Peter McKenzie (conservationist)
Peter Howard McKenzie (10 September 1952 – 15 April 2012) was a New Zealand conservationist and founder of the Ngā Manu Nature Reserve in Waikanae, New Zealand.
Biography
[edit]Born in Wellington in 1952, McKenzie was the son of philanthropist Sir Roy McKenzie and grandson of the founder of the McKenzie's retail chain Sir John McKenzie.[1][2] He was educated at Nelson College from 1966 to 1969,[3] where his interest in native plants was encouraged through spending time at the school's outdoor education centre, Mataki Lodge, near Murchison.[1]
In 1974 McKenzie formed Ngā Manu Trust and in 1978 the trust first leased and later bought the current site of Ngā Manu Nature Reserve in Waikanae.[1]
In the mid 1970s McKenzie was instrumental in kiwi captive breeding programmes and he was involved with the tuatara recovery programme for over 20 years.[4]
In 2009, after three years of work, McKenzie captured footage of a puriri moth hatching from its chrysalis. They are probably the first pictures of a ghost moth emerging.[5]
McKenzie was diagnosed with cancer in late 2010 and he died in 2012.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Blundell, Kay (21 April 2012). "'Bird man' dedicated to conservation". Dominion Post. p. 6.
- ^ "Philanthropist Sir Roy McKenzie dies aged 84". New Zealand Herald. 3 September 2007. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
- ^ Nelson College Old Boys' Register, 1856–2006, 6th edition
- ^ Blundell, Kay (17 April 2012). "Waikanae nature crusader dies". Dominion Post. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
- ^ Blundell, Kay (9 December 2009). "'World first' as camera catches moth emerging". stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
External links
[edit]
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