Media Release
February 17, 2009

Uni student on tui mission

Calling all non-environmentalists. Waikato University student Richard Parsons needs you to help bring tuis back to Hamilton.

Mr Parsons is running a series of focus groups as part of research for Environment Waikato’s Halo Project. The project aims to eliminate pests around the Hamilton area to encourage tui to live here. Hamilton has no resident tuis.

Mr Parsons’ aim is to identify Hamiltonians’ attitudes to pest animals and ways to control them. This information will help Environment Waikato design a communications strategy that will “speak” to the range of views that people hold. Mr Parsons therefore needs to hear from people from all walks of Hamilton society to ensure all demographics are represented.

And while he has already lined up several gully owners, environmentalists and others who hold strong opinions, he needs to also talk to non-environmentalists, particularly those who are aged 18-30 or of Maori descent.

“I would like to talk to people who may not be particularly interested in environmental issues - such as car enthusiasts,” says Mr Parsons, who is in his final year of a Bachelor of Communication Studies, majoring in Public Relations. “Many of these people think they won’t be of use, but I do need to talk to them because we need to know that the publicity and information is getting to everyone, not just the people who may already be committed to environmental issues.”

He will collate the findings of his focus groups and present a report to Environment Waikato at the end of March, with his recommended strategies for getting the regional council’s message to the public.

The Hamilton Halo Project is an Environment Waikato initiative aimed at reducing pests in the Hamilton area to enhance forest growth and therefore encourage tuis to nest in the city. The ‘Halo’ represents the 20km radius around Hamilton in which rat and possum control are considered a high priority and are treated regularly.

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