Ark in the Park team
Photo by Andrew Murdoch
Ark in the Park staff
Sam Lincoln
Programme Manager
Sam joined the Ark in the Park team in July 2020, after spending two years travelling Aotearoa conducting vegetation monitoring. She works closely with the stakeholders and funders behind the Ark in the Park to further our conservation goals and to support the amazing work of our volunteer community. Of Ngāti Porou (Ngāti Hau) descent, she is motivated to care for Aotearoa’s taiao.
She completed her MSc in Biosecurity and Conservation in 2016 at the University of Auckland, which involved looking at dynamics between rat and cat populations in urban green spaces across Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland). From controlling pest plants and rats across Auckland, to protecting Tūturiwhatu (southern NZ dotterel) on Rakiura, she is well acquainted with our ngahere and its inhabitants. With a strong drive to restore and protect our native ecosystems, Sam is always on the lookout for new networks, studies, and technologies to best care for the Ark.
Eduardo Colley
Volunteer Coordinator
Ed is a Biologist with Masters and Doctorate in Zoology. He has coordinated conservation projects in the Atlantic and in Araucariaceae forest (kauri family) in South America, focusing on managing invasive species in natural reserves and urban areas. He made his move to Aotearoa in 2017, after lecturing Biology in Brazil and working collaboratively with state agencies and related civil organizations in North America and Europe, bridging the gap between community, government, and academia.
Volunteer representatives at the Ark
Ken Harrop
Volunteer Representative
Ken happened to be a patient of Dr. John Sumich, one of the founders of the Ark in the Park, and in 2005 received from him a ‘green prescription’ along the lines of “Join the Ark, or at least buy a substantial number of bags of my macadamia nuts,” (a fundraiser John was running from his GP rooms). Ken and partner Rosemary were soon out trapping and baiting every month or so, and on her retirement Rosemary got more heavily involved, then when Ken retired in 2016 he found himself thrust into trap maintenance and trapper training, after the long-standing trap man, the able Stu, pulled back from the role.
Long before the rāhui and Covid, Ken’s dream of walking every track in the Waitākere Ranges dwindled away to a weekly scramble in the 2000 odd hectares of the Ark. At the same time his whole social life began to revolve around the Ark, and possibly ‘at least I know him’ was a reason he was elected as a volunteer rep to the Ark management Committee some years ago.
Contact info: kenneth.harrop@gmail.com, 027 777 3880
Jo Ballagh
Volunteer Representative
After many years at an indoor job, in 2014 Jo was looking something to do outside with a conservation programme. An email to Forest and Bird was answered by Laurence at the Ark in the Park, and so began a volunteer career in the Waitākere Ranges baiting lines on Thursdays all over the Ark in the Park area. Being slow to say no to Laurence soon meant a position in the Scenic Drive South Trapline too. And eventually time doing data entry, weeding with Colleen and other odds and ends that needed doing around the Ark office were added to the activities.
Contact info: jo.ballagh@gmail.com
Stefan Pearce
Volunteer Representative
Stefan has been involved with Ark since 2022 when he moved to Auckland from Wellington, primarily with baiting and trapping.
He is currently studying for his first year of a Bachelor of Science majoring in Biological and Environmental Sciences at AUT and loving it! He hopes to start a career in conservation following this and continue protecting our taonga species such as the elusive kōkako and the magnificent kauri.
He would like to increase the opportunities available for volunteers to get involved at the Ark in a wide variety of ways. He is passionate about people as making the Ark a welcoming and inclusive place for everyone.
Contact info: stefan.pearce.bird.nerd@gmail.com
Bufferzone and Outreach team
This part of the Ark is undergoing some change – watch this space! We farewelled the amazing Sarah at the end of 2022 as she’s now caring for te taiao closer to her home at Awhitu Landcare. In the meantime Annalily is kindly and voluntarily taking care of our buffer zone – our regular email is still running and there’s more info on our Buffer Zone page.
Annalily van den Broeke
Buffer Zone and Outreach Coordinator
Annalily coordinates the Ark in the Park buffer zone, working with private landowners to expand the predator control efforts surrounding Ark in the Park. A big part of her job is connecting with the community by keeping them up to date about what is happening, answering questions, and providing specific advice on predator control. She also coordinates the voluntary “street coordinators” who help with delivery of bait or traps.
Annalily moved to New Zealand from the Netherlands ten years ago and has been involved with conservation ever since. After a long career in project management in the arts, she transferred her skills to working for the environment, with communities and in conservation. In her spare time, she is the Chair of Forest & Bird Waitākere, secretary of neighbouring project Matuku Link and on the board of several other conservation groups.