Mt Grand Station – Wildlife Conservation

Abstract

This document is a collection of reports from students of ECOL609 Conservation Biology (Semester 1, 2023). The aim of this course is to investigate the challenges and future options for nature conservation management within the agricultural and policy framework and the landscape mosaic of the New Zealand High Country. The focus of the course this year was a case study of the Lincoln University’s High Country Station in Hawea, Central Otago. A 4-day residential field course was attended by more than 30 students with the support of five academic staff from the Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Farm Manager. This paper typically attracts students from several different disciplines and postgraduate study programmes, mostly Masters programmes. Overseas students accounted for a large proportion of the group, particularly from our Master of International Nature Conservation (MINC) joint programme with University of Gottingen in Germany, together with a good number of New Zealand students from various postgraduate study programmes including MINC. Overseas visitors were from a diverse range of countries including USA, Sweden and Kazakhstan. Each student identified and developed their own research project that formed the practical component of the course. Although these were individual research projects, much value was placed on broader learning, sharing of knowledge, discussion, debate and teamwork. The breadth of research topics reflects the varied interests of the students, but all projects have a primary focus on some aspect of Conservation Biology at Mt Grand. These reports provide an original and unique contribution to knowledge of the agroecology of this beautiful landscape and, in our view, fully justify their collation.