Our Tīma - Team
DAN THURSTON CROW - TRUSTEE
Dan describes himself as a businessman and an environmentalist. Alongside his role with Sustainable Taranaki, he’s an organiser in the regional entrepreneurship catalyst, Startup Taranaki, and operates a strategy consultancy. His belief in the need to transform our economy and restore our environment through uncompromisingly sustainable business activity also has a political outlet: Dan was the 2020 New Plymouth candidate for The Opportunities Party. Prior to arriving back to Aotearoa NZ in 2020, Dan spent a year volunteering in the Americas on Earthrace’s tactical conservation vessel, The Modoc. He lives in Huiroa on a small permaculture plot with husband Thomas.
CHAUNCY ARDELL - TRUSTEE
Chauncy is keen to support our planet and its inhabitants based on the cornerstones of social, environmental, economic, cultural, and spiritual sustainability. During his varied life journey, he has explored volcanic Pacific islands, created permaculture tepee retreats, played in noisy punk bands, and has lived in beautiful wildlife reserves. In recent years he has been helping to grow biodiversity restoration with community groups, rangatahi, local and central government, and ordinary folks. One of his roles is the Urban Project Lead for Taranaki Taku Tūranga – Towards Predator Free Taranaki, where he strives to build and maintain a strong collective vision and environmental restoration outcomes with wonderful, diverse communities.
His whānau is grateful to live in Ōmata where they are able to incorporate restoration of bush areas, regenerative farming practices and permaculture food production principles into their busy lives - facing change and uncertainty with wellbeing, connectivity, humour, humility, sustainability, and Aroha.
GLEN BAXTER - TRUSTEE
Glen is passionate about the outdoors and can often be seen on the beautiful tracks of Te Papakura o Taranaki, on the beaches of Ngāmotu and enjoying the coastal walkway on his ebike.
Glen has a passion for helping those in his community engage with what sustainable energy means and its role in a sustainable society and economy. Alongside his role with Sustainable Taranaki, Glen is a policy and insights analyst at Ara Ake – New Zealand’s Future Energy Centre, where he helps those in his wider Aotearoa New Zealand community realise the true value of their energy assets, such as solar and batteries. Glen has a growing interest in how good policy can help drive a sustainable future.
TIRI PORTER - TRUSTEE
Tēnā koutou katoa
He uri ahau nō Ngā Puhi te Iwi i te taha o tōku pāpā, nō Te Atiawa, Ngāti Mutunga ngā Iwi i te taha o tōku māmā Ko Taranaki te maunga, Ko Waitara te awa, Ko Manukorihi te Hapū, Ko Manukorihi te papakainga. Tokorua ngā tamāhine Ko Teremoana Atāhua Porter-Rawiri te matamua Ko Anahera Tiri-Lee Carmen Antonovich te pōtiki o te whānau, Ko Tiri Porter taku ingoa no reira tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā tātou katoa.
This is Tiri’s second time around being a board member of Sustainable Taranaki. Her focus is to apply a Māori lens to everything the organisation does, in order to strengthen and equip the organisation to be the best that it can in achieving its mission to educate, inspire, and enable our community to protect, preserve and enhance our region’s unique taiao - the natural environment. In her spare time, Tiri attends local dance classes (Zumba Gold and Salsa) in Waitara, alongside supporting her youngest daughter in her sporting activities.
JOE TURTON - OPERATIONS TEAM LEADER
As a passionate educator, Joe is excited to lead the team with the goal of making Taranaki a healthier region. Joe was born in the United Kingdom but grew up in Inglewood and has returned to New Plymouth with whānau after spending 15 years overseas where he co-founded a Green School in Guatemala.
TANE MANU - KAIWHAKAHAERE (REGIONAL MANAGER) TE ARA TAIAO
Tane is passionate about sharing tikanga and is deeply connected to his hapū Ngā Māhanga ā Tairi, which includes Pūniho Pā and Ōākura Pā.
After teaching at New Plymouth’s WITT polytechnic and Te Wananga o Aotearoa, he focused on Te Ao Māori through delivering the Kai Oranga program with his wife Tara at Ōākura Pā.
Tane loves spending time with his tamariki and refereeing rugby league - so watch out for the whistle!
JANE BOWDEN-DOBSON - TE ARA TAIAO KAITUHITUHI (EDUCATION COORDINATOR)
Jane is an experienced leader in protecting our environment and teaching young people how they can create change. As the new Kairukuruku (education coordinator), Jane will connect rangatahi, schools and Ngā Mahanga a Tairi hapū in the Kaitake area. "I'm excited to learn alongside students about our interconnectedness with the Kaitake forest, whenua (land), and awa (rivers)."
Jane is one of three coordinators working in the Te Ara Taiao program, that supports tamariki with their aspirations to care for our region's unique taiao -natural environment. Jane has worked for the Department of Conservation supporting restoration and education initiatives. She loves to explore the beach with her boys or spend time in the garden.
DAVE MALCOLM - ZERO WASTE EDUCATOR
As a primary teacher, Dave developed a passion for educating tamariki about sustainability and fostering kaitiakitanga (guardianship of the environment).
Through working with tamariki participating in the Enviroschools Programme, he supported their efforts to build on their wider community's participation in caring for our whenua. He’s volunteered for Wellington’s Sustainability Trust in supporting community events to engage in zero waste practices.
Dave grew up in Taranaki and is following his dream of living a peaceful life on a rural property working towards self-sufficiency.
MIEKE VERSCHOOR - WORKSHOP COORDINATOR & FACILITATOR
Mieke is a talented organic horticulture tutor who loves to share her knowledge at workshops.
After migrating from the Netherlands in 2004, Mieke left a hospitality career of developing businesses to combine her passion for gardening, permaculture, and sustainability. She’s keen to educate people about the simple steps you can do to care for our whenua and reduce waste.
ELRIC AUBLANT - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER & NATURE CLEANUPS COORDINATOR
Elric grew up in Dordogne (France), studied both in France and Canada, and move to Aotearoa in 2016 with a background in sports marketing and communication.
After 3 years of managing the French Embassy’s communication in Wellington, he is now directly involved in all the sustainable actions he is passionate about: cycling, reducing waste and gardening to name a few!
You might find him around Taranaki riding his bike, organising a cleanup, surfing on the coast, running around the maunga or eating a French pastry (chocolatine!) in town!
ALICE ARNOLD - SOUTH TARANAKI COMMUNITY GARDEN COORDINATOR
Alice loves being outdoors and is always off on an adventure with her husband and two tamariki. Growing up in the wonderful Taranaki region has allowed a passion for the environment to flourish and they love the opportunity to go out and explore it. She is a keen gardener, growing her own kai and as a family they love to visit the beach and the ocean to gather kaimoana.
As a Landscape Architect, Alice has designed residential gardens, parks, streetscapes, commercial properties and playgrounds. She loves seeing a project through from conception to becoming a place that brings people together, a place that people can share and a beautiful outdoor space that people love being in.
With a passion for the environment she encourages living sustainably through recycling, re-purposing, growing, sharing and borrowing.
TESSA TATE - ST GEORGE’S PATEA COMMUNITY GARDEN COORDINATOR
Info about Tessa coming soon…
SOPHIE WALKER - BUSINESS SUPPORT & FUNDRAISING
Sophie has a background of over 20 years in the tourism industry, in mostly marketing, communications and sustainability based roles. She has a passion for sustainability and supporting individuals and businesses to have a minimal impact on the environment. She has a Masters in Sustainable Tourism Management and ran her own tourism marketing business for 5 years.
Sophie moved to Taranaki with her husband and young family in 2021. She is no a stranger to the region. Her mother is from here, so with whanau to visit she spent every summer here as a child, and then made regular visits as an adult after her parents moved back here 16 years ago. She has a deep love of the Taranaki and Aotearoa outdoors and having adventures with her family. If she’s even on the solo you’ll find her in water at Fitzroy or Back Beach with her surfboard, or lost on the trails at Mangamahoe with her fluorescent green mountain bike!
JENNI HAMMONDS - SUSTAINABLE TRAILS MANAGER & PARTNERS LEAD
Jen is a strong advocate for moving Aotearoa in a direction that values the environment and social justice. She is an educator, designer and entrepreneur who has worked on a number of Sustainable Taranaki projects, including the Taranaki Sustainable Backyards Trail.
Since its inception, Jen has been involved in the marketing and design of the Trail, and her property Native Nook featured in 2022. Partway through 2023 she took over the management of the event and has hit the ground running. Jen is supported by Mieke and Elric (what a team!), and together they look forward to growing more backyards sustainably!
SUZY RANDALL - ZERO WASTE MANAGER
Working at Sustainable Taranaki, brings together the three things I love the most, people, sustainability and having fun at events!
My journey through life has taken me from studying Environmental Science in Australia, working in food cooperatives in Brisbane, bird conservation in Samoa and biodiversity training for the Dept. of Conservation in Wellington (that’s the Conservation and Sustainability part). To running training and culture change programme for Auckland Live (that’s the events stuff) and most recently Agile ways of working at Genesis (the people part).
I moved to Taranaki in order to be closer to my community, get back into sustainability and volunteer more. When I am not having fun with volunteers at events, I am volunteering at Tūpare, playing in my garden or cycling/tramping/dog walking.
CHERRY SMITH - TE ARA TAIAO KAIRURUKU (EDUCATOR)
He mihi maioha ki a koutou katoa.
He uri o te moana nui a Kiwa, o Ngaiterangi hoki, e mihi ana ki a koutou o Taranaki whānui.
Cherry was raised on a sheep farm in te rohe potae (the King Country) where she developed a deep connection to the land. After homeschooling her four children, Cherry ventured into education - teaching in bilingual and English medium schools, bush school and tertiary education.
After moving to Taranaki, Tiere was blessed with the opportunity to begin her journey learning te reo me ōnā tikanga, which further deepened her connection to the whenua through matauranga māori. Tiere is passionate about learning-through-doing and enjoys hands-on, authentic experiences that nurture both physical and spiritual connections between ourselves and the taiao we are part of.
LINDA HOWE - FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
Info about Linda coming soon!
DOMINIC BELL - MARFELL COMMUNITY GARDEN COORDINATOR
Kia ora, I’m Dom. After 7 years background in ECE, I found a new calling in 2023 as a Community Coordinator. In addition to coordinating Marfell Community Garden, I also coordinate a local family collective known as PROUD Taranaki.
It’s a privilege to be in the role as Marfell Community Coordinator. I’ve lived in Marfells with my sons since 2022, and see the Māra as a vital organ of this community. The more we care for it, it cares for us.
Countless kaitiaki from near and far have breathed life into this once-vacant council paddock since 2020. Thanks to Sustainable Taranaki, coordinators have been allowed the time and resources needed to foster the diverse partnerships, the living kaupapa, and the original vision, which give Marfell Community Garden its unique wairua.