Executive Members

Name: Alice McNatty

Organisation: Hawke’s Bay Regional Council

Job Title: Biosecurity Officer (Pest Plants)

Time in the job: 8 years

What motivates you to be involved in biosecurity?

I have the opportunity to make a real difference, conserving and improving our natural environments. Being involved in such broad and varied work with fantastic people is motivating for me.

What has been your career path to your current position?

Since a very young age, I have had a passion and great interest in the environment and natural world.

I completed a Bachelor of Science majoring in Ecology and Marine Biology at Victoria University, and then went on to complete a Master of Science majoring in Ecology. My thesis for my Masters assessed the effects of the invasive Yellow crazy ant on the native terrestrial hermit crabs of Tokelau.

After completing my degrees, I worked for the Department of Conservation in Wellington and Tasman District Council. I then moved back to my home region of Hawke’s Bay to work for the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council.

What makes up a normal day for you?

My work is extremely varied and also changes significantly throughout the year. I may be out in the field in southern and central Hawke’s Bay, in the office writing reports, entering data, at meetings or contacting landowners. A lot of the field work I do is out on farms, but I also do work in sand dune systems, wetlands and in native bush.

I have also thoroughly enjoyed working on national responses – the Velvetleaf response in Southland, and the Myrtle Rust response in Taranaki and Bay of Plenty – biosecurity responses like these emphasise to me the importance of having a network of people across the country which are ready and capable to respond immediately.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?

The variation within my job, working outdoors and being part of an enthusiastic and broad network of people throughout New Zealand.

Organisation: Greater Wellington Regional Council
Job title: Biodiversity Monitoring Advisor
Time in job: 7 years.

What motivates you to be involved in biosecurity?

Protecting New Zealand’s biosecurity ensures that our wonderful biodiversity, and our environmental life support system, is protected now and for future generations.

What has been your career path to your current position?

I have always been fascinated with the natural environment and spent many hours watching my hero, David Attenborough, as a child. Biology was my favourite subject all through high school. I studied for my BSc at Massey University, moving there from Auckland and graduating with a double major in zoology and ecology. I then undertook my Masters and conducted my thesis at Zealandia (Karori Wildlife Sanctuary) studying the release of six captive-reared kaka. It was an amazing experience to follow these birds as they found their feet and started to breed; they are incredibly intelligent and I got to know each one individually. I was then lucky enough to get a job at Greater Wellington, first in the monitoring team for Biosecurity and now as a Biodiversity Monitoring Advisor.

What makes up a normal day for you?

My job is incredibly varied, I may be out in the field, at my desk crunching data, designing a new project, making GIS maps or writing a report. I could be in one of many technical group meetings or in the workroom counting invertebrates. My job changes season by season and year to year, it’s never the same and I am never bored.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?

The variety of the work I get to do, the challenges of developing new projects and visiting many beautiful and remote parts of the region. I get to do natural science for real and what other job is there that you can get paid to go sit under a tree and watch birds all morning? The fantastic and dedicated people I work with are also an important bonus.

Organisation: Auckland Council
Job title: Biosecurity Pest Plant Specialist
Time in the job: 7+ years

What motivates you to be involved in biosecurity?

There are three main factors for my choice to be involved in Biosecurity. The first is the passionate people that I work with in the community really make the job. There are so many community groups in New Zealand working to make a real difference to their environment and there are some fantastic successes that keep me motivated to ensure that I assist them to achieve even more. The second is the professional’s that I get to work with, colleagues with passion and drive who live to ensure our natural environment is protected and enhanced. The third is the motivation and high that the small successes and achievements that we make each day and week towards protection of our environment. This is what makes me stay involved and care so much about my job.

What has been your career path to your current position?

I have a degree in Applied Science Agriculture, my initial career path was not toward Biosecurity. It was water quality and pollution prevention. I spent sometime in the private sector with waste management companies and moved to a Rural Pollution role, I processed resource consents for dairy discharges, piggeries and poultry farm as well as carrying out an enforcement role for discharges for 6 years. Biosecurity became an option seven years ago following funding work in our region which combined both roles. My Biosecurity position also provided me with a chance to do less policing work and become more involved in engaging the community.

What makes up a normal day for you?

Every day is different. Some are spent with paper work, while others can involve urgent call outs. Some weeks even involve roughing it on an island somewhere in the Hauraki Gulf. Great Barrier is my favourite place to rough it! Other days may see me bush bashing through the Puhoi area looking for old man’s beard. Once I even had to assist in the removal of a stoat from an office in the middle of Orewa. There is one guarantee with the job though, that no day will ever be the same.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?

The varied nature of the job, there isn’t an excuse to be bored.