Dr Murray Williams, ONZM, of Paekakariki, for services to wildlife conservation and science
Dr Murray Williams has contributed significantly to the New Zealand Ecological Society, Birds New Zealand, and the International Ornithological Congress. His early career with the New Zealand Wildlife Service included research on gamebirds and the development of science-based approaches for management and hunting of game waterfowl for Fish and Game Councils. Within the Department of Conservation (DOC), he helped establish and implement conservation programmes for New Zealand’s endangered waterfowl, most notably Whio (blue duck). He was involved with DOC’s Kākāpō Recovery Group, and edited a compendium on the history and current knowledge of Kākāpō. He developed and taught New Zealand’s only postgraduate Master of Science degree in ecological restoration at Victoria University of Wellington. Dr Williams served as Trustee of Nga Manu Wildlife Trust on the Kāpiti Coast.