YEPT Conference

We warmly invite past, present and future supporters to participate in a long weekend of celebration, reflection, and looking ahead to the next twenty years. The four days from Thursday 11 October – Sunday 14 October will include public events, lectures, open days and a conference focusing on the Otago Peninsula.

The main event is our Conference – Almost an Island: Valuing Otago Peninsula. The conference, scheduled for 12th - 13th October, will be opened by the Hon. Damien O'Connor, Minister of Tourism, in association with Dunedin Mayor Peter Chin, and our Patron, Anton Oliver.

What does the Otago Peninsula mean to people?

To David Bellamy, it is “the finest example of eco-tourism in the world”. To you, it may be a place to live, or a place to visit with friends and relatives for a day out. It may be spiritually significant, or your source of income. You may love it for its island-like isolation, or you may enjoy the company of the birds and animals visible all over the peninsula.

To us, the Otago Peninsula represents a place where we have concentrated time, resources and energy over the past 20 years. As a conservation organisation, it is a place we work to ensure the yellow-eyed penguin lives and breeds successfully. After twenty years, the time is right to celebrate the Peninsula itself, discuss the values it represents to different groups of people – past and present, and to debate the future uses of peninsula land, people and wildlife.

Almost an Island: Valuing Otago Peninsula will feature speakers from Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand and Australia. They will represent Otago Peninsula interests such as ecotourism, environmental economics, conservation organisations, local and regional government, iwi, and farmers.

Our keynote speaker will be Professor Clem Tisdell, an internationally respected expert in environmental economics from the University of Queensland. Professor Tisdell first visited the Otago Peninsula in 1987 to study the economic potential of its wildlife, particularly the yellow-eyed penguin. He returns 20 years later to review and update his original work, and to speak about the economic return of Otago Peninsula’s indigenous biodiversity to Dunedin City.

Others will discuss models for biodiversity conservation and restoration, and the successful integration of conservation and eco-tourism. These include:

Jeff Connell, Conservator for DoC Otago
Dr Peter Dann of the Phillip Island Nature Park in Victoria, Australia
Dave Hawkey, Chief Executive, Real Journeys
Jan Hindson, Chief Executive, Tourism Dunedin
Prof Richard Holdaway, palaeobiologist, University of Canterbury
Dr John Jillet, Otago Peninsula Trust
Dr Peter Johnson, botanist, Landcare Research
Euan Kennedy, founding trustee, Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust
Dr Bill Lee, Landcare Research
Michael Lee, Chairman, Auckland Regional Council
Howard McGrouther, Penguin Place
Bruce McKinlay, Department of Conservation Otago
Dr Colin Meurk, Landcare Research
Neville Peat, natural history writer and Deputy Chair, Otago Regional Council
Tahu Potiki, Chief Executive of Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu representing Ngai Tahu Tourism and Otakou Runanga
Dr Keith Probert, marine biologist, University of Otago
Alan Saunders, Director – Pacific Invasives Initiatives, University of Auckland
Dr Mo Turnbull, Geologist, GNS Science

The audience will also be given a chance to air their views through a question and answer panel discussion.

Venue: Hutton Theatre, Otago Museum, Dunedin. Click here for map

Registrations: Closing date for registrations is 30 September 2007. Click here to download a registration form

Conference Programme: A draft programme is available by clicking on the link.

Public Events: Professor Tisdell will give a Public Lecture on Friday 12 October at St David Street Lecture Theatre at the University of Otago. Check back here for details!

More public events are to be confirmed. We’ll update as we make progress on them.

More Information: To register your interest and get on our mailing list so you can informed when registrations open and when new events are added, please email us or phone us at the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust office.