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The Trust
THE TRUSTEES
 Graeme Elliott Graeme Elliott has been interested in natural history, particularly birds since he was a boy. He studied mohua in the Eglinton Valley in Fiordland for his PhD in the 1980s and has been working on these birds, on and off, ever since. Graeme undertook research on yellow-crowned parakeets and kea in the 1990s and since 1995 has worked as a scientist for the Department of Conservation, firstly on kakapo conservation and management, and since 2003 on finding ways to protect native forest birds from predators. When not chasing forest birds, Graeme studies wandering albatrosses on the Auckland and Antipodes Islands.
 Hannah Edmonds Hannah Edmonds first worked with mohua in Mt Stokes in the Marlborough Sounds when she was a young thing back in 1998. She was a biodiversity ranger with the Department of Conservation in Fiordland from 2002-2018 where she was responsible for several mohua translocations and also worked with species such as kiwi, kakapo, saddleback, penguins, bats and lizards.
 Marion Rhodes Marion Rhodes has worked for the Department of Conservation since 1995, and first worked with mohua in the Catlins in 2006. Since then she has done much work with the Dart mohua and the two Canterbury mohua populations. A highlight of this work has been watching the South Branch Hurunui mohua population increase from 16 birds in 2010 to over 100 birds by 2018, and continue to flourish since then. When not chasing birds, Marion is busy growing and planting natives on a lifestyle block in North Canterbury.
Jenny McFerrier has been passionate about the conservation of flora and fauna, especially birds, since a child. Her qualifications are in IT and accounting and she brings 30 years’ experience in finance and administration. Jenny has been a key part of the trust since it was formed in 2010 and applies her skills and conservation values to the role of Treasurer.
FORMER TRUSTEE
 Nigel Babbage Nigel was a passionate conservationist who learnt about the mohua on his return flight from New York where he spent a decade on Wall Street. He wanted to give something back and after a stint on Chalky Island surrounded by mohua he fell in love with the little yellow chirpy bird, so together with Dr Graeme Elliott he founded the Mohua Charitable Trust. Nigel meant so much to so many and he will be sorely missed. His passion for the protection of native birds resulted in huge investments on behalf of mohua, kiwi and the South Island Kokako.
The trustees have decided to take up the torch in memory of Nigel’s passion and vision, and continue the work of the trust in his honour.
FORMER TRUSTEE
Ian Jamieson Ian Jamieson was a Professor of Zoology at the University of Otago in Dunedin. His research interests were in the area of conservation biology and wildlife management. In addition to his active research program at the University of Otago, Ian was part of a group of biodiversity researchers that provided guidelines on sustaining genetic diversity for national recovery programs. He was also a long serving science adviser to a number of Department of Conservation recovery programs including the takahe and the kakapo.
Ian was a valued trustee and will be sadly missed.
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