Wanganui conservationist Allan Anderson is in the running for a prestigious national award - and that means Bushy Park, which he has championed so fervently, is in the running for $10,000.
Now he needs the votes of the public to win that funding for the wildlife reserve.
Mr Anderson is one of 24 finalists in the Pride of New Zealand Awards, having won the environmental section for the Lower North Island.
All 24 finalists are eligible for the TSB Bank People's Choice Award which is decided by popular online vote. Voting closes this Sunday, September 13, with the winner announced at the Pride of New Zealand Awards ceremony in Auckland on September 16.
The winner of the People's Choice gets $10,000 for a charity of their choice and, naturally, Mr Anderson has said that he would give the money to Bushy Park.
The Whanganui District Health Board member and former district councillor has asked for people to get behind him and his Bushy Park cause and give him their vote.
He was nominated for the awards for his conservation work, particularly his fundraising efforts, and for being "the driving force in the creation of one of New Zealand's premier fenced sanctuaries for rare native birds".
He has been associated with the Bushy Park sanctuary - a 98-hectare conservation area, 24 kilometres northwest of Wanganui on Rangitatau Road East - since 1962.
He started volunteering at Bushy Park through Forest and Bird, and he served 12 years as executive committee chairman of the Bushy Park Trust.
His nomination for the awards records that since 1996 he has given on average 30 hours per weeks of unpaid voluntary work to the park.
This includes the building of the 4.8km pest-proof fence that now rings the park.
"Allan single-handedly raised the $1 million, which saw the project opened on time, within budget and paid for," his nominator noted.
Mr Anderson, who reckons he has been a member of Forest and Bird longer than anyone in New Zealand, was initially reluctant to accept the nomination, but did so on behalf of all the others who worked on the project.
"You are always part of a big team - it fell to me to the the leader," he said.
Allan Anderson in line for national award
POPULAR CHOICE: Allan Anderson hopes to win $10,000 for Bushy Park. PICTURE / DAVID LUPTON
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