People

DOC scientists:

David Havell 

David is the Technical Support Officer in Biodiversity at DOC.

Chris Green

Technical Support Officer, Biodiversity (Invertebrates and Biosecurity).I provide advice on all aspects of invertebrates and entomology as it relates to conservation, particularly in relation to island restoration, invertebrate translocations, biosecurity, impacts of exotic predators and invertebrate pest (Argentine ant) eradication

Landcare scientists:

Peter Buchanan

Peter is a Team Leader at Landcare Research, Auckland, working with a team of scientists studying New Zealand’s plants, invertebrates, fungi, and bacteria.  The team also manages large national collections and databases of these organisms. Peter’s main research interest is fungi, including their biodiversity, conservation, role in causing plant disease, and ecology especially those causing wood decay.  He has contributed to several books on New Zealand fungi and is a regular contributor and organiser of the annual NZ Fungal Foray and Auckland BioBlitz events.

Karyn Hoksbergen

Karyn has worked in the plant diseases, food and fermentation industries
for over 25 years in research, analysis and quality control roles. She
has taught science at secondary level. Karyn currently works in the
Biosystematics group at Landcare Research in Auckland as a mycology
technician.

Royal Society of New Zealand:

Rebecca Goffin

Rebecca manages the Environmental Monitoring and Action Project (EMAP),  a LEOTC contract with the Ministry of Education. This nationwide contract is designed to support scientific monitoring experiences in schools. Commonly projects involve assessing stream health and undertaking weather monitoring.  

She has a background in the Biological Sciences, Environmental Management and has been a secondary school biology teacher.

Don Morrison

Don is a primary school teacher at Titirangi School in Waitakere City. He is currently teaching at the Year 2 level after many years working with Years 5 – 6. Don has a keen interest in science in general and has been involved in several environmental projects seeing them as valuable study contexts for their real world authenticity and the ‘hands-on’ experiences they provide.

This year he has a Royal Society of New Zealand Awarded Teacher Fellowship studying the eradication and control of invasive weeds and pests. This involves working with three host organisations including the Department of Conservation (Auckland Conservancy; comparing sanctuary types and practices throughout New Zealand), New Zealand Forest and Bird (controlling pests and monitoring invertebrates at the Ark in the Park project in the Waitakere Ranges) and the Weedfree Trust in Waitakere (on various weed eradication projects).

University of Otago

David Winter

David is a PhD student at Otago University. For his PhD he studies the genetics of a group of landsnails from Rarotonga but he's interested in all invertebrates and the important roles they play in ecosystems.

Project Moderators:

Monika Fry

Monika is the Director of Megabright and has been running online projects for schools since 1998. She has taught in primary, intermediate and secondary schools in New Zealand, England, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea.

She has an MEd in ICT and technology education from the University of Waikato, has been a national facilitator for environmental education and a recipient of a Royal Society fellowship to study the packaging industry.

Sue Barker

Sue is a Conservation Awareness Officer at the Auckland Conservancy of
the Department of Conservation.

She has a teaching background in both the primary and secondary sector, and as an educator at Taronga, Edinburgh and Auckland Zoos. As a technology teacher she was the recipient of a Royal Society Teacher Fellowship studying the technology used in Auckland Zoo's NZ endangered species breeding programmes.

Most recently she has run a pilot programme for the Ministry of
Education teaching schools groups at six Northland museums.