Springwood biologist Lindsey Gray was recently awarded $10,000 by the University of Sydney's Macleay Museum to study kakapo, a critically endangered New Zealand parrot. As the 2015 Macleay Miklouho-Maclay Fellow, Dr Gray will be using DNA extracted from the Macleay Museum's 150-year-old kakapo specimens to help conservationists in New Zealand better understand how inbred the tiny modern population of parrots is compared to historical populations.
Only 126 kakapo are left in the entire world.
"Kakapo breeding is meticulously managed by the New Zealand Department of Conservation. It is incredibly important that we gather as much information on the past genetic diversity of the species in order to play good match-makers for new parent parrots, and prevent inbreeding," Dr Gray said.
A passionate conservationist, Dr Gray is running the Sydney Morning Herald half marathon on May 17 to raise money for the kakapo breeding program, Kakapo Recovery.
"Kakapo are awesome. They are flightless and nocturnal, and are members of the most ancient family of parrots - a bit like the Wollemi Pine of the parrot world," she said. "But like many of our own species, Kakapo are nearly extinct because humans introduced predators to their habitats in the 1800s."
Dr Gray's work will not only help kakapo conservation, she is also hoping to solve a long-time Macleay Museum mystery. Fascinatingly, the exact origins of the museum's priceless kakapo specimens is unknown. Dr Gray will use Australian and New Zealand museum records and her DNA work to determine when and where in New Zealand the birds were collected.
"Museum specimens give our culture necessary insight into mistakes of the past," Museum curatorial assistant Robert Blackburn said. "The Macleay Museum kakapo project will add important breadth to our knowledge of 19th century natural history networks, and increase awareness for one of New Zealand's national treasures."
Growing up in the Blue Mountains fostered Dr Gray's love for nature which has seen her work for the NSW National Parks and Wildlife service and for the National Kiwi Trust raising kiwi chicks in New Zealand. She currently works as a ride operator and guide at Scenic World in Katoomba.
You can sponsor Lindsey's run for Kakapo by visiting the website https://give.everydayhero .com/nz/lindseygray or by calling 0424 403 614 for more details.