Our Local Conservation Star - Catriona Gower
Many of us know Catriona Gower well through her work as a Biodiversity Officer with Environment Southland. However as well as this wonderful mahi, she was recently acknowledged for all the volunteer hours she puts into other conservation education and restoration projects. As a member of the South Otago branch of Forest and Bird, she was recognised by a 2026 Forest & Bird Tī Kōuka Award at the national Forest and Bird AGM.
From the ODT: ‘Affectionately known as the ‘‘Bat Lady’’, Mrs Gower set up a long-term pekapeka-tou-roa/long-tailed bat survey programme in the Catlins alongside popular bat walks. The Catlins Bat Project, established in 2014, consisted of transect surveys and year-round bat activity monitoring across the district and popular annual summer bat evenings. She was the driving force behind Long Yellow Ribbon, a riparian revegetation project — the ribbons being the kōwhai and ribbonwood trees that once were a feature along the Owaka River. She grew hundreds of seedlings and organised working bees to plant them along the river margins as well as successfully encouraging local farmers to get involved in the riparian planting.
Recently, she organised Kiwi Conservation Club activities, including two art exhibitions, ‘‘On the Brink’’ and ‘‘Art at the Nuggets’’, and the Matuku Muster — searching for bitterns.
A citation for the award said Mrs Gower was always looking for an opportunity to advocate for nature and encouraging people to enjoy being in te taiao (the natural world). Mrs Gower frequently organises fun community events focusing on enjoying Catlins wildlife and habitats. She also promotes the South Otago branch’s work in a local quarterly newsletter and includes a note on a ‘‘weed of the season’’ each time.’
Our SERN team is very grateful to have Catriona on board, always providing enthusiasm and support for what we are doing. No doubt many involved in the restoration projects registered on SERN can identify with this. Thank you and congratulations, Catriona.
Posted on: Monday, 29 June 2026
