FLEMING CONSERVATION AWARDS

Forest and Bird, Volume 21, Issue 1, 1 February 1990, Page 43

FLEMING CONSERVATION AWARDS

This year the Queen Elizabeth II Scholarships were re-named in honour of the memory of Sir Charles Fleming who gave so much of his life to conservation. A total of $10,000 was awarded, $3,000 of this being a new award, the Reader Award for research into endangered birds. The following people received Fleming Scholarships: Russell Death from Canterbury University for his study of the effect of disturbance on stream ecosystems of human activities. Christopher Jowett who will study predation of the Mahoenui giant weta, to complement other work currently being done. He is working towards his MSc in Environmental Science. John Rich at Lincoln College is studying management strategies for the Manganui-a-te-Ao River ecosystem. Julienne Alley is hoping her studies will be of use in tackling the serious goat problem. Wayne Linklater, working towards an MSc at Canterbury University, will study the forest-stream relationship. Andrew Kliskey, studying for a PhD at Otago University, will look at the management of wilderness areas, and the pressures put on them by recreation and tourism. Fran Hyland is studying for a PhD at Victoria University. She will look at regeneration of miro trees, investigating possible reasons for their scarcity. Angus McIntosh from Otago University will study the effects of introduced species of fish on the native fish populations in streams in Otago. Shelley Dean will study the behavioural factors which affect the reproductive rate of red-billed gulls, especially at Kaikoura Peninsula. These people have received help from the Reader Award: Dale Towers will gauge the success of artificial nesting sites for breeding grey teal ducks, working for an MSc at Waikato University. Alan Cooper, studying for a PhD at Victoria University, will make DNA studies of moa bones and apply the knowledge to the conservation of kiwis. Ron Moorhouse will study the ecology of the North Island kaka on Kapiti Island for a PhD at Victoria University.