Ecology New Zealand is a leading provider of professional ecological services throughout New Zealand. Our focus is on providing our government and private sector clients with the ecological expertise required to meet RMA requirements as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.
We have particularly strong expertise in assessing and managing the environmental effects of land and infrastructure development from small-scale subdivisions up to roading projects of national significance.
The Ecology NZ team is led by Simon Chapman – a Principal ecologist with 20 years of experience as a professional ecology consultant. Simon has been involved in some of New Zealand’s largest and most complex projects including Mt Messenger, Transmission Gully, SH1 Puhoi to Warkworth and City Rail Link. Simon's abilities as a team leader and business/project manager are well proven, and his technical expertise is demonstrated by the strong demand for his skills as a peer reviewer and as an expert ecologist for council, EPA and Environment Court hearings.
Our expertise in standard ecological matters such as vegetation, birds, streams and wetlands is second to none but we also cover highly specialised requirements such as lizards, bats, frogs and invertebrates.
Meet The Team
Simon Chapman
As one of New Zealand's leading consultant ecologists, Simon has helped get many large and complicated projects across the line over the last 20 years. From due diligence and feasibility through to design, consenting, construction and compliance, his expertise covers terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecology. Simon has industry-leading expertise in tricky topics such as lizards, bats, frogs and invertebrates. He is a Level 5 / Class E bat ecologist and he holds DOC Herpetologist permits for relocating native lizards. He is a well-regarded peer reviewer and has presented expert evidence at numerous council, Board of Inquiry and Environment Court hearings.
Dr Mark Bellingham
Mark has over 25 years experience in ecology, resource management, planning, project and contract management, and operational delivery. He has worked in private practice as an advisor and consultant to private clients as well as central and local Government. Mark's previous roles have also included lecturing at Auckland and Massey Universities and Senior planner/manager positions in non-government organisations such as Maruia Society (now Ecologic Society) and the Royal Forest & Bird Protection Society. He grew up in Rotorua and has a love of the outdoors including tramping, cycling, running and kayaking.
Alvar
Koning
Alvar has 15 years of technical experience in the field of ecology, gained throughout the world including South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Zambia, Madagascar and NZ. Alvar has considerable experience in project management, electrofishing, wetland delineation and classification and ecological classification. Alvar has undertaken numerous international ecological projects and has completed these projects according to the World Bank and IFC standards.
Kelly Hayhurst
Kelly has three years of technical experience in the field of ecology. She has experience in terrestrial ecological assessments and evaluation of ecological effects, community and landowner engagement, assessing protected bush fragments, threatened ecosystem mapping, ecosystem/vegetation type clarification and delineating for the Auckland Region. She has additional experience in technical report writing, desktop ecological surveys, literature reviews, watercourse assessments, stream ecological valuations (SEV) and threatened species monitoring.
Jennifer
Gollin
Jenny has contributed to a wide range of ecological projects across New Zealand. She obtained her masters in conservation biology at Massey University; enabling her to develop expertise in native herpetofauna. Jenny further brings with her a strong practical knowledge of restoration ecology.
Chad
Croft
Chad brings over 15 years of experience managing projects and teams across multiple disciplines and industries from urban land development to oil & gas and mining. He has worked with industry, government and private landowners locally and internationally across all phases of development, including planning, construction, operation and closure. Chad has expertise in terrestrial and aquatic ecological inventory and impact assessment as well as mitigation and restoration planning, implementation and monitoring at both local and landscape levels.
Marc Choromanski
Marc is a recognised terrestrial ecologist with specialist skills with native fauna. He is an approved bat ecologist under DOC’s bat competency framework (Level 4 / Class D) and holds Wildlife permits to both survey herpetofauna and keep native lizards in captivity. Marc has been involved in a wide range of projects across NZ and abroad, spanning small scale subdivisions, energy and roading projects of national significance. Marc strives to develop practical ecological solutions to enable sustainable development.
Mark
Hansen
Mark Hansen has a Bachelor of Science Degree (majoring in conservation and ecology), with experience spanning 13+ years in the Ecological field and overlapped with 9+ years full time in the Biosecurity industry. During this time, he has gained a diverse range of skills in monitoring, surveillance, consultancy and auditing as well as creating and maintaining professional relationships with clients, contractors and staff. He has been a Self-Employed Contractor as a Terrestrial Ecologist, Director of his own Environmental Consultancy, Biosecurity Advisor & Specialist, Environmental Auditor and Project Manager on a number of contracts.
Jasmine Dungey
Jasmine brings a diverse range of skills from a background that has included ten years in the veterinary industry and 2.5 years in the ecological restoration / environmental services industry. She transferred those skills to her role at Ecology New Zealand, which focuses on ecological field work and reporting. She has since developed strong skills in freshwater ecology in particular, but she works on a wide range of Ecology New Zealand's projects.
Blair Outhwaite
Since completing his MSc Blair has been working in ecological restoration. He recently moved into ecological consulting work. His thesis focused on the ecology of bottlenose dolphins in the Hauraki Gulf, including behaviour and acoustics. Since becoming a consultant ecologist Blair has worked on a wide variety of projects including Ecological Impact Assessments and Management Plans
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