Tourism allied with conservation

Press, 24 August 1988, Page 32

Tourism allied with conservation

“Careful tourism” has to underpin conservation, says the internationally known botanist, Dr David Bellamy, who will be in New Zealand again on August 30. Dr Bellamy is working on a series that Television New Zealand is making for the New Zealand Natural Heritage Foundation. He is also working with Professor Brian Springett, of Massey University’s botany and zoology department, to set up courses on managing New Zealand’s natural heritage. Tourism and conservation should go hand in hand with “sensitive marketing” of flora and

fauna, said Dr Bellamy. Conservationists should work in with tourism to make sure it was not in conflict with the environment. • The biggest danger facing conservation was the economy. “The multi-national companies will come in and rip off your resources. They say they are creating jobs. They may be, but only in the short term,” Dr Bellamy said. “If you have IOOOha of native bush it looks after itself and it does not cost the taxpayer a penny. If you let the loggers move in, or agriculture move in, it starts costing you money to manage the.

catchment and the river. “While it does cost something to manage it for tourism, these are ongoing jobs. They don’t run out. But it can be a delicate balance. It needs education and training. “So the challenge at Massey University is going to be to run the right course so that we can train people,” he said. “We can learn a lot — negatively — by the English experience. .1 would dearly like to get my hands on Stonehenge, for instance. It has been totally and utterly ruined.” Dr Bellamy said New Zealand was in an ideal position to avoid the mistakes made by others.

New Zealand had an enviable number of natural world records: for example, the largest tree in existence, the kauri; the largest buttercup in the world; the oldest reptile, the tuatara; and the heaviest insect, the giant weta. Dr Bellamy will be in New Zealand from August 30 to September 2. He is helping to write the script for the New Zealand Natural Heritage television series, and will be its frontman. The series is expected to screen in 1990. Dr Bellamy will return to New Zealand . in November to be a visiting professor, at Massey University for four months.