The Monday Q&A: Tireless environmental worker Graham Pearson enjoys the seaside life

Graham Pearson has spent more than a decade in voluntary work to improve the Castlecliff sand dunes. Photo / Bevan Conley

Whanganui man Graham Pearson was heading for a life farming beef and grain in Canada - until he got a job with Massey University in the 1960s. That lasted until his retirement to Whanganui and a whole new life working on environmental causes, he tells Laurel Stowell. .

When did you and your wife Lyn come to live in Whanganui, and why?

We came in 2008, to retire by the sea, a promise I had made Lyn.

Where did you live before that, and what did you do?

We lived at Tokomaru, south of Palmerston North on a five and a half acre (2.2ha) small farm.

I worked for Massey University, having started there in 1969 in what was then the dairy husbandry department looking after pig research.

How did Whanganui seem to you when you first arrived?

It seemed great. We enjoyed beach walks, the summer programme and discovering the facilities like the museum, Sarjeant Gallery, book shops and friendly people.

What did you get involved in here?

Having moved to the coast, we wanted to put back into the local environment, so we got involved in Ted Frost's Coast Care and Progress Castlecliff.

Later we were asked to become part of the Sustainable Whanganui Trust, then more recently I joined the Whanganui Resource Recovery Centre Trust.

How much time do you put into your various kinds of environmental work?

It's hard to know, but I do have a regular morning at Coast Care and Friday afternoon at [Sustainable Whanganui's] Whanganui Environment Base.

Funding applications and emails occupy many other time slots. There's also meetings and keeping an eye on coast care plants.

What have been your best moments in environmental work?

Working with children and young people. I greatly enjoyed two days with the Careers in Conservation groups this winter. They worked hard and we had some neat discussions.

Another time, a teacher remarked how different a young student was, when working with Coast Care, so motivated and busy instructing others. Back in the classroom, he was a challenge to keep on track apparently.

What environmental change in Whanganui would you most like to see?

A real zero waste attitude throughout our community.

What are your favourite coastal places?

It has to be on top of the Castlecliff dunes. From "the pirate lookout" you can see the South Island, Kāpiti, mounts Taranaki and Ruapehu.

What do you do for recreation?

I'm enjoying using the Castlecliff library. Supporting Lyn's gardening is fun too, and I also like catching up with family and friends.

Do you cook, and what is your favourite special meal?

I cook quite a few meals, but they are rather basic recipes. I make biscuits and banana loaf sometimes too, but I'm a rather rough follower of recipes.

When our daughters had university exams it became something of a tradition for me to bake and send them a cake decorated with the most vivid icing possible. I've made some of those in lockdown too.

Sticky date pudding at the Rutland Arms Inn is my go-to outing, and I love popping into The Citadel.

What can you tell Whanganui people about yourself that will surprise them?

Back in 1967/68 I worked for 15 months on a ranch in Alberta, Western Canada.

If Massey University had rejected my job application, I would have become a Canadian beef and grain farmer.