The Two Founding Trustees

NZBCT is a small charity organization founded in 2016 by two trustees:

Geoff Brunsden – Nationally recognised as an expert on exotic wildflower culture in NZ. Numerous television garden shows and event attendances as keynote speaker.

Co-authored and published handbook on “Wildflowers of New Zealand”. Instigated the creation of a “home gardener,” a bumblebee hive which people can buy, establish and observe as a working hive at their place. Researched here and in the UK, the whole concept of how a similar type Bumblebee Trust could work here in NZ.

Helen Johnson – Over 25 years in senior management and CEO roles, successfully growing and marketing businesses here in New Zealand and Australia. Qualifications include MBA, Coaching 1V Cert, Marketing degree, Australia Institute of Company Directors Cert.

We are proud to welcome two new Board Members – Rachel Weston & Debbie Ireland.

Our Bee Expert

The late Dr Barry J. Donovan. First became interested in bumble bees over 50 years ago. Has a B.Sc. in Zoology and an M.Sc. in Entomology form Auckland University, and a Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of California, Davis. Has practised entomology, mainly to do with bees and wasps, at the Canterbury Agriculture and Science Centre at Lincoln since 1969. Up to 350 nest boxes for bumble bees are managed annually. A recent project was the transference of queens of the uncommon Bombus subterraneus from Central Otago to the Christchurch area each spring in an attempt to establish the species in the area.   

NZBCT is a registered conservation trust CC53277