Mr Daryl Eason, of Nelson, ONZM for services to wildlife conservation
Daryl Eason had a four-decade long career with the Department of Conservation. He was manager of the Burwood Takahē Breeding Centre near Te Anau, refining techniques to successfully incubate and hatch takahē eggs, rear them in captivity, and ensure they would survive in the wild. As a Technical Advisor with the Kākāpō Recovery Group, he has devised many innovations in the management of nesting kākāpo, the artificial incubation of eggs, hand-rearing of chicks, the collection of sperm and artificial insemination of female kākāpō. His efforts have significantly contributed to the increase in the kākāpō population from 51 in 1995 to almost 250 today. Mr Eason has contributed to conservation science through the publication of more than 20 reports and papers.