About the Authors
Allan E. Hewitt was born in Akaroa, a descendant of the French settlers who arrived in the
1830s. His early years were spent on a hill farm at Pigeon Bay. The family resettled onto the
Canterbury plains, firstly to Ashburton where the farm is now a public amenity called ‘Trott’s
Garden’, then to Greenpark. Allan completed a B.Sc.(Hons) degree in geology at Canterbury
University, then a DipAgSci at Lincoln University. After five years as a pedologist with the
DSIR Soil Bureau he was awarded an NRAC scholarship to study at Cornell University,
upstate New York, where he completed his Ph.D. in agronomy in 1982. On returning to New
Zealand, Allan was given the sole responsibility of developing a soil classification system
specific to New Zealand. This took 10 years. The rest of his career as team leader, Senior
Pedologist, and Research Leader, in Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research in Otago then
Canterbury, used his visionary and innovative skills to help lead soils research. He played a
key role in the development of S-map, New Zealand’s spatial soil information system. Allan
served a term as President of the New Zealand Society of Soil Science (NZSSS) and is a
Fellow of the NZSSS. He is also a recipient of the NZSSS Mike Leamy Award and was a
Norman Taylor Memorial Lecturer. In 2019, Lincoln University awarded him the Bledisloe
Medal, acknowledging his outstanding contributions to soil science and for advancing New
Zealand’s interests. Allan is a skilled large format landscape painter, sometimes using soil as a
medium.
Megan R. Balks was brought up on a hill country farm in the north Wairarapa. She completed a B.Sc.(Hons) in soil science at Massey University and a Ph.D. at the University of
Waikato. Megan worked as a soil scientist in DSIR, Dunedin, mainly on soil survey work for
irrigation development in Central Otago, for three years. She then taught soil and environmental sciences at the University of Waikato for 30 years, including two terms as Chairperson
of the Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences. Megan’s research interests have been wide
ranging including irrigation of effluent to land, pedology, and applied soil physics. She has
been involved in Antarctic Research for over 30 years, including undertaking 19 Antarctic
fieldtrips, many as field leader. Megan currently serves on the ITPS (Intergovernmental
Technical Panel for Soils) where she represents New Zealand, Australia, and the Southwest
Pacific. Megan has served on the Council, and as President, of the New Zealand Society of
Soil Science. She has also served two terms on the Waikato Conservation Board and two terms
on the Board of the QEII National Trust. Megan is a recipient of the NZSSS Norman Taylor
Memorial Lecture Award and a Fellow of the NZSSS. Megan, with her husband Errol, has a
small sheep farm on the slopes of Mt. Pirongia where she gains hands-on experience in
endeavouring to sustainably manage a small piece of New Zealand’s soil resource.
David J. Lowe although born in Waipukurau, the son of a veterinarian, grew up in Tauranga
from the age of one. He undertook his B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. degrees at the University of
Waikato in Hamilton, being an early graduate in the new integrative discipline of Earth
sciences developed by foundation staff John McCraw, Michael Selby, and Harry Gibbs.
During his formative student years David transformed carbon-bearing samples into benzene in
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Allan E. Hewitt was born in Akaroa, a descendant of the French settlers who arrived in the
1830s. His early years were spent on a hill farm at Pigeon Bay. The family resettled onto the
Canterbury plains, firstly to Ashburton where the farm is now a public amenity called ‘Trott’s
Garden’, then to Greenpark. Allan completed a B.Sc.(Hons) degree in geology at Canterbury
University, then a DipAgSci at Lincoln University. After five years as a pedologist with the
DSIR Soil Bureau he was awarded an NRAC scholarship to study at Cornell University,
upstate New York, where he completed his Ph.D. in agronomy in 1982. On returning to New
Zealand, Allan was given the sole responsibility of developing a soil classification system
specific to New Zealand. This took 10 years. The rest of his career as team leader, Senior
Pedologist, and Research Leader, in Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research in Otago then
Canterbury, used his visionary and innovative skills to help lead soils research. He played a
key role in the development of S-map, New Zealand’s spatial soil information system. Allan
served a term as President of the New Zealand Society of Soil Science (NZSSS) and is a
Fellow of the NZSSS. He is also a recipient of the NZSSS Mike Leamy Award and was a
Norman Taylor Memorial Lecturer. In 2019, Lincoln University awarded him the Bledisloe
Medal, acknowledging his outstanding contributions to soil science and for advancing New
Zealand’s interests. Allan is a skilled large format landscape painter, sometimes using soil as a
medium.
Megan R. Balks was brought up on a hill country farm in the north Wairarapa. She completed a B.Sc.(Hons) in soil science at Massey University and a Ph.D. at the University of
Waikato. Megan worked as a soil scientist in DSIR, Dunedin, mainly on soil survey work for
irrigation development in Central Otago, for three years. She then taught soil and environmental sciences at the University of Waikato for 30 years, including two terms as Chairperson
of the Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences. Megan’s research interests have been wide
ranging including irrigation of effluent to land, pedology, and applied soil physics. She has
been involved in Antarctic Research for over 30 years, including undertaking 19 Antarctic
fieldtrips, many as field leader. Megan currently serves on the ITPS (Intergovernmental
Technical Panel for Soils) where she represents New Zealand, Australia, and the Southwest
Pacific. Megan has served on the Council, and as President, of the New Zealand Society of
Soil Science. She has also served two terms on the Waikato Conservation Board and two terms
on the Board of the QEII National Trust. Megan is a recipient of the NZSSS Norman Taylor
Memorial Lecture Award and a Fellow of the NZSSS. Megan, with her husband Errol, has a
small sheep farm on the slopes of Mt. Pirongia where she gains hands-on experience in
endeavouring to sustainably manage a small piece of New Zealand’s soil resource.
David J. Lowe although born in Waipukurau, the son of a veterinarian, grew up in Tauranga
from the age of one. He undertook his B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. degrees at the University of
Waikato in Hamilton, being an early graduate in the new integrative discipline of Earth
sciences developed by foundation staff John McCraw, Michael Selby, and Harry Gibbs.
During his formative student years David transformed carbon-bearing samples into benzene in
xix