John Darby
Topics: Grebes/Pūteketeke, conservation and wildlife
When John Darby came to Wānaka after retiring from his role as Assistant Director at Otago Museum, he anticipated a quieter life. That changed as as soon as he observed a single Pūteketeke (Southern Crested Grebe) on Lake Wānaka. At this time, NZ’s grebe population was classified as ‘nationally vulnerable’, and little was known about them.
Curiosity piqued, John, a zoologist, set about observing the birds to learn more and determine if there was any action that could be taken to improve their prospects. In this recording, John - now often referred to as ‘The Grebe Man’ - tells the story of the grebe project. Over a period of 10 or so years, the population of Pūteketeke in the Southern Lakes area increased and more was learnt about this extraordinary bird. Subsequent to this recording, the grebe achieved world fame, winning Forest and Bird’s ‘Bird of the Century’ competition in 2023.
Interviewed by Helen Howarth
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