Current projects

Ha! This is so out of date it’s not funny. Life’s short and I’m busy! I’ll do my best to update in the next few weeks but for now, here’s what I was doing 3 years ago…

 

Having a page called current projects generally just makes me feel guilty for not updating it more often so apologies in advance (lots of filming projects, conservation work and toddlers to deal with!) but for 2013 here is a flavour of what’s going on:

With Last Planet we are currently producing a documentary on the wildife and society of the Chatham Islands and how the two fit together under unique circumstances. We’ll finish filming February 2014 and as soon as time allows I’ll add updates on filming and the stories we’re trying to tell.

We’re involved in developing and shooting a series of short films featuring wildlife conservation in the National Parks of New Zealand for a domestic broadcaster.

We also have a small involvement assisting the BBCNHU in the development of an exciting 3hrs of programming on the natural history and contemporary conservation in New Zealand.

We are also involved in the development and execution of a biodiversity project in a remote area in Papua New Guinea with the Wildlife Conservation Society. It’s a privilege to be part of that work. We are working with the local community to establish monitoring of harvested species to understand contemporary impacts and to assist with the development of harvest thresholds for sustainability whilst helping a very isolated community joint the 21 century without sacrificing their traditions and self-respect. No small ask. The project involves a short documentary charting this endeavour with all it’s human and environmental complexity.

Conservation work in New Zealand is never dull and in 2012 and 2013 the government undertook to restructure government funded conservation which has thrown up many more challenges. My work focuses on herpetological conservation, so the threatened skinks and geckos of New Zealand but I’m also involved in lots of other work. I’m the Recovery Group Leader for the Takahe Recovery Programme, a member of the national Lizard Technical Advisory Group and assist with several other programmes including Southern New Zealand Dotterels on Stewart Island, the development of bait repellents for the toxins we use for landscape scale pest control, the ecology of mice in New Zealand and the status and management of alpine species such as the rare alpine skinks and rock wren.  I’m working with colleagues on bioeconomic models of different pest management measures and have also dabbled with the ecology and efficiency of self-resetting traps. I am also an Associate Editor for the Royal Society New Zealand Journal of Zoology.

And when we’re not flat-out with these projects we’re finishing the building of our house on Lake Te Anau, raising our little daughter and expanding the vegetable garden.