Who is involved in the Halo Project?
The Halo Project is brought to you by the Landscape Connections Trust.
Established in 2009, the Landscape Connections Trust (LCT) is a Charitable Trust that was set up with a mission “To create healthy landscapes that support resilient communities”. The LCT’s primary role is to support the planning, administration, fundraising, development and implementation of a variety of environmental projects under the name ‘The Halo Project’.
The LCT vision is “from Silver Peaks to sea, communities and nature thriving in balance”.
The Halo Project (and LCT’s) mission is to inspire and work with our communities to enhance, protect and connect with this landscape.
We strive to achieve this through our Strategic Goals:
Community Action: Working with our community to be kaitiaki of this landscape.
Community Education: Building and sharing resources to expand our collective knowledge.
Governance: Operating at the highest standards of governance and delivery.
Leadership: Inspiring transformational change for increased landscape resilience.
Partnerships: Working in partnership with our community, māori and our funders.
Science and Research: Collaborating with science providers to fill our knowledge gaps.
Currently, the LCT is delivering the following projects under the banner of the Halo Project. These are:
Freshwater enhancement through our Source to sea project.
Overseeing the Halo Project is the primary focus for the LCT trustees. Previously the parent project was called ‘Beyond Orokonui’, and the Halo Project was just one of a number of ‘Beyond Orokonui’ projects. The Halo Project, back then, was focused solely on predator control.
In October 2018, Predator Free Dunedin (PFD) was launched with the LCT taking responsibility for not only the delivery of predator control work in the 12,500ha north of Dunedin but expanding the control of possums across an additional 33,000 hectares. This initiated a change in the project name.
LCT TRUSTEES
JILLIAN HETHERINGTON (CHAIRPERSON)
Jill has been an active volunteer and leader of volunteers in numerous predator eradication and reforestation projects. Her background is in invasive plant ecology, having obtained a PhD in this field from the University of Otago. After a short stint lecturing in the Geography Department at Otago Uni on environmental issues and biogeography she is now working for the Department of Conservation as Senior Advisor Te Mana o te Taiao, based in Dunedin.
ANDREW LONIE
Andrew has a background in conservation, recreation and community development, and currently works at the Graduate Research School, University of Otago. Andrew has lived for 17 years at Upper Junction to the south-east of Mt Cargill/Kapukataumahaka, near the Inner/Outer Halo boundary. With his partner he is currently replacing pasture and exotics on their land with native coastal lowland species.
DAVID SHARP
Dave brings some twenty years’ experience of working within the community/ conservation sphere-both in Australia and here in New Zealand. A resident of Pūrākaunui, Dave is keen to support the protection and restoration of biodiversity values within his ‘home-patch’ and across the East Otago landscape.
MARGARET MCFARLANE
Margaret has a background in science, biology, outdoor and environmental education; biodiversity work for DoC; revegetation and MAF biosecurity. As small land owners at Karitāne, Margaret and her partner Rob Raill have started extensive revegetation and predator control. They are involved in several community groups and are passionate about enabling others to care for and enhance their very special environment.
GERALD FITZGERALD
Gerald is a corporate lawyer practising throughout New Zealand, but with a base at Doctors’ Point, Waitati. A concern for the local environment (especially the ecological and recreational values of Blueskin Bay), and his experience with preserving the water quality in Lake Taupo through the reduction in leaching of manageable nitrogen led to his involvement with the Halo Project.
MARIEKE MAHONEY
Marieke is a management consultant with a keen interest in conservation and restoration - particularly in the Pūrākaunui area where she likes to spend her weekends with her family. Marieke has worked in commercial, project management and strategy roles across several industries including government, science, conservation and technology.
SASHA ROULSTON (TREASURER)
Sasha is a Chartered Accountant with over seven years experience and serves as the treasurer for LCT. Growing up on a farm in West Otago, Sasha is also familiar with the needs of farmers and brings this different perspective to the team.
The Halo Project Team
Click here to see photos of the team
JONAH KITTO-VERHOEF (PREDATOR FREE PROJECT MANAGER)
Jonah was bitten by the Predator Free bug while carrying out conservation work on Waiheke Island, where he worked on forming Predator Free Dunedin’s sister project, Te Korowai o Waiheke: towards predator free Waiheke. He is passionate about protecting and enhancing our remaining native biodiversity and is a vision holder of a local environment made up of people and native biodiversity thriving in harmony.
Originally born and bred in North Otago, Jonah is pleased to be working alongside a passionate and talented team to enhance our unique place.
ALICE MACKLOW (SOURCE TO SEA PROJECT MANAGER)
Alice is a keen conservationist based in Waitati. She sees the benefits of this work daily in the kākā and karearea that fly overhead. As a long-term volunteer for Orokonui Ecosanctuary she understands that conservation in New Zealand is held up by the contribution of volunteers in all aspects.
She is proud to be part of community that she sees as achieving great things for the future of the flora and fauna of our region.
RHYS MILLAR (PROJECT ADVISER)
Rhys is motivated by the prospect of enhancing this area within which he lives with his family. He believes that the people, the environment and the landscape of this area are very special and provide a great place to live. In a rapidly changing world it is important that we collectively look after this place so that the next generation can also be supported by its health and resilience. The Halo Project has the potential to assist in the enhancement of this area.
CONOR HOUGHTON (PREDATOR FREE PROJECT COORDINATOR)
Conor is originally from Christchurch but now calls Dunedin home after falling in love with the coastal Otago landscape flora and fauna. He has a background in rural pest control but is also an avid conservationist and has a keen interest in community conservation projects.
Conor’s ambition is to have a predator free environment for our native flora and fauna to return and flourish for more of Dunedin’s residents and visitors to appreciate.
KIM MILLER (PREDATOR FREE OPERATIONS FIELD LEAD)
Kim picked up a love for conservation at a young age, which led on to tertiary study in wildlife management, zoology and ecology, at the University of Otago. Having lived in Ōtepoti for the better part of eight years, Kim is stoked to be working towards the predator free vision in the place he has come to call home.
HARVEY AUGHTON (PREDATOR FREE OPERATIONS FIELD LEAD)
Harvey has recently moved down to Otepoti from Kirikiriroa, with his partner who is a lecturer in Pacific Island Studies. He was the coordinator of Predator Free Hamilton and Project Echo before coming to joining The Halo Project.
He has a background in Outdoor Education and studied bats and brains at university (separately), before moving into community-based predator control and biodiversity projects.
Outside of conservation work he has exhibited art and published writing. He also likes to spend time in the mountains, usually finding secluded spots for hammock camping. He is often reading multiple books at once.
ABBY HODGKINSON (PREDATOR FREE RANGER)
Abby discovered her passion for protecting the natural beauty of Aotearoa after returning from living abroad. While pursuing a Bachelor's degree in psychology and physiology at Massey University in her hometown Papaioea / Palmerston North, she took on the role of leading the Massey University Alpine Club. This helped expand her enthusiasm for native wildlife, plant life, and learn outdoor skills.
Over the past five years, Abby has worked in predator control around Papaoiea reserves and water catchment. She is excited to contribute to the conservation effort in her new home Ōtepoti through the Halo Project.
KATY ROSSITER (PREDATOR FREE RANGER)
Born and bred from Kirikiriroa/Hamilton, Katy has been studying Ecology at the University of Otago for the last 6 years. After volunteering with the Kākāpō Recovery Programme in Dusky Sound, she saw how necessary predator control was in protecting New Zealand’s unique flora and fauna and began volunteering on multiple trap lines in Dunedin.
When she’s not trapping pests, she might be out tramping and camping, nose deep in a good book, or both!
JENILEE HILL (PREDATOR FREE RANGER)
Jenilee was born in Dunedin and has always had a love for animals. This grew into a passion for protecting Aotearoa's native species when she completed her zoology degree at the University of Otago. During a trip to Whenua Hou where she assisted in the Kākāpō recovery programme, she was in awe of the natural beauty of the island that represented what Aotearoa once was: a predator free oasis. Determined to help restore our country to it's former glory, Jenilee is proud to be carrying out this important work in her hometown. In her free time, Jenilee enjoys reading, photography, adding observations to iNaturalist and hanging out with her 2 chinchillas.
DAMIAN MALLINSON (SOURCE TO SEA FIELD TEAM RANGER)
Damian joined Halo because he is extremely passionate about the "Source to Sea" project. He is proud to call our beautiful country home and is keen on preserving it for future generations.
Damian has spent most of his life working in pest control throughout the South Island’s remote areas predominantly targeting Possums, cats, wallabies, mustelids and rabbits. He enjoys getting out in the Mountains tramping and climbing, fishing, cooking, and generally exploring.
Damian and his partner have just bought a house in Dunedin and have a 10-year-old Daughter. Damian is looking forward to seeing the difference that the Halo team are going to make in the landscape and biodiversity around the area over the coming years and being a part of that is something that he will cherish.
HUGH LINDSAY (SOURCE TO SEA FIELD TEAM RANGER)
Hugh has always enjoyed nature and believes that growing up in a place like North Dunedin it would be difficult not to! Hugh wasn’t satisfied with his inside job and felt that conservation was really something he wanted to be doing with his life.
Hugh likes how the Source to Sea project is community oriented and feels that the focus on improving waterways will allow his team to have the biggest impact possible.
