Rachel is our Experiencing Marine Reserves Regional Coordinator!

Rachel grew up in Canberra and moved to the coast as soon as she could to be able to surf and dive. She studied Environmental Science, as well as Spanish and Latin American studies, and began her career in the Marine Division of the Australian Government.

Craving the open ocean, she left to study dolphins in South Australia and to advocate for marine conservation in Vanuatu.

After sailing to New Zealand, she settled in Taranaki with the ocean at he doorstep! Fifteen years later, she has two sons, still loves surfing and enjoys growing food.

You might recognise Rachel from previous roles with Enviroschools and Sustainable Backyards. Now as our regional coordinator for Experiencing Marine Reserves, she gets great joy from taking people snorkeling and helping them experience and fall in love with the underwater world.

Since 2001, Barbara has poured her time, expertise, and heart into the Nga Motu Marine Reserve Society Inc, playing a key role in major milestones like the Tapuae Marine Reserve application. With her sharp writing and deep environmental knowledge, she has prepared important documents for statutory processes, supported community education, and helped bring countless events and presentations to life.

Her contribution stretches far beyond the paperwork. Barbara is central to the Society’s snorkel days at Ngāmotu Beach, helping tamariki and whānau discover the magic beneath the waves. She also co-leads the Kororā Kōrero Little Blue Penguin monitoring project as a DoC-accredited bird bander, and carefully preserves decades of knowledge about Taranaki’s coastal and marine environment.

Through her mahi, Barbara has become a respected kaitiaki, helping ensure our taiao is understood, protected, and cherished for generations to come.

As a long-time member of the Ngā Motu Marine Reserve Society, Elise played a key role in establishing the Tapuae Marine Reserve and continues to lead projects such as Kororā Kōrero, a citizen-science initiative monitoring the local little blue penguin population.

For more than 20 years she has worked to connect local communities, iwi, scientists and schools, empowering everyday people to understand, value and protect Taranaki’s coastal ecosystem.

Elise is a marine-conservation advocate, GIS specialist and community ecologist based in New Plymouth. With a master’s in science and a postgraduate diploma in GIS, she brings technical expertise to community-led conservation, data-mapping and ecological monitoring.