new, warm and dry and cosy.' Currently, 20 of the units are tenanted and the council is working through applicants on its waitlist.
