Te Kura o Papatuanuku Wairarapa Earth School

Nov 2016-present (10 hours per week) Job share project coordinator role

Te Kura o papatuanuku Wairarapa Earth School project is supported by the Curious Minds contestable fund. The core focus of this project is education for sustainability. Our project seeks to empower students to take action for a sustainable future. The project will combine the research, planning and design of an organic farming enterprise with an eco-school building and science lab for food and produce processing and outdoor learning.  The students will have to present their ideas, research outputs and final plans to local experts, mentors and the finally to the public as part of a Sustainability Week display to be hosted at the Carterton Events Centre in December 2017. 

​

Follow our progress if you have not already, www.facebook.com/wairarapaearthschool 

blog: https://wairarapaearthschool.wordpress.com/. 

​

AmiAmie Yoga

2013 – current  

Teaching gentle hatha yoga to adults and children, specialising in gentle childrens, adults and prenatal hatha yoga. I have a regular class at The Montessori Childrens house, preschool in Masterton and a regular schedule of adult classes evenings and weekends.

 

Skills gained: time management, managing mailing lists, blog, production of teaching materials, teaching skills, adaptability, ability to listen and engage with all ages from 3-5 yr olds to 65 yr olds, disabled and able bodied students.

 

Teaching assistant and mentor

2008 – 2015   

As part of my Ph.D. I have taught both field ecology courses and laboratory practical’s. As a biochemist I have mentored several students in the lab, teaching general molecular techniques, such as PCR, gel electrophoresis, gene sequencing and proteomics.

 

Skills gained: communication skills, the ability to enthuse and capture the imagination of students by making learning fun and hands on, the ability to give and receive constructive feedback, and adapt accordingly, providing learning experiences tailored to the individual.

 

Princeton Farmhouse Retreat Bed and Breakfast

2011 – 2013  

Self-employed at home managing a small holding with chickens, goats, organic berries and veggie garden and a bed and breakfast business from home while raising our first child. We produced milk, yogurt and cheese and used almost all our own produce in our farm style breakfast. This period covers a 2-year maternity break from my Ph.D. research while we were in New Jersey, USA for my husbands post doctoral position. We looked after the house and established farm as paying house sitters and set up the bed and breakfast business from scratch - It was a steep learning curve as new parents!

 

Skills gained: land management and organic farming skills, livestock care and management, business management, promotion, online booking calendar management, customer service, finance account management and website creation and promotion.

 

Biodiversity Reporting Officer, Countryside Council for Wales

2007 – 2008            

Responsibilities:

• Disseminate biodiversity data to the National Biodiversity Network, Government, Europe and the make data accessible through the web and local record centers to the public. 

• Collate and perform statistical analysis and mapping outputs in the form of paper and web-based reports to feedback progress on status and progress on targets for Biodiversity Action Plan’s, Natura 2000 sites, National Nature Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

 

Skills gained: using a wide range of data manipulation tools, such as Microsoft Excel, Access, Map info GIS mapping software, statistical analysis, report writing and web programming languages.

 

Biodiversity Awareness and Communications Officer, Wales Biodiversity Partnership (WBP)

2004 – 2006           

Managed a £22.5 K budget with the following responsibilities:

• Managing the awareness work of 24 biodiversity officers and ecologists throughout Wales.

• Seeking strategic opportunities for Welsh communication networks. 

• Coordinating the delivery of strategic awareness projects such as the Wales Biodiversity Week (WBW) and the BBC Breathing Spaces campaign.

• Designing, managing, maintaining and generating content for the Partnership website, www.biodiversitywales.org.uk. 

• Developing and disseminating publications that celebrate local biodiversity action in Wales.

• Representing the Wales Biodiversity Partnership at UK meetings and Wales wide.

• Assessing funding applications and collaborating with funding agencies to secure monies to implement grass roots biodiversity action in Wales.

 

Skills gained: 

• Budget management, accounting, procurement, purchasing and tender process

• Campaigning and lobbying at a national level and translating information about key biodiversity conservation issues to a range of people.

• Creating educational and interpretational material for a range of people from children to adults.

• Co-ordinating and managing regional and national awareness campaigns and outreach projects.

•  Developing working partnerships with a number of organisations from national NGO's and government agencies to community groups and individual farmers.

• Communication skills, Public speaking and speaking confidently through a range of different media to a range of different ages, levels and user groups.

• Facilitator skills, chairing meetings, hosting and organising conferences, workshops and training sessions. Enabling and facilitating liaison between stakeholder groups.

                       

Marine Biodiversity Liaison Officer, Marine and Earth Science Group, Countryside Council for Wales

2003 – 2004             

Fixed term contract (August-March) covering maternity leave.

Responsibilities:

• advisory role to provide sound scientific evidence to support and empower local biodiversity partnerships in the delivery of biodiversity action plans and implementation of appropriate actions. 

• The development and production of the Marine Guidance Document, drawing together habitat and species mapping data, policy information, stakeholder contacts, examples of good practice and sources of funding. 

 

Skills gained: providing advice, processing scientific data and re-packaging it in visually accessible flow chart or dichotomous key formats, colour coded maps and visual diagrams to allow anyone to use it, concise simple and accessible writing skills.

​

Voluntary Experience

Chair Wairarapa Montessori Charitable Trust

2016 - ongoing

The Wairarapa Montessori Charitable Trust enables and supports Montessori education in Wairarapa.  We also strive to educate the Wairarapa community about the Montessori philosophy and method of teaching.  

​

External supervisor for MSc Ecology student.

2003 – 2004

Supervising a University of Wales, Bangor student Nia Haf Jones for her masters project entitled 'Abundance and Distribution of the Harbour Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) in North Anglesey Waters'.

 

Skills gained: mentor skills, ability to give and receive constructive feedback, editing skills, management skills.

 

Founding member of local marine charity Marine Awareness North Wales (MANW).

2000 – 2008            

MANW are dedicated to raising awareness and promoting marine conservation issues throughout the local and national community. Particular emphasis is placed on the education of young people in the belief they will grow up with love and respect for one of nature’s most magnificent and rewarding environments.

 

Myself and two other founding members raised over £115,328.00 through holding public talks and training workshops and several successful funding bids.

Projects included:

• Setting up the Centre for Marine Awareness on Bangor Pier and the Marine Education outreach scheme in North Wales. Secured £15,494 funding from European sustainable development fund.

• the implementation of a 3-year land based survey of Harbour Porpoise in North Anglesey waters. Secured funding £1,800 from Anglesey County Council.

• 3-year boat based cetacean survey to support the land based Harbour Porpoise survey. Secured funding £8,784 from Countryside Council for Wales.

• Full time Education and Outreach officer post. Secured 64% Total Project - £68,625, project was match funded with volunteer time, I voluntarily line managed this post for 2 years.

• Production of a fully bilingual educational cd-rom for distribution to all schools in Wales. £20,625 funded through the Princes Trust.

 

MANW is now the marine arm of the North Wales Wildlife Trust; I managed a merging of the two charities in 2007 and became the youngest Trustee on the North Wales Wildlife Trust Council and scientific advisory committee.

 

Skills gained: time management (I worked full time and managed MANW in my spare time), a strong work ethic, funding applications and grant management/reporting, public speaking, volunteer training/adult education, communications and outreach skills, the ability to engage and involve others, hands on and experiential learning techniques, the production of promotional material and interpretation, the ability to work on a shoestring and make connections to get ahead.