Bio
I have a farming background growing up on a sheep and beef farm in Eastern Southland and currently farming on the Otago Peninsula with my husband. I have over 20 years-experience working with the rural sector. For 17 years, I worked in the land management teams of the Taranaki and then the Otago Regional Council's. This provided a solid understanding and practical application of Water Plans and Council processes, environmental good management practice and community engagement. I moved into private consulting in 2016. As a consultant, most of my work is in community engagement and facilitation. Projects I have been involved in include - working with farmers in North Otago as farm liaison for a large irrigation expansion project and project managing an online educational project for Massey University & the University of California. I am currently running B+LNZ farm environmental plan workshops and working part-time as the Deer Industry NZ Southern Environmental Projects Manager. I also write farm environment plans and facilitate several farmer-led catchment groups.
Qualifications
- BA Hons in Geography & Economics (Otago University)
- Masters in Regional & Resource Planning (Otago University)
- Intermediate Sustainable Nutrient Management Course (Massey University) and currently studying for Advanced course (2020).
- Post graduate paper in Overseer (Massery University)
- 1st year soils paper (Massey University)
- Various facilitation training over the years. Most recent - Lead Facilitator and RMPP Action network Fundamentals (2019) and B+L Facilitating Effective Catchment Groups (2019).
- Project management Level 1 (Victoria University)
Experience
I facilitated my first catchment group in 1999- starting and providing ongoing support to the Waikouaiti Catchment Group which is still going strong 21 years later. During my years at the ORC I also started/support groups in Waipori- Waihola and the Pomakaka Catchment and ran & was involved in many focus groups including the first ever Deer Environmental Focus farm with AgResearch and DINZ. During my last 2.5 years at the Council I supervised my team of 4, as they facilitated catchment groups and events. As a consultant, I am actively running catchment groups in Thomsons Creek (for B+LNZ) and starting groups in Luggate and Cardrona. Wai Wanaka have asked me to be lead facilitator to support facilitators for their catchment groups.
Regions: Otago, Southland