Megan Balks may have been the last in the latest round of investitures bestowed by the New Zealand governor general, but her citation was among the longest.
The leading New Zealand soil scientist who has contributed significantly to Antarctic soil research received her New Zealand Antarctic Medal last week from Dame Cindy Kiro at Government House in Wellington.
Megan Balks with family
Eleven recipients received their insignia for outstanding contributions including Balks whose gong was announced in the New Year Honours late last year.
Megan Balks
In 1990 Balks, who lives at Ngutunui on the Mt Pirongia slopes, joined other soil scientists beginning research into permafrost and human environmental impacts in Antarctica, going on to complete 19 Antarctic expeditions – 12 as field leader.
Through this research, a series of Antarctic soil climate monitoring stations were established that contribute to an international programme to monitor the effects of climate change in polar regions.
Among her numerous publications, she co-authored the award-winning textbook ‘The Soils of Aotearoa New Zealand’ (2021), which includes coverage of the Ross Sea Region.
She lectured at Waikato University from 1988 to 2018, supporting 10 graduate students in Antarctic soils research and helped develop links with the international scientific community in the subjects of Cryosols (soil in very cold environments) and permafrost (frozen ground), furthering scientific collaboration and recognition of research undertaken by New Zealand soil scientists in Antarctica.
She was a member of the Crysol Working Group of the International Union of Soil Sciences from 2000 until 2023, with two years as co-chair.
Balks represented New Zealand on the Council of International Permafrost Association (IPA) from 2008 to 2022 and organised the first Southern Hemisphere IPA Regional Conference on Permafrost in 2019 and was a founding member and secretary of Antarctic Permafrost and Soils, a working group of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research.
Balks has been a member of the Royal Society of New Zealand’s Committee on Antarctic Research, the New Zealand Geographic Board Committee of Place Naming in the Ross Sea Region of Antarctica, and President of the New Zealand Society of Soil Science from 2018 to 2020.
Megan Balks pictured with Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro in Wellington. Photo: Supplied.
