Award for freshwater ecologist

Massey freshwater ecologist Dr Mike Joy has been awarded Forest and Bird’s prestigious Old Blue award for his research into freshwater ecosystems and his efforts to educate the public about the plight of freshwater species.

Dr Joy, a senior lecturer in the Institute of Natural Resources, has been highlighting the worsening state of New Zealand’s rivers and lakes for the last 15 years.

Forest and Bird’s executive awards committee convener Ines Stager says many scientific papers are only read by other scientists. “Where Mike differs from many other scientists is that he presents his work in a way the public understands.”

Dr Joy was one of five people to be awarded the Old Blue at Forest and Bird’s conference in Wellington last month. The awards are named for the Chatham Islands black robin called Old Blue that was the last productive female of her species by the late 1970s. The efforts of Old Blue and a Wildlife Service team led by the late Don Merton means the population has recovered from a low of five to around 200 today.