Biography - Hamish Alan Saunders

Hamish Saunders was born on 7 June 1976. He grew up in Matangi, near Hamilton, New Zealand, and attended Hillcrest High School from 1989 to 1993. He worked hard and played hard, bringing great enthusiasm to all school activities. He was a keen surfer and loved the outdoors, so it was no surprise that he decided to study Resource and Environmental Planning at the University of Waikato.

After graduating with a BSc, he continued study in marine geology, completing a Masters with First Class Honours in 1999. His thesis topic, "Coastal Processes Influencing Beach Erosion at West End Ohope", gave him the chance to indulge his passion for diving and surfing. The thesis itself is referred to often by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council in matters of coastal management of Ohope Beach.

For the next two years, Hamish worked for the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), specialising in seabed mapping. This work led to trips on the research vessel "Tangaroa" into remote locations.

Keen to extend his skill base, Hamish completed a postgraduate GIS (Global Information Systems) course. His GIS skills provided a ready meal ticket in his subsequent travels.

After working for London Transport as a GIS technician, Hamish was accepted in 2002 as a conservation volunteer at the Charles Darwin Research Institute on the Galapagos Islands. Before starting, he invested in 3 weeks' Spanish Language tuition in Ecuador; he became confident over the next few months. The combination of science, GIS, dive qualifications and language skills, together with his enthusiasm and team skills, resulted in privileged opportunities to visit and work in remote locations.

Hamish loved exploring but well away from the usual tourist tracks. His travels took him to many out-of-the-way places in Indonesia, Thailand, Central and South America. Always at the forefront was his interest in the natural world (especially marine environments), photography and conservation. He developed a strong interest in writing, and in communicating about conservation issues.

In early 2003, he applied for the Natural History Film-making Course at Otago University. While waiting for the results of his application, he volunteered for conservation work in Tasmania. This took him onto Pedra Branca, a rocky island south of Tasmania, for the annual survey of endangered lizards and albatrosses. There he lost his life doing work that he loved and believed in.

Hamish was a "doer" who packed a rich lifetime into his twenty-six years. He did not wait for things to happen to him but went out and made them happen. He touched and encouraged many people.

One friend wrote after his death, "I've learned a lot from Hamish, by observing the way he chose to live his life. I have chosen to adopt some of those ways myself. In this way Hamish has enriched my life and will always be an inspiration to me."