An ambitious $30million endowment fund for conservation projects has been launched to try to save some of New Zealand's most endangered species.
The Endangered Species Foundation was unveiled at a ceremony in Wellington yesterday and a Dunedin botanist and ecologist is at the forefront of the project.
Dr Mike Thorsen, along with his father, Neil, conceived the idea of trying to save our most endangered plants and animals in 2012, when discussing how a shortage of funds hampered conservation.
The pair originally aimed to raise $1million but it quickly changed to a target of $30million over five years.
''Luckily, everyone sort of thought `oh yeah, fantastic idea','' Dr Thorsen said.
''We're supporting all of the people doing this work. We want to be there long-term.
''We're finding new [flora and fauna] all the time. We find a new tree once every 10 years [on average].''
Dr Thorsen previously worked for the Department of Conservation and was now freelancing.
He hoped conservation groups in Otago would access funding to help save things like the fresh-water clam shrimp, last seen near Sutton in the 1950s, and the limestone cress, a plant species found in the Waitaki Valley, of which there were just 50 left.
''It's great to have this idea and have this dream and ambition come to fruition,'' he said.
''[I'm] someone who grew up with these plants and animals around who wants our next generation to experience them.''
Endangered Species Foundation chairwoman Kerry Prendergast said New Zealand had thousands of native species, all in danger of extinction.
''There are more than 4000 species ... endangered in New Zealand and only 250 of them are ... in conservation programmes,'' she said.
''There's a great need for this organisation.''
The foundation had already received a single $1million donation and would be fundraising in earnest from now on.
Conservation Minister Maggie Barry said the new foundation gave her heart for the future of conservation.
