Leadership and diversity in the New Zealand Ecological Society

The New Zealand Ecological Society (NZES) was formed in 1951 by government and academic researchers keen to foster the newly emerging discipline of ecology. NZES membership has now expanded to include many different contributors to ecology and conservation, from research scientists to conservation practitioners through to environmental policy analysts. Our aim was to examine how diversity in NZES has changed over time, either as a leader or a follower of trends in society. To do so, we analysed available data on NZES membership, governance structure, and awards, which reflect contemporary concerns about equality, matauranga Maori, and interdisciplinary science. We also searched articles in the New Zealand Journal of Ecology, using terms such as ‘Maori’, ‘culture’ and ‘matauranga’ to track the incorporation of indigenous views and matauranga Maori into New Zealand ecological research. Together, NZES membership, governance and awards show a shift in membership and governance towards greater gender equity. Early NZES governance and membership was dominated by men with some notable exceptions largely derived from the field of botany. However, the data provide only a sketchy picture of members, as neither ethnicity nor gender data are collected. As yet, very few published journal articles reflect bicultural values, concerns or management of New Zealand’s biodiversity. We discuss possible interpretations of the data, including the changing value of service to societies like ours, and consider pathways to support and value diversity in the NZES.  I whakatūngia te Rōpū Hauropi o Aotearoa i te tau 1951. Nā etahi kairangahau mai i te Kāwanatanga rātou ko ētahi kairangahau ngaio te Rōpū i whakatū i runga i te pirangi kia whakatītinahia te akoranga hou e kiia nei ko te hauropi. I ēnei rangi kua whānui kē noa atu ngā momo mema o te Rōpū nei, ā, he maha hoki o rātou e tuku kōrero ana ki te akoranga hauropi, tiaki taiao hoki. Hei tauira, ko ētahi o rātou he kaipūtaiao. Ko ētahi anō he kaimahi tiaki taiao. Ko ētahi he kaitātari kaupapa-here e pā ana ki te taiao. Ko te whāinga o tēnei rangahau, he titiro ki tēnei mea te kanorau o ngā momo tāngata i roto i te Rōpū, ā, kia pātaihia e pēhea ana te whakarerekē haere o te kanorau momo tangata o te Rōpū i roto i ngā tau. Ka tirohia pēneihia te Rōpū nei hei kaiārahi, hei kaitautāwhi rānei o ngā ia i roto i te hapori whānui. I pēneihia mā te āta tātari i ngā raraunga e wātea ana mō ngā mema o te Rōpū, te hanganga kāwanatanga me ngā tohu i whakawhiwhia. Ko ēnei āhuatanga katoa ka whakaatu i ngā waiaro o te wā e pā ana ki te mana ōrite, te mātauranga Māori me te kaupapa whakakao whakaaro i roto i te pūtaiao. I kimihia hoki ngā tuhinga i roto i te Pukapuka Rātaka Hauropi o Aotearoa. Ko ngā kupu i kimihia pēnei i te ‘Māori’, te ‘ahurea’ me te ‘mātauranga’ hoki kia kite ai mehemea i whakatōpūngia ngā tirohanga me ngā waiaro o te iwi taketake ki roto i ngā rangahau hauropi o Aotearoa. Mehemea ka tirohia tahitia ngā momo mema, te hanganga kāwanatanga me ngā tohu ka whakawhiwhia, ka taea te kite atu kua piki ake te mana o te wahine kia noho ōrite atu ki tō te tāne. I te timatanga o te Rōpū, i whakatuanuitia ia e te hunga tāne, haunga atu i ētahi wāhine inati (ko te nuinga nō te ao mātauranga hauota). Engari kei te hapa tonu ētahi wāhanga mōhiotanga nā te mea kāore i kohia raraunga e pā ana ki te whakapapa a-mātāwaka nei o ngā mema, mehemea rānei he wahine he tāne rānei aua mema. I tēnei wā he ruarua noa iho ngā whakaputanga o te pukapuka rātaka nei e whakaata ana i ngā kaupapa whakahirahira a te Māori, i ngā tikanga kākanorua rānei e pā ana ki te whakahaere o ngā momo koiora kanorau o Aotearoa. Ka matapakingia ētahi whakamārama pea o ngā raraunga, tae noa ki te whakarerekē haere o te uara o te tuku ratonga ki ngā rōpū pēnei i tēnei Rōpū. Ka whakaarongia hoki ngā ara hei whai atu kia tautoko kia whakamana hoki i te kanorau o ngā momo tāngata ki tō tātou Rōpū.