Southern Lakes Sanctuary Co-Chairs receive King’s Birthday Honours

Southern Lakes Sanctuary is celebrating the recognition of both of its long-serving Co-Chairs in the King’s Birthday Honours, with Dr Leslie Van Gelder appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for services to conservation and dark sky sanctuaries and Greg Lind named a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to conservation and search and rescue.

Two conservation champions recognised

The pair have been involved with Southern Lakes Sanctuary since its formation and have played a central role in shaping our vision and impact across the Whakatipu and Upper Clutha catchments.

Southern Lakes Sanctuary’s Chief Executive Paul Kavanagh said the honours were richly deserved recognition for two people who have consistently gone above and beyond in service of nature, conservation and community.

“Greg and Leslie have each contributed an extraordinary amount of time, expertise and leadership to Southern Lakes Sanctuary since day one,” Paul said.

“They have both given far more than could ever reasonably be expected of volunteer trustees, helping guide Southern Lakes Sanctuary from an ambitious idea into one of New Zealand’s largest landscape-scale conservation projects. We are incredibly proud to have such a high-calibre board, and thrilled to see their work recognised in this way.”

Leslie and Greg at the first takahē release in the Rees Valley in 2025

The recognition follows other honours held within the Southern Lakes Sanctuary governance group, including trustee Estelle Pērā Pura-Leask, who was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to conservation and Māori in 2022.

Greg Lind: Protecting some of Aotearoa’s wildest places

Greg Lind retired from the Department of Conservation in 2019 after a 32-year career spanning some of Aotearoa’s most ecologically significant landscapes, including the Catlins, Rakiura / Stewart Island, the Subantarctic Islands, Whakatipu Waimāori and Fiordland National Park.

Among the achievements he reflects on most proudly are the successful rat eradication of Te Wharawhara / Ulva Island, the creation of the Ulva Island Open Sanctuary, the gazettal of Rakiura National Park in 2002, and the globally significant eradication of rats from Campbell Island between 2001 and 2003 – a programme regarded as world-leading in island conservation.

Throughout his career Greg worked closely alongside iwi, particularly Ngāi Tahu whānui, supporting outcomes including rat eradications on the Tītī Islands, the implementation of Treaty settlement outcomes under the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act, the return of Crown Tītī Islands, and co-management arrangements for Whenua Hou / Codfish Island.

He was also the founder of the Routeburn Dart Wildlife Trust, served as a conservation advisor to the National Parks and Conservation Foundation (now the New Zealand Nature Fund), and remains actively involved in conservation initiatives around his home town of Cromwell.

Lind said the recognition reflected the collective efforts of many people over decades of conservation work.

“I’ve had the privilege of working in some of the most spectacular places in Aotearoa alongside some of the finest DOC rangers, conservation partners and communities you could hope to meet,” he said.

“l especially want to pay my respects to the whānui of Ngāi Tahu whom l had the privilege to work with. The work on places like Ulva Island, Campbell Island and Whenua Hou was never about individuals – it was about people coming together for nature. 

“I’ve always believed community involvement is essential to protecting our unique environment, culture and history. Seeing community-led conservation now achieving at such scale through initiatives like Southern Lakes Sanctuary is incredibly humbling.”

Leslie Van Gelder: Building global connections for local conservation

Leslie Van Gelder brings an international perspective to conservation leadership through her work spanning education, heritage, climate resilience and biodiversity. A Professor of Education specialising in global and indigenous education at Walden University, she has worked in the conservation sector since 2006 building international leadership networks connecting conservation and heritage professionals across 55 countries.

Her background as an archaeologist studying human responses to climate change has seen her work closely with diverse communities, government agencies and traditional landowners around the world. Since settling in Tāhuna Glenorchy in 2008, Leslie has become a leading figure across a number of major conservation, climate and dark sky initiatives in the Southern Lakes region.

Alongside co-founding and co-chairing Southern Lakes Sanctuary – now one of New Zealand’s largest landscape-scale conservation projects – she chairs the Queenstown Lakes District Climate Reference Group and has contributed to a range of regional strategic initiatives spanning biodiversity, heritage, tourism and economic diversification. She previously served as Executive Officer of the Whakatipu Wildlife Trust and has held governance roles across environmental, heritage and community organisations throughout the region.

Her leadership in dark sky protection has also gained international recognition. In 2025, after a five-year community-led effort, Tāhuna Glenorchy was awarded International Dark Sky Sanctuary status, becoming just the 23rd sanctuary of its kind in the world. She chairs the Tāhuna Glenorchy Dark Sky Sanctuary initiative, serves on the board of Winterstellar Charitable Trust, and represents Glenorchy internationally through the Preserving Legacies initiative, working alongside communities responding to climate risks at culturally and environmentally significant sites around the globe.

Despite her extensive governance and international work, Leslie remains deeply connected to her local community, including through a weekly voluntary role as Glenorchy’s community librarian.

Van Gelder said receiving the honour as someone who had chosen to make Aotearoa home was deeply moving.

“As an immigrant to New Zealand, this recognition is incredibly humbling and emotional,” she said.

“One of the things that has always inspired me most about conservation in Aotearoa is the willingness of people to work together – communities, iwi, agencies, scientists, volunteers and landowners all contributing towards a shared vision. Conservation succeeds when people come together, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have been part of that journey.”

“None of the work I’ve been part of has ever been achieved alone. It has always come through collaboration, shared purpose, and the generosity of many extraordinary people and communities.”

“Something bigger than themselves”

Southern Lakes Sanctuary said the honours reflect not only the individual achievements of Leslie and Greg, but also the strength of the collaborative conservation movement growing across the Southern Lakes region.

“Conservation at this scale only happens because of passionate people willing to dedicate themselves to something bigger than themselves,” Paul said.

“Leslie and Greg embody that spirit, and this recognition is incredibly well deserved.”