Birds benefit from grants

Press, 29 September 1988, Page 50

Birds benefit from grants

Kaka and black petrel will be two of New Zealand’s threatened species to benefit from grants recently awarded by the J. S. Watson Conservation Trust. Grants totalling $5OOO were awarded to five applicants to assist with conservation research and environmental awareness projects, said Dr Gerry

McSweeney, the convener of the trust’s project selection committee. The successful applicants are Ms Jacqueline Beggs, of Nelson; Mr Paul Scofield, of Auckland; Dr C. D. Thomas, of Christchurch; Dr J. A. Mills, of Wellington; and the midnorth branch of the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society. Ms Beggs will study

New Zealand’s, forest parrot, the kaka, and Mr Scofield will study the black petrel, which now breeds only on Little and ' Great Barrier Islands. Dr Thomas proposes to work on understanding forest regeneration on farmland and logged-over areas, and Dr Mills to do a computer analysis of over 100,000 records on

breeding of red-billed gulls on the Kaikoura Peninsula. The Forest and Bird Society will use the grant for a pamphlet on the scenic reserves of Warkworth. The trust awards grants each year to individuals and groups. Details are available from the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society.