Te Korowai o Waiheke Staff
Jenny Holmes
Project Director
Jenny has lived on Waiheke Island since 2002 and has a background in marketing and innovation and has worked in several Waiheke Island organisations. She has a strong understanding of the Waiheke Island community and is enjoying working with the community on this exciting new initiative.
Frank Lepera
Stoat Operations Manager
Frank moved to Waiheke in 2017, prior to that he worked as an Environmental Science Researcher and Biological Technician for more than sixteen years in the US and holds a Masters in Biological Science.
Owain Tanner
Rat Operations Manager
Owain has a Masters in Zoology and is passionate about ecology. He moved to Waiheke in 2017, working in vineyards before starting work with Te Korowai o Waiheke. He was an assistant on the BBC documentary "Super Senses" and loves tramping through the bush to help restore the native bird song to Waiheke Island.
Steve Cook
Communication and Engagement Manager
Steve has been living on Waiheke for four years having been drawn to the outdoor lifestyle and natural beauty. Steve is a very experienced marketer most recently working with Phoenix Organics where he partnered with Sustainable Coastlines and the Endangered Species Foundation.
Phil Salisbury
Rat Team Leader
Phil has more than ten years experience in predator control and is no stranger to eradication work. He was the manager and caretaker on Rotoroa Island as predator eradications were completed there. After two years as a field technician in the island-wide stoat eradication, he has stepped into a rat team leader role.
Brett Clews
GIS Manager
Brett is responsible for all the geospatial and data systems associated with the stoat eradication and rat operational pilot programmes. Brett has lived on the island since 2019 and previously worked as a GIS Analyst with Queenstown Lakes District Council.
Miranda Andrews
Engagement & Administration Support
Miranda has lived on Waiheke since 2009 and has been involved in the wine industry. She is of Ngati Påoa descent, and is enjoying being a part of restoring the motu.
Grace Ivory
Field Team & GIS Technician
Grace Ivory grew up on Waiheke and the calling of the birds brought her to Te Korowai o Waiheke. She has a BSc in Environmental and Geospatial Science and is currently completing her masters on the subject at AUT. She will bring her skills and passion to assist the field crew with camera monitoring and analysis, and get her hands dirty while servicing stoat traps across the island.
Monica Peters
Social Scientist
Monica has a PhD in community-led conservation and has worked for over 2 decades in restoration and sustainable land management as a researcher, author, project coordinator and illustrator. She has been a trustee for both Forest & Bird and the National Wetland Trust. She enjoys exploring the outdoors through ocean swimming, tramping, and long-distance cycle rides.
Yoshino Watanabe
Field team technician
Yoshino was attracted to working in conservation as she is fascinated by New Zealand's wildlife. Having worked on pest control in the Far North of New Zealand, she is now enjoying working on Waiheke to protect our native birds.
Norm Robins
Field Team Technician (part-time)
Norm has worked as part of the stoat eradication field team since July 2020. Norm is also involved in Waiheke Ratbusters, the restoration of Park Rd reserve and is often seen running around the island.
Carina Oliver
Field Team Technician (part-time)
Originally from Austria, Carina was drawn to the unique approach to conservation in New Zealand which led her to volunteer with Waiheke Ratbusters. It is great to see her experience as a volunteer springboard her into a new career as a stoat trapper.
Tilde Sorensen
Field Team Technician
Tilde recently graduated from the University of Auckland with a Masters in biosecurity and conservation, monitoring invasive and native skinks on islands. She also worked on setting up the stoat pilot on Waiheke Island in 2016, so it’s great that she’s bringing her combined experience to the stoat trapping team.
Helen Elscot
Field Team Technician
Helen has called Waiheke home for the past twenty years. She is a medical herbalist and has cultivated her passion for botanical plants, the protection of endangered species and the use of alternatives in a sustainable practice. Helen has studied under the world’s leading ethnobotanist, Dr James E. Duke. When you see Helen out and about in the ngahere, she’ll be in her element!
Te Ata Paul-Sumich
Field Team Technician (part-time)
Te Ata is currently studying psychology at AUT but has a background in hospitality, landscaping and conservation. He has lived on Waiheke for most of his life and has an inbuilt motivation to take care of it. Te Ata is interested in the regeneration and protection of the motu.
Billie Curran
Engagement Coordinator
Billie has a long history with Waiheke Island and was part of the Ostend rat pilot in 2022 as a field technician. It is great to have Billie back as part of the team as the Engagement Coordinator.
Chris Palmer
Engagement Coordinator
Chris has been involved in conservation projects on Waiheke for over 30 years, and was one of the first volunteers assisting Don Chapple at Te Atawhai Whenua, then later serving as one of
the inaugural trustees of the Hauraki Gulf Conservation Trust. After working on the Oneroa trial in 2023, he’s very excited to be involved with Te Korowai o’Waiheke’s work again.
Rosemary Thorne
Training/Recruitment Coordinator (part-time)
Rosemary is a long time Waiheke “bottom-end” resident and has run her own Human Resources business for the last eight years. Rosemary has also been a volunteer in the island wide stoat eradication programme since February 2020.
Lauren Baker
Social Media (part-time)
Lauren has been running Te Korowai o Waiheke's social media since August 2019. As a passionate bird lover who has a strong connection to Waiheke Island and the Hauraki Gulf, Lauren enjoys working with many clients such as Rotoroa Island for the benefit of our New Zealand wildlife.
Linda Sorenson
Financial Assistant (part-time)
Linda has been living on the island for seven years and since 2019 has been running her own book-keeping business with fifteen Waiheke business clients.
Ella Singh
Communication and Engagement Assistant
Ella has grown up on the island and just graduated from Waiheke High. She has a passion for sustainability and conservation and has been actively involved in the space for the past few years, being a volunteer at a Native Bird rescue and a leader of Waiheke Youth's sustainability group.
Lindsay Jeffs
Treasurer (part-time)
Lindsay has been the Treasurer of the Te Korowai o Waiheke Trust since it was established. He is also a Trustee of the Hauraki Gulf Conservation Trust, Carbon Neutral NZ Trust and the Canterbury Community Business Trust.
Mandy Mee
Fundraising Strategist (part-time)
Mandy brings almost 20 years of fundraising expertise to Te Korowai o Waiheke. Her experience has been developed in conservation and health, working on projects with Auckland Zoo, The Sir Peter Blake Trust (BLAKE), Rotoroa Island and most recently Auckland City Mission.
Zip
Stoat detection dog
Zip has become an invaluable member of the team since becoming a Waiheke resident in 2022. Together with his handler Tilde, he passed the conservation dog tests to become interim certified in 2023, and is now busy training to be fully certified.
Zip loves his job sniffing out stoat scat (poo) and likes running on the beach, getting petted in the office, and meeting his fans.