Conservation awards for lake doctor, contractor and park volunteers

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 14, Issue 669, 14 January 1997, Page 12

Conservation awards for lake doctor, contractor and park volunteers

Acompany, a doctor and a local couple were the recipients of three Tongariro Taupo Conserva tion Awards at a ceremony held at Tokaanu recently. An Auckland based company, TBS Farnsworth and Taupo property owner Dr George Coulter were each presented with awards in acknowledgment and appreciation of their conservation efforts. A special award was given to a Turangi couple, John and Pat Newton, in recognition of their many years of voluntary service to conservation. A new edition of the Tongariro National Park map was also released to the public at the ceremony. The map is the first in a series of 33 park and track maps which employ innovative mapping and printing technology. Paul Green, regional conservator for the Tongariro Taupo Conservancy, said the awards, now in their fourth year, were given to acknowledge the work local individuals, companies or organisations had done for conservation in the area. Mr Green said the award ceremony was an opportunity for the department to recognise and thank people for their efforts and to hopefully encourage others to follow suit. Laura Dawson, chairperson of the Tongariro Taupo Conservation Board, presented the award to Dr George Coulter. In her presentation, Ms Dawson recounted how Dr Coulter and his family had worked for many years planting to protect and restore their land at Oaruanui, near Taupo. In particular the Coulters had created a wetland area which attracts numerous wildfowl and native birds. Dr Coulter hopes that the wetland will be set aside as a future wildlife sanctuary. Dr Coulter, a limnologist (a specialist in the study of lakes and other freshwater) has worked in several countries including Ghana, Zambia, Burundi and South Africa. As well as advocating for conservation practices on private land in New Zealand he is working to help protect the great lakes of Africa, Lakes Tanganyika and Malawi. Graham Matthews, general manager of TBS Farnsworth, accepted the award presented to his company by Herwi Scheltus, a landscape architect with the Department of Conservation. Mr Scheltus said that TBS Farnsworth had won the contract to repaint some 40 electricity pylons situated in some of Tongariro National Park' s very fragile desert and tussock lands, adjacent to SH1, the Desert

Road. In all ways the company had exceeded expectations and the very strict environmental restraints put on them. In some instances this had included the use of manpower rather than vehicles, and had seen workers backpacking 40kg bags of sand across 300 metres of tussock. As well, the contractors removed by hand, and of their own volition, numerous bits of leftover debris discovered while they worked on the project. Some of the items (once again carried out by hand), included a telephone pole, steel and bolts. Their work was carried out over a four month period during the eruption of Mt Ruapehu and some of the year' s worst weather. John and Pat Newton reeeived a special award in recognition of their many years of voluntary service to conservation. In the 1970's and early 80' s John Newton worked in both Ohakune and Palmerston North as a park ranger. He later moved to Turangi and trained future park rangers but left to travel overseas in 1985. Since that time he has volunteered for numerous tasks in the Tongariro Taupo Conservancy. Mr Newton has a keen interest in both natural and human history and is treasurer of the Tongariro National Park and further afield has been involved in the restoration of Scott's Hut in Antarctica. As well, both Mr and Mrs Newton have helped in DoC.' s summer programme activities, with the development and installation of displays and a variety of field projects such as pinus contorta removal. John Newton is a member of the Tongariro Taupo Conservation Board.