Queen's Birthday Honours: Northland's Ian Wilson awarded QSM for services to conservation

Then Minister of Conservation Maggie Barry with funding for Russell Forest pest control with Ian Wilson of the Puketi Forest Trust. Wilson has been awarded a QSM in the Queen's Birthday Honours.

Ian Wilson
Queen's Service Medal for services to conservation

In typical fashion, as Ian Wilson was talking about receiving a Queens Service Medal for services to conservation, he was already deflecting praise to others - and urging all to do their bit to preserve the environment.

Wilson, who was a founding member and Operational Manager of Puketi Forest Trust on a voluntary basis since 2003 and his work in preserving and enhancing the 5,500 hectares of forest, is among his proudest achievements.

Puketi Forest, west of Kerikeri, had been overrun with pest species. Wilson organises both contracted and volunteer trappers to service more than 6,000 traps each month with a non-toxic lure.

He has kept meticulous records of predators caught, with more than 100,000 pests removed to date, and ensured funds are efficiently used to support the Trust's activities.

The Trust's activities have seen kōkako and toutouwai (North Island robin) reintroduced successfully, and plant species such as the Northern Rata have recovered. The Trust received the Northland Regional Council Enviro Award in 2020.

Wilson has placed part of his farm under QEII covenant and has opened public access to Puketi Forest through his property. Wilson was a committee member of the Far North branch of Forest and Bird for more than 30 years until recently retiring.

But despite his efforts, Wilson was quick to deflect praise to others, saying his wife June had been particularly supportive and if it were not for her - and her computer skills - he would not have been able to do much. He also credited the many volunteers who put in the work to get the birdsong back into Puketi Forest.

He said everybody can do their bit, no matter how small it may seem, to preserve and enhance New Zealand's natural environment. He encouraged people to put their native bush blocks under a covenant, such as QEII, to ensure it's saved for future generations.

Wilson said anybody can help conservation by thinking about the environment and how they can make it better.

''Get rid of the possums and rats around your place, they are big pests, and get rid of any pest plant species - they are not good for our environment.''

Wilson said when he arrived in Northland in the 1980s Puketi Forest was alive with birdsong, with more than 100 kōkako established, and many other native birds. But possums, rats and other predators quickly turned it into a got forest, with very little birdsong.

Now, thanks to the efforts of Wilson, and others, it is alive with native birds again - and that is probably his proudest achievement, bringing the birds back.

''New Zealand is such a special place, with so many native species that are unique to here - and hearing all the birdsong again is just amazing.''

Wilson said his interest in the conservation of trees started when they bought the farm in Northland in 1980. He had been farming in Waikato where trees were considered to be taking up space and should be removed. But a talk with a botanist, who convinced him of the importance of trees, changed his mind - and he's been protecting them ever since.