Our Team Members
Annie Dignan
CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Annie’s role at PFK is to keep the volunteers, staff team, board and key partners all on the same waka, paddling in the same direction to an agreed destination. Annie particularly enjoys meeting volunteers and hearing about their inspiring efforts to work with the community and restore the local environment. Her favourite native is the Ruru as she loves its all-knowing look.
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Fiona Smal
SENIOR RESTORATION ADVISOR
Fiona’s role at PFK is to increase engagement with restoration at home, in reserves and the places in-between, by encouraging our community to love and protect native biodiversity. She enjoys the giving attitudes of each volunteer or resident who takes a step forward for the benefit of local biodiversity. Her favourite native animal is the tīeke (saddleback) for its association with pecking about on the ground and for epitomising the long term success of pest free initiatives.
Lucette Hindin
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT LEAD
Lucette’s role at PFK is to ensure that our one thousand (approx) volunteers have the best possible experience.She supports volunteer recruitment, training, induction, systems, and events to celebrate and recognise the wonderful contribution of volunteers in so many aspects of PFK’s work. Nothing would be possible without the contribution of volunteers at the heart of everything we do. Her favourite native is kōtare (kingfisher) as she aspires to achieve the same blend of poise and cuteness.
Zel Ng
GREENING OF KAIPĀTIKI COORDINATOR
Zel works to protect and enhance the green spaces of Kaipātiki, and to educate people about the wonderful native plants in the area. She loves seeing people come together to make a tangible difference to the restoration of their local environment, and the sense of satisfaction that comes with that. One of Zel's favourite native species is the pīwakawaka, because of the way it follows and dances around you in the bush.
Angela Mueller
BIODIVERSITY EDUCATOR
Angela’s role at PFK is to help tamariki to take action for our native plants and animals, and coordinate the Buffer programme. The thing she most enjoys about working for PFK is being outdoors with tamariki and rangatahi - connecting people with nature and with other people. Angela’s favourite native is the tīeke (saddleback) and she would love to hear their song in Kaipātiki one day!
Tania McBeth-Stanton
SPECIAL PROJECTS LEAD
Tania's role is to provide administrative support to the PFK team. She is inspired by the people, both staff and volunteers, who are working so hard to make a difference to our local environment. Tania has a soft spot for the playful native pīwakawaka and loves hearing their distinctive little cheeps in the backyard.
Shanti Truong-George
KAURI PROTECTION COORDINATOR
Nō Haina, nō Witināma, nō Vanuatu ōku tupuna. Ko Shanti tōku ingoa. Tēnā koutou katoa.
I have lived close to Maungakiekie my whole life, but am happy to be working here in Kaipātiki and to see all of the volunteer mahi.
I studied anthropology and ecology in Auckland, and completed my Master's in biodiversity in Taiwan. I'm interested in anything biodiversity-related and love to learn about our native species through both an ecological and cultural lens.
My role focuses on kauri protection and myrtle rust. We want everyone in Kaipātiki to be kauri heroes and help prevent the spread of kauri dieback.
Tom Dargaville
RESTORATION ADVISOR
Tom collaborates with restoration groups, focusing on flood mitigation, as well as being involved in the buffer programme and supporting PFK’s data and reporting. He loves working with people who share his passion for conservation. With a background in native reptiles, his favourite animal is the Forest Gecko.
Andy Pitcher
FINANCE MANAGER
Andy looks after all things finance and HR at PFK…from employing and paying staff, contractors and suppliers, to tracking spend on projects, applying for project funding, invoicing and making sure all regulatory requirements are satisfied. He finds time to be a bush volunteer in his spare time and is grateful for the opportunity to soak up the knowledge and enthusiasm for restorative environmental works that PFK champions. His favourite native is the tōrea pango…cheeky oystercatchers!
Ding Hui
DATA SPECIALIST
Ding Hui is establishing a data repository to help the organisation effectively report its achievements and impacts. She also supports communication with Chinese groups. She loves to assist the team and volunteers in leveraging data for learning and evidence-based decision-making.
While she is still exploring New Zealand’s unique ecosystem and native species,
she has a particular interest in fungi and
is passionate about expanding her knowledge.
Esther Hjelmström
COMMUNITY & YOUTH ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR
Esther connects communities and young people with their local environment through hands-on events and action-based initiatives. She is passionate about restoring native habitats and fostering stronger relationships between people and their place.
Raised in the foothills of the Waitākere Ranges, Esther brings deep knowledge of native plant species and a background in landscape architecture to her work.
Her favourite biome is repo (wetlands) for their role in purifying wai (water) and supporting healthy ecosystems.
Sahmay Ellis
RESTORATION ADVISOR - PREDATOR CONTROL, RESTORATION AND MONITORING
Sahmay educates, encourages, and coordinates volunteers across Kaipātiki to get involved in predator control initiatives.
Raised in Tāmaki Makaurau, she has worked on conservation projects throughout Aotearoa, including Ōtautahi/Christchurch, Rakiura/Stewart Island, and Kawatiri/Westport, as well as in Australia (Naarm/Melbourne).
She brings a passion for Aotearoa’s entire pūnaha hauropi (ecosystem) and loves finding ways to connect people with what makes it so special.
Elise Wood
CATCHMENT RESTORATION ADVISOR - CLIMATE RESILIENCE
Elise helps the Kaipātiki community look after our catchments and prepare for a changing climate. She has spent the last decade working in biosecurity and ecology across a range of roles. Elise has a BSc in Biodiversity Management and is currently completing a Master of Technological Futures, where she is working to develop her vision of building better tools for environmental monitoring. Her special interest is in plant phenology, the timing of flowering and fruiting, which is often called nature's calendar.
She grew up in Tāmaki Makaurau and now lives in Waitākere with her teenage sons. She has founded a number of community projects in her spare time, mostly because she believes people are at their best when they're supporting each other and looking after the place they live.
Elise's favourite species is pōhutukawa because its Christmas flowering is one of the most recognisable phenology signals in Aotearoa.
Ian Naguiat
PEST PLANT ADVISOR
I’m a bit of a plant nerd with a big passion for looking after nature. I’ve always been fascinated by how things grow and how our environment keeps on thriving.
That curiosity led me to study Environmental Science, and since then, I’ve focused a lot on dealing with pest plants.
My main experience is with plants that aren’t common yet (Low Incident Pest Plants, or LIPPs), but if we don’t act, they could quickly spread and take over. The good news is that when we catch them early, we can often stop them completely.
I’m here to help make it easy for you to spot these plants and feel confident about taking action to protect our environment.
Zoé Braun
MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS LEAD
Tēna koutou katoa
Ko France
Te whakapaparanga mai
Ko Charente-Maritime te kāinga
I noho au ki Nouvelle-Calédonie mō ētahi tau
Kei Tāmaki Makaurau au e noho ana
Ko Zoé au
Zoé looks after communications for the organisation and enjoys telling the stories of the people, projects, and positive change happening in Kaipātiki.
With a background in community engagement, public relations, and communications, she brings experience from Europe and New Caledonia. She is passionate about connecting people with nature and encouraging communities to care for themselves, each other, and Aotearoa's unique taonga.
Her favourite bird is the kuaka, whose incredible migration from Alaska to Aotearoa reminds her that even the longest journeys begin with a single flight.
Kim Ollivier
GIS ADVISOR (VOLUNTEER)
Kim keeps our GIS system working!
Urs Steck
WEBSITE HELPER (VOLUNTEER)
Urs helps us with our website
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Bunsen
HEAD OF SECURITY (VOLUNTEER)
Bunsen takes his role as workplace guardian very seriously.