Donor Story: Fraser Ross

Nowadays, environmental protection is a mainstream concept. It’s everywhere — in our news headlines, in our classrooms, and in our consumer habits. But 50 years ago, it was reserved for those on the fringes of society. And that’s where the Fraser Ross story begins.

Fraser balanced his career as a pharmacist with his love of nature, dedicating hours to ecological field volunteering and environmental advocacy. In Fraser’s first project of national significance the “Save Manapouri” campaign, he mobilised the South Canterbury community to collect over 7,000 signatures to stop the lake being raised, which would have destroyed the wildlife habitat including large areas of native forests along the lake foreshore.

For years Fraser spent his weekends removing weeds, eradicating pests, replanting trees, and protecting native bushland. Fraser was an early member of Forest & Bird South Canterbury, and names the regeneration of Conways Bush, Kakahu Bush, and Arowhenua Bush as his standout projects. He was a founding member of the South Canterbury Conservation Trust, a member of the black stilt/kaki recovery project, and more recently, has become a ‘minder’ for the little blue penguins around Timaru’s shores.

Now that Fraser is in his late 80’s, he cannot physically do the work he loves so much, so he came to us at the Aoraki Foundation. In 2016 he established a significant environmental fund for the South Canterbury community. This aims to provide financial assistance to carry on the conservation work Fraser started. With five years of growth under the Aoraki Foundation, it is now in a position to make its first grant.

Fraser has been involved with the regeneration of Arowhenua Bush since 1975, when a massive storm almost wiped it out. Forest & Bird have recently acquired this land, and The Fraser Ross Environmental Fund’s first grant will go towards a research project to aid in the propagation of this precious lowland native bush. It is wonderful that Fraser’s gift can impact a project so close to his heart, and we know it gives him great peace of mind to know the work he started will continue into the future because of his partnership with the Aoraki Foundation.

With an enduring commitment come rain, hail, or shine one could call Fraser a long time advocate for the protection of the natural environment - but to us he is simply a legend!