EarthDiverse

Nathan has more than 25 years of experience in ecological restoration and consulting. Nathan moved to New Zealand from his native Sydney in 2016 and has since worked as an ecological consultant, guided by a desire to deliver enhanced biodiversity outcomes, especially for remnant forest stands, throughout the country. Since arriving in Hamilton, he has been heavily involved in Significant Natural Area assessments in various districts, desktop vegetation mapping validation (GIS), Environmental Benefit Lots (EBLs) and Kahikatea Green Wheel assessments (condition assessment methodology used in the Waikato for kahikatea remnants). Prior to moving to the Waikato, Nathan worked as a restoration ecologist in Australia, including eight years in the bush regeneration industry. From 2003, Nathan was primarily engaged as a consultant developing management plans for mine-site rehabilitation and offset sites. Nathan was an accredited BioBanking Assessor in NSW (biodiversity offset method) and is a member of the Society for Ecological Restoration (Australasia) and the Australian Association of Bush Regenerators.

Restoration Ecologist / Lead – Vegetation Surveys, Research Briar is an experienced terrestrial ecologist with a broad range of skills and experience. Since completing a PhD in 2015 investigating ground wētā distribution and diversity across New Zealand, she has worked as a field botanist for the Department of Conservation and a consultant ecologist before joining the ecological restoration team at Tītoki Landcare. Briar has extensive experience with vegetation surveying around the North Island, including forest and wetland plots, wetland delineations, and biosecurity monitoring of kauri dieback and myrtle rust. She has also worked with a wide range of fauna including invertebrates, bats, Powelliphanta snails, birds, lizards, and invasive newts. Since 2017, Briar has been restoring her own gully within the Chedworth gully system in Hamilton, and has incorporated her passion for ecological restoration into her work since joining Tītoki Landcare. Get in touch with Briar if you have any queries relating to vegetation surveys, ecological research projects, and/or ecological mapping.

After growing up on a King Country farm, Maxine studied at Auckland University and enjoyed tramping in New Zealand forests. She returned from travel through Europe, the Middle East & Asia, and qualified as a science librarian, before settling in the Waikato. She and scientist husband Tony Fraser covenanted a tract of nikau-rimu forest with the QE II Trust on a hill country block near Mount Pirongia. Quick-growing native shrubs were used as shelter, shade & fodder for their grazing animals. Their home orchard was run on the lines of a forest garden, with beehives, weaving materials & bird habitat. Tony, with Maxine’s support, started the group Tui 2000 in 1989, & ran regular gully bus tours around Hamilton. After his death, she returned to the city, where she has been restoring her own gully, & working voluntarily in the Mangaiti Gully with Rex Bushell and the Mangaonua system with George Lusty. From 2004, she has worked as a weedbuster in Claudelands Bush, regularly planting & weeding in the Waiwhakareke Reserve, and potting & weeding at the Tamahere/WERT native plant nursery. Over the years, Maxine has been inspired by conservation concepts and tree cropping. Together, they provide ecological services for the planet and habitat for us living creatures.