Speakers
Brad Edwards (Department of Conservation) is a Nga Awa River Ranger (based in Raukapuka). He leads the DOC representation on the Ko te Whakahaumanu o te Rakitata Awa project working group that seeks alignment across agencies and the community to restore the mauri of the Rakitata, ki uta ki tai.
Elizabeth (Biz) Bell, Baylee Connor-McClean, Keegan Miskimmin, and Simon Lamb (Wildlife Management International Ltd) are ecologists working on four braided rivers (Waiau Toa/Clarence, Hurunui, Waiau-Uwha and Rakaia) monitoring black-fronted terns and undertaking predator control under contract for DOC and Environment Canterbury. WMIL specialises in avian ecological research projects, many on braided river systems, and predator control and eradication operations throughout New Zealand and globally.
Clement Lagrue (Department of Conservation) is a Science Advisor ecosystems (based in Ōtepoti) for DOC. His background in freshwater ecology combines with current work in terrestrial ecosystems to take a holistic view at ecosystem functioning and management. He’s part of the Department’s threatened ecosystem workstream focusing on limestone, coastal turfs, saltpans, and braided river conservation and management across Southland, Otago, and South Canterbury. He leads a 10-year long braided river restoration project (2016-2026) on the Aparima River (Southland) in collaboration with a local gravel extractor, Fish&Game, Environment Southland, and local Iwi. Data from this project is informing recent changes in gravel extraction techniques to include an ecosystem-wide consideration of the potential impacts and benefits of gravel extractions on braided river ecosystem functioning and biodiversity.
Fraser Gurney (Lincoln University) is a postgraduate student working with the Department of Conservation to study black-fronted terns and their movements. While studying he has been working for Wildland Consultants as an ecologist/ornithologist, primarily conducting braided river bird surveys. Fraser has previously worked for the Department of Conservation Tier One Biodiversity Monitoring Team and is a keen birdwatcher in his spare time.
Samantha Turner and Jennifer Schori (Department of Conservation) are Biodiversity Rangers for Project River Recovery based in Twizel. They conduct research and monitoring in the braided rivers and wetlands of the Upper Waitaki Basin to benefit native plants and animals. Some of their current work is focussed on black-fronted terns, non-migratory galaxiids, Lakes skinks and threatened grasshoppers.
Tom Kay (Forest & Bird) is the Freshwater Advocate based in Wellington. He’s worked for Forest & Bird in various roles since 2017, though took a 6-month hiatus as a policy advisor at Kāhu Environmental in 2021. Tom has a keen interest in rivers, which he continues to develop through his passion for whitewater kayaking. Kayaking has led Tom to some of Aotearoa’s most interesting and exciting rivers, including a brief spell training and working as a raft guide. Tom has a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science (2016) and a Master’s of Science in Ecology (2020), both from Massey University in Palmerston North, and he was a recipient of the Rivers Group research grant for postgraduate students in 2018. Tom’s MSc research focused on measuring changes in river habitat over time, particularly changes caused by human impacts such as engineering. Tom’s interests in freshwater continue to come through in all of his work—with his current interest figuring out how to get decision-makers and policy-writers to protect the natural character and physical habitat of rivers, and make ‘room for rivers’, rather than just focus on water quality, quantity, and flood protection engineering.
Tara Murray (Department of Conservation) TBA
Grant Davey (Ashley Rakahuri Rivercare Group) has been a mineral exploration geologist in six countries and was a hydrogeologist at Environment Canterbury for four years. He has a PGDip in Environmental Science. For about five years he’s been an active member of the Ashley Rakahuri Rivercare Group and of BRaid.
Holly Harris (University of Canterbury) is researching on the Cass River in Tekapo for her doctorate. With a bit of experience in freshwater and terrestrial biomonitoring, she is now interested in how braided rivers work as whole ecosystems to support the life that exists within them, such as the birds and fish that we know and love.
Inge Martens (University of Canterbury)
is currently doing her master’s degree in Biology. During her
undergraduate degree, she developed an interest in rare and threatened
ecosystems as well as Ecosystem-based management.
Naomi Wells (Lincoln University) joined the Soils & Physical Sciences Dept staff in 2021, after five years working at Southern Cross University (Lismore, NSW, Australia) on issues around nitrogen and greenhouse gas dynamics at the interface of terrestrial/aquatic/marine ecosystems. As a biogeochemist, Naomi accounts for how biologically-active elements move through landscapes. She works across aquatic, terrestrial, marine, and atmospheric sciences in order to understand how nitrogen, a critical agricultural fertiliser and now ubiquitous aquatic contaminant, moves around the planet. She received her PhD from Lincoln University in 2014, her MSc from the University of Aberdeen, and her BA from Wellesley College (USA). You can find out more about her research here, or on Twitter at: @15nswells.