He has written and illustrated a number of books about New Zealand plants, and manages Hinewai Reserve on Banks Peninsula.

Wilson was born in Timaru, and brought up in Christchurch by parents keen on the outdoors and camping; he attributes his love for birds to a family holiday to Stewart Island.

After attending the University of Canterbury, he studied the botany of Stewart Island / Rakiura, and then the Aoraki / Mount Cook region, for several years.

While the work had been supported by the Koiata Botanical Trust, DOC realised that it was directly relevant to their aims, and asked Wilson to write the Banks Peninsula PNAP report.

[8] In 2019, Wilson was the subject for the short documentary film "Fools and Dreamers: Regenerating a Native Forest".