Markus Gronwald is stepping into the Operations Manager role

We're delighted to announce that Markus Gronwald is stepping into the Operations Manager role for the upcoming rat pilot. He's completed a PhD thesis on behavioural ecology, monitoring and management of invasive rats on islands, and has spent the last year as Monitoring Lead for Te Korowai o Waiheke.

Markus has worked on and planned for numerous conservation projects in his career. He reviewed the rat monitoring plan for Ark in the Park in the Waitakere Ranges, planned and lead invasive rat management on Te Hāwere-a-Maki/Goat Island, and conducted a successful ground-based rat eradication in French Polynesia.

Complementing his fieldwork experience is his area of study, which allows him to apply theoretical conservation knowledge to each project gaining him insights into the feasibility and limitations of theoretical frameworks.

He has both the skills and the experience to adapt the rat pilot design for the best outcomes in these challenging times.