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Saving our native grasslands with the help of the Miss E L Hellaby Indigenous Grasslands Research Trust

28 June 2022

Our Kiwi pride in our natural environment helped lure an American student to come to Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) for her undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences.

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Morgan Lee Tracy, from Connecticut in the United States, had thought she’d decided to study at the University of Tampa in Florida when a friend suggested Aotearoa New Zealand. “I researched how people [in Aotearoa] view biology and the environment, and it was the perfect fit,” she says.

Once she completed her undergraduate degree, she had intended to return to the US but again her plans changed. The strong local interest in ecology has kept her here.

PhD Candidate Morgan Tracy in the field in Tēkapo PhD Candidate Morgan Tracy in the field in Tēkapo

“I think I would have focused on native species no matter where I was but what drew me specifically to this work was that Aotearoa New Zealand communities and society have such a strong emphasis on respecting and protecting the native environment. I think it’s unique here. Invasive species are a hot topic.”

Now after seven years of study at UC, she has almost completed her PhD, an achievement Morgan says was only possible thanks to the Miss E L Hellaby Indigenous Grasslands Research Trust.

Eleanor Lilywhite Hellaby established the Trust in 1959 to provide funding for postgraduate research into the ecology and management of New Zealand’s indigenous grasslands, specifically research into sustainable management and conservation. “The Trust has enabled me to do my research on the reproductive biology of two native legumes that grow in Takapō | Tekapo; without it, I wouldn’t have been able to do my PhD.”

While previously Morgan had been facing mounting student loans, she found the financial pressure lifted as the fund covered PhD tuition fees and provided a stipend for some of her research and living costs. She found that holding down paid employment while doing a PhD was too difficult.

“I did have a part-time job for a while but it became too much to juggle with time pressures and long periods of travelling for research. I couldn’t maintain it all,” she says.

“Understanding what impacts invasive species have on our native species helps inform conservation management plans and how to protect the natives we care so much about, either in an official capacity or through our own core values.”

The information generated through Morgan’s research promotes understanding of how native and recovering grasslands are affected by invasive species. This can help focus conservation efforts.

“Once we understand the impact, we know whether we should control the species, preserve more land for the native species to regenerate or leave it as there is a beneficial interaction,” she says.

Morgan recently completed her PhD to find work as a quantitative ecologist. 

“I want to find work where I can continue to research and focus on conserving native ecosystems while finding a position that provides me the opportunity to be involved in science communication,” she says.

“I really love to talk about science and research, and I think it is important to continue that open dialogue; without it, the research won’t have the impact that is needed.”

With a love of Aotearoa New Zealand and plans to settle down and contribute to the world of science, Morgan says her knowledge of this country’s unique ecosystems would be lost elsewhere.

“I’ve always wanted to be a biologist and focus on conserving native environments. I want to do my part to make native environments and natural spaces reflect their intrinsic value.”

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