BLUE CRADLE LIMITED - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- South Pacific Islands Strategic Advisor
Antony Vavia is a Cook Islands and Fijian based in Auckland. He is a PhD Candidate at the Auckland University of Technology focusing on Pacific Island coastal reef fisheries. Due to the lack of published scientific marine data in the South Pacific, Antony is currently exploring how to ensure long-term sustainability of coral reef fisheries in the Cook Islands by doing a case study on the island of Mitiaro. The focus of this research is on the ecological integrity of coral reef ecosystems which are intrinsically linked to the nutritional and cultural wellbeing of Pacific Islanders surrounding ocean-dependence, and ecological and cultural sustenance in the Pacific. Besides his studies, he is also a co-founder for Te Ngaru Tu O Nukuroa, a new NGO that aims to develop the island of Mitiaro through improved environmental conservation and rehabilitation efforts
Job Titles:
- Trustee ( April 2020 - April 2021 )
Marine biologist / entrepreneur originally from Ōtautahi-Christchurch, Ben joined Blue Cradle right at the onset in April 2020. Ben Parker is the founder of Attainable Sustainable Aquaculture (ASA), a community-based aquaculture company with a focus on developing sea cucumber farming around the Pacific and Coral Triangle. ASA is the culmination of Ben's approach to solving environmental issues utilizing business and financially sustainable models, his success with developing similar aquaculture projects in Madagascar and his passion for coastal community development in harmony with the marine environment.
Gabriella is a Masters student from Jakarta, Indonesia, taking her course in sustainable practice in Ōtautahi, Christchurch. She's had concerns about the environmental crisis since she was young, especially since she's always loved and valued the reef systems of her hometown. Gabriella took a few volunteer roles in grassroots organizations and worked with local communities in Indonesia on sustainability campaigns and habitat restoration programs. She has a background in marketing and communications and believes in collective action as the most effective method of restoring our planet. Now in Aotearoa, she aims to do more work in the field of marine conservation, to create real change with Blue Cradle's campaigns and projects.
Job Titles:
- Trustee ( April 2020 - Nov 2021 )
Geoffroy Lamarche graduated with a PhD from the University of Grenoble, in 1987, after which he undertook a post-doctoral year at Victoria University of Wellington. He returned to New Zealand in 1990 to work as a geophysicist at (the then) DSIR Geology and Geophysics. In 1992, he joined the French Institut de Recherche pour le Développment (IRD), in Nice, France to work on the first marine mapping initiative of New Zealand continental shelf and slope using multibeam technology. In 1996, he returned to France to work on the tectonic deformation in the Mediterranean Sea and Cote d'Ivoire margin.
Geoffroy joined NIWA in 1998, where he led the Marine Geological Processes and Resources programme. His research focused on the geological and tectonic processes that affect the seafloor, in particular those associated with the active plate boundary. His work considers the marine environment at large and is developed along with benthic ecologists, biologists, and physical oceanographers.
In July 2017, until Nov 2019, he was Director for the South and West Pacific Regional Data Assembly and Coordination Centre for the Nippon Foundation - GEBCO Seabed 2030 project.
Geoffroy led projects in the Southwest Pacific region, Europe, USA and Australia. He has been chief scientist on several geophysical voyages in high seas around New Zealand on New Zealand flagship R.V. Tangaroa and other foreign vessels.
Geoffroy published more than 60 articles in international peered-reviewed journals. In 2015, he was awarded a French National Order of Merit for his work toward strengthening France-New Zealand collaboration in research science.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Executive Director ( Part - Time )
Originally from near Geneva, James is French/British with a Russian background. As he founded Blue Cradle in 2020, James is naturally the main driving force behind the nonprofit. From administration, to accounting, branding, strategy, legal, communications and fundraising, James is responsible for all daily management aspects of the Foundation. He has extensive experience working in the nonprofit sectors in Geneva and Oxford, in peace-building, sustainability and climate change related organisations. He holds an MSc in Marine Systems and Policies from the University of Edinburgh and a BA in Film Studies from the University of Exeter. In future, James' goal is to split his current workload and busy role into several Blue Cradle roles, essentially forming a team with distinct responsibilities. James is actively in search of operational funding for the Blue Cradle Foundation to become financially sustainable.
James Nikitine grew up on the shores of Lake Léman, in France. Of Russian and British descent, he spent his early years between the Mediterranean, the English Channel and Geneva/the French Alps, a place he still calls home. Despite being land-locked near Geneva, he learned how to dive in Corsica with his late father at the age of 10. James was soon influenced by the documentaries of Jacques Cousteau, Nicolas Hulot, and the films of Luc Besson and James Cameron. He subsequently chose a film education path, that he then complemented through tourism with ocean education and marine science.
He holds a Masters of Science in Marine Systems and Policies from the University of Edinburgh (UK), and a Bachelor of Arts in European Film and World Cinemas from the University of Exeter (UK). He is a PhD researcher in human interface technologies for marine conservation.
As a marine scientist, consultant and filmmaker, his work in the last decade has been to communicate marine science and policy issues, working with the French & UK governments, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and several institutions and non-for-profits including Pew and WWF. He founded Blue Cradle during the Covid-19 lockdown in April-June 2020.
Jocelyn Papprill is an educator for sustainability and an advocate for youth voice. She worked as a teacher for 25 years before ‘jumping ship' to commit to developing educational opportunities beyond the school gate. She now works part-time for the Canterbury Regional Council [Environment Canterbury] as a Youth Engagement and Education Advisor and is also a contract facilitator for the Untouched World Foundation. Beyond work she gives her time to various environmental organisations and her local community association.
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- Fellow of Leadership New Zealand
Katherine Short is a life-long marine conservationist. She grew up in Singapore attending the United World College of South East Asia. She remembers diving into a myriad of colourful tropical fish when she was 6 years old at Pulau Aur on the East Coast of Malaysia. To pursue her love of nature she completed a Bachelor of Ecology from Victoria of University of Wellington and a Masters of Conservation Science at Imperial College London.
Katherine spent nearly seventeen years with WWF, the conservation organization around the world including seven at WWF International, the headquarters in Switzerland. She was also an emerging Director for WWF New Zealand in 2019/2020. Understanding the complexity of marine conservation problem solving, in 2013 she co-created a unique sustainability consultancy Terra Moana with business partner Tony Craig. They are advisers to a range of clients including Moana New Zealand, the largest Māori owned seafood company as well as having led the design of a new Aotearoa National Oceans Centre and Aquarium in 2019 for Napier City Council.
Katherine is a Fellow of Leadership New Zealand and a trained Regenesis Practitioner. She has completed levels 3&4 Te Reo and is a keen potter, motorcyclist, cyclist, diver, sailor and loves being in nature. Katherine is committed to supporting initiatives where people can heal nature and in turn be healed.
Michelle Rush brings to Blue Cradle a decade of governance experience in the education sector, a strong personal and professional commitment to upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi and more than thirty years of experience working on ‘upstream' land and water issues affecting marine areas.
Michelle is passionate about building environmental literacy. As an engagement practitioner and professional facilitator and trainer, much of her work is about enabling groups, organisations and communities to explore, understand, generate and then implement solutions to complex environmental, scientific and policy issues.
Michelle is on the Board of the Institute of Cultural Affairs Australasia, a global humanitarian organisation. She has a Graduate Diploma in Facilitative Leadership, and a Masters in Agriculture and Rural Development from the University of Western Sydney. Michelle is an ocean swimmer, enjoying the cold, frequently choppy delights of Te Whanganui-a-Tara year round, and when time permits, cycle touring and tramping in Aotearoa-NZ's beautiful outdoors.
Job Titles:
- Project Coordinator ( Part - Time )
Natasha McIntosh is an American expatriate who has spent over a decade in Australia and Aotearoa. After completing her Master's in Environmental Science from James Cook University, Natasha worked with a variety of stakeholders in Australia to understand community connection to the environment. She is a firm believer that a "whole system" approach to conservation, which includes the needs of the people as well as the needs of the ecosystem, is the only way to reach long term sustainability goals. Without understanding and personal connection to the environment, we can never gain the support of the people that live on the land. Professionally, Natasha has worked with Indigenous, Commercial and Recreational fishery stakeholders with additional experience in community outreach and education. At home her goals are getting her children as dirty as possible and photographing their adventures.
Job Titles:
- Project Officer ( Currently in Europe )
Peter Wells is a Seattle native, and is currently based in the UK. With backgrounds in arts, anthropology, and permaculture design, he specializes in public food forests and has spent the last 3 years creating the Ōtākaro Orchard hub for local food in central Christchurch. Alongside Blue Cradle he assists with projects in the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor, and governance for the Soil & Health Association and Kiwiburn. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Goucher College and is an IUCN member.
Rasmika has more than 18 years' experience in the finance and legal industries and has the skill and knowledge to help individuals and charitable trusts build financial resilience to ensure long term sustainability.
She is a qualified Financial Adviser, currently working at Craigs Investment Partners and is also a qualified solicitor and barrister of the High Court of New Zealand. Being brought up near the ocean in her home in South Africa, she is passionate about making sure that we are all aware and educated about all marine life and committed to doing what we need to , to ensure its survival. As a board member and a friend of the ocean , she hopes to contribute by calling on her knowledge of endowment funds, strategy, and charitable trust experience, to help ensure that the organisation grows from strength to strength.
Sam lives in Tūranganui-a-Kiwa/Gisborne and is surrounded by beautiful East Coast beaches.
Throughout her career, she has seen some of New Zealand's most remote landscapes and worked with many of our rare and threatened species. With a background in ecology, biodiversity investment, science communications, and strategy, she currently spends her time working at both a grassroots community level and at a national systemic level to create positive nature outcomes for Aotearoa New Zealand.
Sam leads a programme of work at the Sustainable Business Network that works with the private sector (especially business) to accelerate capability, investment, and action for nature. Alongside this, she is co-chair of a Tairāwhiti based conservation organisation, Eastern Whio Link. They deliver over 30,000ha of sustained predator control for whio and kiwi, while delivering bush and conservation skills programmes.
When not working for nature, she is out in nature. You can find her surfing, looking for plants, collecting rocks, hiking, or walking her dog on the beach.
Job Titles:
- Education Lead ( Part - Time )
Sarah has 23 years of experience teaching Science and Biology worldwide. She spent 15 years in the UK, Mozambique, and Australia, leading Biology departments in high-performing London and Melbourne schools. In 2012 she founded the Marine Megafauna Foundation's flagship Ocean Guardians education programme in Mozambique. This integrated marine conservation, swimming and water safety programme teaches children to understand and cherish their ocean. Recognised by the Inhambane Provincial Government and a UNESCO Green School, over 4000 children have graduated so far, as it thrives and grows under the guidance of local instructors. Sarah returned home to Ōtautahi in 2017 and spent five years as a teacher and dean at St Andrew's College before joining Blue Cradle. Sarah believes in working daily to connect with ourselves and nature.
Shinae Montie is from Ōtautahi, Christchurch. She is a Coastal Marine Ecology PhD candidate at the University of Canterbury and a Communications Assistant at the Antarctic Heritage Trust. Shinae recently completed her Postgraduate Certificate and Masters in Antarctic Studies (Distinction) where she used GIS and remote sensing to analyse Southern Ocean Phytoplankton dynamics in response to extreme Marine Heatwaves. Her PhD research has followed a similar path and uses a combination of field based and laboratory experiments, and remote sensing to better understand the effects of climate change and marine heatwaves on coastal marine ecosystems. Specifically, kelp forests and seagrass meadows in New Zealand and Australia. Alongside Blue Cradle, Shinae is an international council member for the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and co-producer of the podcast Antarctica Unfrozen. As a volunteer collaborator to project Blue Cradle, Shinae is excited to support science, community outreach and education, and be a hands-on contributor to conservation efforts.