Tiaki Nga Wai O Hokianga
Our Team
He rau ringa e oti ai
Many hands make light work
Kylie Wesley
Trustee
Kylie is passionate about promoting environmental education and action among our local community groups and organisations. With over a decade of volunteering experience, from working with Hapu to fence and riparian plant, to assisting schools in environmental education. She also teaches native seed germination through community workshops and has her own private native nursery business, and lives off grid as sustainably as possible.
Justin Blaikie
Chairman/Treasurer
Tena tatou katoa, my name is Justin Blaikie and I founded the incorporated society Hokianga Harbor Care in 2017 after realising that community led catchment restoration was a successful model for improving the health of the magnificent Hokianga Harbour after talking to Fred Litchwark who founded Whaiangaroa  (Raglan) Harbour Care.
Oliver Knox
Project Manager
Kia ora koutou, I am honoured to be part of this kaupapa and bring over a decade in conservation and project management experience to this organisation. Our mahi to restore freshwater ecosystems and the health of the Hokianga Harbour is a dream come true for me.
![IMG_5829[6581].jpeg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6ce037_27a6acb5f7bf421e838015d9547be574~mv2.jpeg/v1/fill/w_100,h_125,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/6ce037_27a6acb5f7bf421e838015d9547be574~mv2.jpeg)
Ana Bercich
Secretary
I returned to Mitimiti after 17 years in Australia and saw changes to our environment that concerned me. Coastal erosion, where access to my favourite fishing spots were cut off. I set about finding out more and with the help of NRC and Betsy Young, began growing dunes plants to help minimise the impact of coastal erosion. Flooding, erosion, sediment laden waterways led me to build a nursery on my family farm to grow native trees from eco sourced seed. A friend of mine took me to a volunteer day at Kaikohe which is where I met some amazing people already growing native plants. I joined Tiaki Nga Wai O Hokianga because their kaupapa resonated with me.
Two years on and the group has gone from strength to strength, teaching and helping people to meet their environmental goals, and most of all lifting the mauri of our magnificent Hokianga Harbour. Mauri Ora.
Marley Ford
Trustee
I am currently studying a Master of Environmental Science at Auckland University. I grew up on a farm bordering the Hokianga harbour and have lots of memory’s swimming with horses, kayaking and fishing in our beautiful harbour. I have untaken plant surveys throughout Hokianga and have expertise in threatened plants, lichen surveys, planting management plans and an indepth knowledge of North Island’s natural vegetation. I am working on a flora for the Hokianga ecological district and I’m excited to work with the local community to create cleaner Harbour, restoring the natural buffers the surround it.
