Melvyn (Mel) Peter Galbraith

Dr Mel Galbraith, who passed away on 28 September 2023, left Aotearoa with an unmatched legacy in the lives of those he taught and nurtured, and in the habitats and species that he protected through his leadership and hard work. Natural history was, in his own words, his life’s great passion. His career in science, teaching, and conservation spanned 46 years, and include notable achievements in significant conservation projects such as Tiritiri Matangi and Motu Kaikōura, educational leadership at Glenfield College and Unitec (Te Whare Wānanga o Wairaka), as well as substantial contributions to the New Zealand Ecological Society and the New Zealand Ornithological Society. For those of us who worked alongside him, or were taught by him, the lasting impression he has left in our lives is not just a passion for the conservation of Aotearoa’s special species and places, but also a model of how to move through life with humour, love, and humility. Along with the achievements and anecdotes we describe here, his memory lives on in the lives and ambitions of his students, friends, colleagues, and family, who live out the values that he shared with us.