Rate My Professor Sir Alan Mark

Sir Alan Mark is an Emeritus Professor in the Department of Botany at the University of Otago. He obtained his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from the University of Otago in 1953 and 1955, respectively, followed by a PhD from Duke University in 1958. Mark commenced his academic career as a plant ecologist with the Otago Catchment Board from 1958 to 1959 and as a Research Fellow with the Miss E. L. Hellaby Indigenous Grasslands Research Trust from 1960 to 1964. He joined the University of Otago as a lecturer in 1960, progressed to Reader and Associate Professor, and was appointed Professor in 1975, retiring in 1998. His research specializations encompass the ecology, conservation, and environmental management of indigenous vegetation, with particular emphasis on tussock grasslands, forest margins, alpine herbfields, lakeshores, wetlands, and their roles in water yield, soil conservation, biodiversity, and sustainable land use. Long-term projects include experimental snow manipulation in high-alpine cushionfields over 52 years and studies on community responses to alpine turf transplantation. Mark has authored key publications such as Standing My Ground: A Voice for Nature Conservation (Otago University Press, 2015), Above the Treeline: A Nature Guide to Alpine New Zealand (with David J. Galloway, 2012), New Zealand Alpine Plants (with Nancy M. Adams, 1979), and peer-reviewed papers including 'Ecological responses to 52 years of experimental snow manipulation in high-alpine cushionfield, Old Man Range, south-central New Zealand' (2015) and 'Slow community responses but rapid species responses 14 years after alpine turf transplantation' (2018).

Mark's career history includes significant leadership in conservation, such as chairing the Guardians of Lakes Manapouri and Te Anau for 26 years from 1972, serving four terms as an elected member of the Otago Catchment Board, national president of Forest & Bird from 1986 to 1990, and membership on the National Parks and Reserves Authority. He played a pivotal role in the Save Manapouri campaign, instrumental in preventing the raising of Lake Manapouri's level, and contributed to establishing the 2.6 million hectare South West New Zealand World Heritage Area (Te Wahipounamu). His influence extends to advocating sustainable high-country management, leading to tenure review programs that added nearly a million hectares to Department of Conservation management. Major awards and honors include Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand (1978), Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE, 1989), Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (KNZM, 2009), Honorary Doctor of Science from the University of Otago (2014), and the Blake Medal (2025). Since 2013, he has chaired the Wise Response Society, addressing climate change and ecological security.