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Pacific Institute of Resource Management (PIRM) was founded in 1984, by Wellington architect George Porter. PIRM is an organisation dedicated to sustainable use of the earth’s resources. PIRM is concerned about the deterioration of global ecosystems, the rapid depletion of natural resources and degradation of the environment, examples being climate change, loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, pollution of water systems and natural habitats. Our objectives are to advocate respect for natural processes; conservation of physical resources and integrity of all life forms. We contribute to the establishment of New Zealand as a strong, independent authority promoting a world conservation strategy. PIRM works for the improvement of human communities worldwide living in harmony with the natural world.

PIRM organises public forums and makes submissions to the New Zealand government on environmental and social issues, and publishes Pacific Ecologist (formerly Pacific World).

Pacific Ecologist is one of a family of Ecologist journals now published around the world in France, Spain, Portugal, Brazil, India and Italy – as well as of course the original in the U.K. – The Ecologist.

PIRM is not politically aligned and is funded by members and supporters. We are a voluntary organisation with charitable trust status. It is run by an executive committee elected from its membership each year at the AGM, normally held in October. The current committee is listed below:

Peter Barrett (convener) teaches geology at Victoria University of Wellington and heads the Antarctic Research Centre there. His research interest is Antarctic climate history over the last 40 million years or so – results from its warmer past provide a guide for ice sheet response to future global warming.

Father Peter Healy sm (secretary) has been on the committee for three years. His interest in ecology began in 1992 after attending the Earth Summit in Rio de Janiero. Peter’s interests include organic gardening, environmental art, running workshops on ecology and spirituality and tramping in New Zealand’s national parks.

Peter Gilberd (treasurer) is a scientist with a particular interest in physics. He works at the Royal Society of New Zealand on the administration of the Marsden Fund. In his spare time, he is one of the gumboot brigade, planting native trees with his reforestation group, Woodridge Planters.

Kay Weir is editor of Pacific Ecologist. She once sang with the NZ Opera Company and, having trained as a subeditor with the former Evening Post, became a volunteer assistant to PIRM’s founder George Porter in 1994 for the publication of our former magazine, Pacific World. She became editor on his retirement in 1997. Kay’s work in developing the network of contributors and improving editorial standards attracted support from Edward Goldsmith, founding editor of The Ecologist (UK), and in 2002 Pacific World was replaced by Pacific Ecologist. Kay is the only full-time worker on PIRM’s voluntary committee.

Matthew Bartlett looks after the PIRM and Pacific Ecologist websites. He works in publishing, and is interested in mainstreaming sustainability, ecology and justice issues.

Barbara Strathdee is a recent volunteer and is keeping the subscriptions lists for Pacific Ecologist up to date. She is an artist and fiction author with an interest in ecology. Barbara recently travelled to Trieste, Italy to receive a prize for her latest book, Cafe Wars, which is set in Italy.

Contact details

PIRM/Pacific Ecologist
Box 12125
Wellington
Aotearoa/New Zealand

Phone: +64 4 939 4553

Email: pirmeditor@paradise.net.nz