Award huge for birdlife crusader

Jim Campbell has been made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. PHOTO/LYNDA FERINGA

A Masterton man has been given a "big lift" by being made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Jim Campbell has been recognised for more than 50 years of service to conservation in the New Year Honours List.

Mr Campbell said he was humbled by the news.

"It's huge. I'll get used to it, I suppose. We knew the process was happening, it takes a couple of months. But it was a big lift."

Mr Campbell has had a long involvement in habitat restoration and waterfowl captive breeding and recovery programmes, including whio (blue duck), pateke (brown teal), grey teal and mute white swan.

He has created many wetlands on his property, the largest being a 8ha area covenanted with the QEII National Trust, of which he is a life member.

Mr Campbell joined Ducks Unlimited in 1976, serving as president, board chairman and now co-patron.

He has been a trustee of the Masterton Henley Lake Trust since 2003 and has given more than 60 years of support to the New Zealand Forest and Bird Society.

As trustee of the Mount Bruce National Wildlife Centre for 25 years, Mr Campbell was instrumental in promoting the building of the classroom facility, and the Sir Edmund Hillary Memorial Lectures.

However, Mr Campbell remained modest about his contribution. "A lot of people do more than I do, but when you start to add up what you've done it does get to be quite impressive at times," he said. "It was a team effort and that goes for a lot of things."

His passion for conservation was sparked as a child, when he took rides on the mail truck and visited the aviaries on Elwyn Welch's farm.

"I've always been interested in that sort of thing, and I was probably encouraged by Elwyn Welch who was one of the the pioneers who had a farm where Pukaha Mount Bruce is now."

He has racked up a number of other accolades including a Wellington Regional Council inaugural Ballance Farm Environmental Award.