Jaap van Dorsser contributed hundreds of volunteer hours to maintaining and growing native bush over the past 40 years. Photo / Stephen Parker
Jaap van Dorsser contributed hundreds of volunteer hours to maintaining and growing native bush over the past 40 years. Photo / Stephen Parker
A springtime celebration will be held on Saturday in remembrance of a Rotorua environmentalist.
Jaap van Dorsser died aged 92 on May 22 after suffering debilitating pericarditis. His family believed a springtime celebration of his life would be a tribute to the nature enthusiast.
They say van Dorsser contributed hundredsof volunteer hours to maintaining and growing native bush over the past 40 years and supporting clean waterways.
He was awarded the Queen’s Service Medal for his services to the environment and was an innovative leader in establishing the Forestry Research Insitute (FRI) nursery in Rotorua.
He was a co-founder of the Rotorua Tramping and Skiing Club and was well known for initiating and leading the revegetation of the Ngongotahā stream.
“He was principled, hard-working and intelligent and had a great sense of humour,” Steven said.
Steven said “nothing phased” his father, who had wanted to live a “peasant” or simple lifestyle where materialistic objects did not matter.
He led an active lifestyle and grew his own vegetables.
“He was recycling before anyone knew what it was,” said Steven.
Steven said his father envisioned his work on the Ngongotahā stream as a “500-year project” taking into consideration tree species and specific plantation placements for future generations.
