8 June 2009 Conservation head's speech inspires responses

A call by the Director-General of the world's oldest and largest global environmental network, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Julia Marton-Lefevre, for the world to “invest in nature”, brought a number of responses at question time when she spoke at Lincoln University.

Addressing an audience of about 200, the Director-General responded positively to a suggestion by Lincoln University's Professor of Nature Conservation, Ian Spellerberg.

Professor Spellerberg proposed that all universities, polytechnics and other tertiary institutions should be called on to adopt a “Sustainability 101” course and make it mandatory for all students.

“What would your reaction be,” he asked the Director-General?

“That would be great,” she said, and she suggested to IUCN regional councillor Diana Shand that this was an idea that could be taken to the IUCN's Education and Communication Commission.

Dr Stefanie Rixecker, the Dean of the Faculty of Environment, Society and Design, which holds the IUCN membership at Lincoln University, said the auditorium was “full of leaders” and Lincoln University “had the history that New Zealand can use” to move forward and do the things that the Director-General had asked.

“But time is incredibly short,” she warned.

Cautioning too about a “crisis of leadership”, Dr Rixecker said that a “new global architecture” was needed and the IUCN was well placed to assist.