New Council Member – Mark Ayre

June 9th, 2024

---

Mark has been an avid birder for almost his entire life. As a teenager he was a volunteer warden at the famous Titchfield Haven RSPB reserve in the UK. Mark moved to NZ, 44 years ago and for most of that time has lived in Otago where he was chairman of the local Forest and Bird Group and active in bird conservation (in particular of the Mohua). He also managed and maintained trapping and monitoring programmes in the Haast region and the Makarora Valley and is involved in bird surveys and bird counts for the Department of Conservation and other private groups. On top of this Mark is a professional bird guide, working for international birding companies such as Nature Quest on their NZ tours. Three years ago, he moved to Motueka, enjoying the bird life of the Sandspit and since becoming Regional Representative for Nelson has led several guided walks here. Mark is particularly keen to use his people and birding skills to involve and foster interest among young people through hands-on activities, camps etc.