Bird's eye view on nature

MURRAY WILSON/Manawatu Standard

LOVE OF NATURE: Brent Barrett, chairman of Manawatu Forest and Bird.

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Manawatu is filled with people quietly working away to preserve what is left of the region's beauty. LAURA JACKSON uncovered one of these driven environmentalists, who is trying to build momentum in the area to get people to fight to save the area's gems.

He is American by birth, a scientist by trade, and an optimist by nature.

Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand branch chairman Brent Barrett believes people in the region can undo the environmental damage that has been done to Manawatu, and contribute to a better future.

What is needed, though, is confidence, he says. "People in the community need to develop the confidence to speak out on decisions being made about what goes into our regional parks and waterways. We need to keep an eye on the councils and what decisions they make."

His avenue for speaking out is Forest and Bird, a group he became involved with when he moved to the region in 2000.

"I moved here to take up my current job at AgResearch, creating cow feed."

Forest and Bird knew he had an interest in bird watching and asked him to join the group, and later become chairman.

"Our group is dedicated to protecting nature, and contributing to a better future."

It has more than 1000 members in the region, where it has operated for more than 50 years.

When he is not working or helping to rally the environmentalists, he enjoys getting outdoors, and wants to see the area he loves to go mountainbiking in remain protected. He also loves being down by the Manawatu River.

"It really is a great community space all along that river."

- © Fairfax NZ News