Peter Clark
Distinguished Alumni Awards听recipient 2024
Roseworthy Diploma of Agriculture 1973
Peter Clark is the Director of Monarto Safari Park and a vocal advocate for conservation. His work over a 50-year career in both Australia and Papua New Guinea earned him a UNESCO Achievement Award in 2021.
鈥淚 have been interested in nature for a long time. I think that sort of came to a head a bit at Roseworthy, where I started doing insect collection as part of the course,鈥 says Peter. Having completed a Roseworthy Diploma of Agriculture in 1973, he took a role with the Australian government in Papua New Guinea. 鈥淢y love for wildlife, for nature, really blossomed in Papua New Guinea. The place is just amazing.鈥
In his 30 years there, he founded what was then the country鈥檚 largest zoo, helped introduce environmental education into the primary school system, and worked to establish village based sustainable wildlife business models as alternatives to logging, such as crocodile and butterfly farming. This enables local village people both to keep their rainforest, and still earn reasonable incomes.
鈥淪uccess to me is knowing that people who visit Monarto Safari Park now go away with a deeper knowledge of the environment鈥︹
In 2003, Peter returned to Australia and became the first curator at Monarto Safari Park, where educating people and involving them in conservation continues to be a driving force. 鈥淪uccess to me is knowing that people who visit Monarto Safari Park now go away with a deeper knowledge of the environment, of species, and of how they can be involved in in the conservation that's needed in our environment today.鈥
鈥淭he world is going through a pretty awful period at the moment, with species loss and the effects of development,鈥 says Peter. However, he is positive about the impact we can make to reduce the problem. 鈥淎ustralia has a big part to play both in our own country, and with helping some of those developing countries in their efforts to looking after the planet better.鈥
While conservation icons like Lady Jane Goodall and Sir David Attenborough continue to inspire Peter, he also finds inspiration in the work of his colleagues at Monarto. 鈥淲e have lots of dedicated staff, volunteers and supporters that work together to maximize our conservation efforts, and whether this is breeding native animals for release to the wild, planting trees or educating visitors, it doesn't take much to look around and find people that inspire.鈥