First published on RNZ

23 February 2024

Desmond Bovey lived in France for thirty years, predominantly working as an art director, specialising in ecology and environmental interpretation.

Upon returning home to Whanganui he was in search of a project to reconnect with Aotearoa - and worked on some environmental projects for DOC and Forest and Bird.

Then, the diversity of the Central Plateau captured him, in particular an up close encounter with a rare Karearea - NZ Falcon and this inspired many sketches.

The result is his book - Tongariro National Park - an artists field guide. Desmond Bovey has not only written it, but also done the 400 illustrations which grace the pages, capturing the landscapes, plants and animals of the area. He speaks to Kathryn Ryan of RNZ.

First published on RNZ