Author

Emeritus Professor David Norton retired from the University of Canterbury at the start of 2022 and has over 40 years’ experience in New Zealand ecology and conservation across public and private land. Over his career, his research and consultancy work has spanned several fields of ecology and conservation biology including the ecology of New Zealand’s native forests, conservation and management of threatened plants, mistletoe biology, ecology of remnant habitats, restoration ecology, threat classification and significance assessment. Most recently he has researched the distribution and management of native biodiversity within primary production systems, especially sheep and beef farms, working closely with farmers, the farming community and sector groups to promote biodiversity conservation and find ways to build this into farm management. David has also worked on several resource management projects including wind farms, mines, landfills and agricultural developments, and has considerable expertise in significance assessment, biodiversity offsetting and ecological restoration in this context. Together with postgraduate students and colleagues, he has authored over 150 scientific publications, including co-authoring a book on biodiversity conservation in farming landscapes with an Australian colleague, as well as producing numerous reports for different clients. Since retiring from the University of Canterbury and moving to Lake Hāwea, David has continued to work actively with the farming sector through his own business Biodiversity Solutions Ltd. to help farmers incorporate native biodiversity into farm management in a way that results in win-win outcomes for farming and native biodiversity.