Members will recall that the awardee this year of the Rotary Club of Newmarket Hauraki Gulf Environment Award was Karla Butcher.

 

The following is the text of her letter of thanks.

 

Dear Rotary Club of Newmarket,

Thank you for selecting me as the beneficiary of the Rotary Club of Newmarket 75th Anniversary Hauraki Gulf Environment Postgraduate Award. I am extremely honoured and grateful to receive this award. I am heartened by the interest of your organization for my research, as I share your passion for conservation, a deep love for the Hauraki Gulf’s environment and its preservation. Funding conservation and biosecurity is a forward-thinking act of generosity, and I deeply appreciate the trust extended by the Rotary Club.
Education in conservation and ecology has been my life’s aspiration. I have dedicated years to this passion, fascinated with the intricacies of the Hauraki Gulf’s ecosystems. I visit many of them each year with my father to restore my connection with the land and ocean. My fondness for the islands inevitably sparked a passion for protection and conservation. I was guided to focus on biosecurity through my degree in Biosecurity and Conservation, where the adage “prevention is better than cure” was rigorously explained and evidenced. My master's will bring attention to a preventative measure.
The funds generously provided will go towards the analysis of the potential pathway of potting mix and pot plants. Using eDNA (environmental DNA, which sheds as organisms move through their environment), we will determine if there is cause to be concerned by the scale of movement of potting mix around the Gulf for restoration plantings and recreational use. The funds will also go towards my further education and career development in bioinformatics, which will enable me to process and code the information returned by the eDNA analysis. Other expenses, such as travel and materials, will also be covered by the award.
The above analyses would have been impossible to complete without this award and will immeasurably improve my thesis. The quality of my masters is an essential progression for my career in the conservation of offshore-islands.
I wish to extend my gratitude again for this award, it means a great deal to me.
Sincerely, KV Butcher