Graeme Elliott:- Technology for Ecology - Counting baddies in hills and goodies on islands. – technology/monitoring and landscape scale methods helping to understand species populations and threats on mainland islands and offshore islands.

This free event is part of Conservation week 2025. Apologies If you cant register online. Please come early to avoid disappointment.

Dr Graeme Elliott will talk about projects he has been working on and how they can assist with landscape scale monitoring to build ecological biodiversity on mainland NZ and island habitats (Subantarctic Auckland Islands) helping to understand species populations and threats.

He has been employed with the Department of Conservation (DOC) and predecessor organizations since the 1980s and as well as this has volunteered a lot of his own time to furthering ecological research and conservation initiatives.
Graeme is regarded as “a cornerstone” of DOC’s large-scale predator control programs and is involved in recovery programs for the native kākāriki, whio/blue duck and mohua/yellowhead, and the new AI trail camera work that is being rolled out nationwide. His research has informed the approach applied to South Island forests, and adapted for the North Island, with increasing numbers of forest birds and bats evidence of success.

Graeme’s research has significantly expanded New Zealand’s knowledge of its endangered birds and the threats to them. He has been a member of the National Kakapo Management Group and Recovery Group since 1995. Since 2003 he has been on the whio (blue duck), Orange-fronted kākāriki and Mohua (Yellowhead) Recovery Groups, principally as a Science Advisor. His PhD research identified seeding patterns that increased predator numbers and threatened hole-nesting Mohua and parakeet species, which led to improved predator control to protect threatened birds. He is regarded as a cornerstone of DOC’s large-scale predator control programs, with his research informing the approach applied in South Island forests and adapted for North Island forests, leading to an increase in the numbers of forest birds and bats. He and his partner Kath have been monitoring the health of albatross populations in the subantarctic islands annually since 1991, much of it in their own time. Through this, they discovered both Gibson’s and Antipodean albatross populations were in a critical condition and have worked to alert others and to find solutions.” Including a bit of international wrangling with fishing companies and governments to try and persuade fisher folk to do a better job and make some simple changes, including flying streamers from the boats and setting nets faster.”

Graeme has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the New Year Honours List for 2024 for services to wildlife conservation.

This free event is part of Conservation week 2025. Apologies If you cant register online, please come early to avoid disappointment. The beer and wine are excellent and not expensive! ;-)