Kia ora tātou. I’m Charles Daugherty, Professor of Ecology and Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Research) at Victoria University. I’ve been keenly involved in conservation for a while, so I’m thrilled that Victoria is able to provide evidence-based research to underpin the Halo Campaign. After gaining my PhD in Zoology in 1979 at University of Montana, I moved to New Zealand in 1982 to take up a lectureship at Victoria, focussing on the conservation of native birds and reptiles. Over the past 30 years I’ve worked with the Wildlife Service, Department of Conservation, and WWF New Zealand, to help secure the future of tuatara, kiwi and our other natural treasures.

In 2005, this work was acknowledged with an award of Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for Services to Conservation and Biology. I thought nothing could beat this, but now I’ve been given the exciting opportunity to lead a visionary project called ‘Smart Green Victoria’. Our exciting project includes a partnership with Wellington City Council, Zealandia and researchers from all disciplines at Victoria working to support environmental initiatives in the Greater Wellington Region. What could be better than Victoria being involved in a large, collaborative project that has the potential to make Wellington the Wildlife Capital of NZ? Our ultimate goal is to combine the benefits of projects like Zealandia in the middle of our city with the Council’s ‘Our Living City’ project to create an even better Wellington for future generations – in short to create the ultimate halo-effect. Watch this space for more news on Victoria’s research supporting the Halo…