Environmental Achiever
Sponsored by Real Journeys
Winner - Lindsay Hazley
The Tuatara Man
Lindsay Hazley and Southland Museum’s successful tuatara captive breeding programme are synonymous. Through trial and error Lindsayhas pioneered many of the husbandry skills required to maintain tuatara in an artificial environment. Lindsay’s discoveries include the importance of ultra-violet light to the tuataras, the cause and cure of veteran Henry’s impotence and bad temper, and the fascinating fact that every tuatara’s chest markings are unique. The breeding programme is going so well that the museum now supplies tuatara to zoos around the country. Lindsay’s next project is to have some of the tuatara translocated to a Southland island.
Highly commended – Mark Sutton
Making his Mark
The Waiau Habitat Enhancement Trust was set up in the 1990s to establish and improve habitat for fisheries and wildlife. Mark Sutton is the Trust’s field officer and through his efforts, at least 65 landowners have accepted covenants jointly with the Waiau Trust and the QE2 Trust. By getting alongside landowners and understanding their issues, Mark has been personally responsible for 65 protection projects covering 1362 ha. These include wetlands and their riparian margins, and in some cases cover whole sub-catchments in the Te Anau Basin. Mark has also had notable success in persuading landowners to undertake riparian fencing, which is improving water quality and ecosystems.
Mark is skilled at developing wetlands – see this for yourself by visiting the Rakatu Wetlands in the Waiau Valley near Manapouri.
Environment Southland is the brand name of Southland Regional Council.