Our Speakers
Our Speakers
The good humans who support our mission and give their time to share their knowledge.
Ellie Meredith
Ellie (she/her) cultivates community and joy at Re-Action Collective, tackling eco-anxiety by turning active hope into action and reimagining the outdoor industry as circular and nature-centred.
Gavin Fernie-Jones
Gavin is the co-founder of the Re-Action Collective. A global network of citizen-led circular economy organisations. Focused on re-imagining the outdoor industry through repair, resale, rental, repurposing, redistribution and regeneration.
Simon Millar
Simon is Executive Director at Pure Advantage, blending expertise in sustainability, media, and business to champion green growth aligned with Aotearoa’s natural advantages.
Nick Mills
Nick Mills, fourth-generation at Rippon, leads vineyard and land stewardship since 2002. Co-founder of Te Kākano Trust, he champions native habitat restoration across the Upper Clutha.
Melanie Joan Lloyd
Melanie Joan is a snowboarder, climate policy advisor and artist. Through ClimateChangeBowl, she blends science, advocacy and art to inspire meaningful climate action.
Dr Ella Lawton
Dr Ella Lawton leads regional programmes at Environment Southland, driving collaborative, nature-based solutions that enhance Murihiku Southland’s environmental resilience, community wellbeing, and sustainable land and water management.
Jodie Jarvis
Jodie Jarvis is a writer, researcher, and PhD candidate at the University of Otago whose work explores everyday and embodied experiences of climate change.
Cathrine Dyer
Cathrine Dyer is a Lecturer in Climate Change at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington. She teaches in environmental politics and international climate change policy. Her PhD research examined government underreactions to climate change, leading to an interest in commons expansion and collective responses. Cathrine is a regular guest on The Hoon podcast, covering current climate change issues with journalists Bernard Hickey (The Kākā) and Peter Bale.
Sam Gibson
Sam/Hamiora (AKA Sam the Trapman) is a trapper and conservationist, founded the Eastern Whio Link project, restoring native whio to Waioeka rivers. He lives in Gisborne with his family.
Sara Walton
Professor Sara Walton teaches and researches in the area of sustainability, climate change and business at the Otago Business School, Ōtakou Whakaihu Waka University of Otago. Sara developed the Master of Sustainable Business and helped establish He Kaupapa Hononga Otago’s Climate Change Research Network.