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Kath Walker (scientist)

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New Zealand conservation scientist

Kath Walker
AwardsOfficer of the New Zealand Order of Merit
Academic background
Alma materMassey University
Thesis
Doctoral advisorSteven Trewick, Rod Hitchmough
Academic work
InstitutionsNew Zealand Wildlife Service, Department of Conservation

Kathleen Joy Walker is a New Zealand conservation scientist and an expert on New Zealand snails. In 2023 Walker was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to wildlife conservation.

Conservation career

Walker joined the New Zealand Wildlife Service in 1981, and then worked for the Department of Conservation. Walker led the establishment of the Rotoiti Mainland Island sanctuary, and the creation of bird sanctuaries at Motuara and Chetwode Islands through the eradication of rodent pests. Walker is an expert on New Zealand's native snails, the giant carnivorous Powelliphanta. She conducted a national survey of the snails, and discovered a new species on Stockton Plateau, Powelliphanta augusta. She assisted in the efforts to maintain the snail populations in fridges once their habitat was destroyed by mining, and advocated for the restoration of their habitat. Walker completed a PhD titled Systematics and phylogeography of the large land snail Powelliphanta at Massey University in 2018. Her research reexamined the status of Powelliphanta in New Zealand, describing 20 distinct species and 59 subspecies.

Walker is a science advisor at the Department of Conservation. She led an advisory group that warned in 2024 of the likely extinction of many of New Zealand's native snails due to climate change and predation by rodents, pigs, hedgehogs and birds.

Honours and awards

In the 2023 New Year's Honours Walker was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to wildlife conservation.

Personal life

Walker's partner is Graeme Elliott, advisory scientist at DOC. Since 1991 the two have often travelled to the subantarctic to study Gibson's albatross and Antipodean albatross populations.

Selected works

Scholia has a profile for Kath Walker (Q115933250).

References

  1. ^ "New Year Honours List 2023 – Citations for Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC)". www.dpmc.govt.nz. 31 December 2022. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  2. Walker, Kathleen Joy (2018). Systematics and phylogeography of the large land snail Powelliphanta (Thesis). Massey Research Online, Massey University. hdl:10179/15111.
  3. "Native snails heading for extinction". www.doc.govt.nz. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  4. "Graeme Elliott | NZES 2018". 4 October 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  5. "Kath Walker". evolves.massey.ac.nz. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  6. Felix Walton (31 December 2023). "Scientists brave rough seas to hunt out albatross killer". RNZ. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  7. "Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels – Albatross researcher Kath Walker appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit". www.acap.aq. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
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