Aotea Ecology Festival 2025

Saturday, 29 March

Claris Conference Centre, Aotea, Great Barrier Island

 Join us for a day with Aotea / Great Barrier Island community groups and inspiring speakers from here and around Aotearoa as we learn about te taiao, conservation and our connection to the land, sea, and sky.
 
Funded by Auckland Council and the Aotea / Great Barrier Island Local Board. With significant contribution from Ngāti Rehua Ngāti Wai ki Aotea representatives.
For more information, contact 
ecologyvisiongbi@nullgmail.com or 022 314 9346

Meet The Speakers

Richard Griffiths

Trained as an ecologist, Richard Griffiths worked for the Department of Conservation (DOC) for 13 years, specializing in threatened species recovery, island restoration, pest eradication, and biosecurity. During his time with DOC, Richard led some of the world’s most challenging pest eradications, including the removal of Pacific rats from Little Barrier Island (3,083 ha) and the eradication of eight invasive species from Rangitoto and Motutapu islands (3,852 ha). He was also a member of the Department of Conservation’s Island Eradication Advisory Group and, for a time, the leader of the Stitchbird (Notiomystis cincta) Recovery Group, which spearheaded the species’ successful reintroduction to the New Zealand mainland after a 120-year absence. 

 

Richard now works for Island Conservation, where he manages a team of project managers and island restoration specialists focused on restoring islands for nature and people around the world. In addition to supporting other projects, he and his team have successfully removed invasive species from more than 100 islands within the Pacific. Their efforts have contributed to the recovery of threatened ecosystems and biodiversity while also improving the livelihoods of several Pacific Island communities.

Graeme Atkins

Graeme recently retired from the Department of Conservation after 30 years in the Taiao restoration space and was awarded the Loder Cup in 2020. He was one of only three finalists in the 2024 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards in the Te Toa o te Tau category and is renowned for his expertise in working with rare and threatened plants.

 

He founded and continues to work with the Tairāwhiti Ngutukākā Trust and established the Raukumara Pae Maunga Restoration Project to restore the ecological health of the Raukumara Ranges, which have been devastated by introduced pests. He also founded the hapū-led myrtle response project, Te Whakapae Ururoa, which tracks the spread and infestation of myrtle rust across a 27,800 ha stretch of the East Cape.

 

Graeme now runs his own consultancy, Te Rimu Environmental Consultancy.

fletcher Beazley

“Rehua ki te Rangi!, Rehua ki te Motu, Rehua ki te Wai! Toitū te iwi of Ngāti Rehua e!”

 

 

Fletcher’s family has lived on Aotea for 32 generations, tracing back to the time of Toi te Huatahi. His love for te taiao and kaitiakitanga was nurtured by growing up on Aotea, where he was trained in the Mātauranga of Ngāti Rehua by his father and grandfather.

 

 

Fletcher graduated from Auckland University with degrees in Health and Social Sciences and from Massey University with degrees in Management and Mātauranga Māori. He has over 25 years of experience as a leader in the health system and community across a wide range of Kaupapa.

 

 

He is currently the Chairman of the Ngāti Rehua – Ngāti Wai ki Aotea Trust Board, a Treaty Claim Negotiator, and the Operations Manager for the Department of Conservation on Aotea.

 

Fletcher lives in Okiwi, Aotea, with his wife, Jade, and their three boys.

Stargazing Special with Good Heavens

In celebration of the Aotea Ecology Festival, the Good Heavens team is offering an exclusive stargazing discount.

 
  • March 28, 29 & 30
  • 8:30 – 10:00 PM
  • Twin Pines, Oruawharo Medlands

 

Use promo code EV20 for a $20 discount per participant.

Don’t miss this chance to explore Aotea’s stunning night sky with expert guides

 

Thank you to our sponsors