SOKK Website

Environment, Conservation and Outdoor Education Trust

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  • Home
  • The SOKK Project
    • Monitoring and health checks: How it’s done
    • Predator trapping: Our major targets
    • The kiwi crèche at Opouahi
    • Biodiversity in the kiwi crèche
  • Stories
  • Our whanau
    • Our volunteers
    • Our sponsors
    • Our trustees
    • Our history
  • Education
    • SOKK as a classroom of the outdoors
    • Kiwi talks at the crèche
  • Facts and figures
    • Trapline catches – latest
    • Kiwi crèche update
    • Nester status – latest
  • USEFUL LINKS
    • Maungaharuru Tangitū Trust (MTT)
    • Biodiversity Hawke’s Bay
    • Guthrie-Smith Education Centre
    • Forest Lifeforce Restoration Trust
    • Manaaki Ruahine Facebook
    • Mauri Oho
    • Ruahine Whio Protectors
    • Save the Kiwi
    • Te Ngahere Facebook
    • DoC
  • Contact us

Our trustees

Reece and family

Reece O’Leary, trustee

Reece is the Environmental Manager for Pan Pac and was introduced to ECOED when he started his role with Pan Pac (a sponsor of ECOED). Reece enjoys spending time outdoors and is amazed by the amount of work ECOED volunteers do to support the Hawke’s Bay kiwi population. Reece and his wife Hannah are also kept busy with their three young children Frankie, Nellie, and Harvey.

 

Grant Russell

Grant Russell, trustee

Grant became a trustee in 2024 and is excited to ensure Stantec as one of many sponsor’s and supporters of ECOED is able to contribute to the vision of ECOED. Grant is based in Hastings and as a Senior Principal Planner brings his vast knowledge of planning, governance and experience in sitting on other Boards to the trust.

Deb, manager

Deb Harrington, manager

Deb was recruited as a volunteer in 2011 after taking early retirement from her banking career. Most weeks, she is in the Kawekas tracking down kiwi for health checks, raiding nests and training new volunteers.

She took over the administrator now manager role in 2021.

Tipene with Lionheart

Tipene Cottrell, trustee

Tipene was appointed as a trustee in October 2022.

He has whakapapa connections to Wharerangi marae, Timi Kara marae and Mōteo marae.

Tipene also gives talks to school students about local hapū history.

Polly Macdonald, trustee

Polly was appointed as a trustee in January 2023. She and her partner are farming near Lake Tutira.

 

Aimee van der Weyden, trustee

Aimee with Stanley

Aimee was appointed as a trustee in February 2024. In her day job she works in communications, so helps the trust with comms and media. Aimee also enjoys heading into the forest and learning the hands-on stuff like health checks, nest raids, and monitoring.

 

 

 

Tamsin Ward-Smith, trustee

Tamsin with her dog Spur

Tamsin became a trustee in 2024.  She is an ecological consultant and has been involved with conservation in Hawke’s Bay for over 20 years, working in the Kaweka Forest Park in the early days when some of the first male kiwi were radio-tagged, and also at Boundary Stream Mainland Island.  Tamsin is based in Havelock North with son Morgan, and kiwi detection dog Spur.  Tamsin hopes to support the work of ECOED through her passion for kiwi and her connections with the National wider kiwi recovery community.

Stories

Kōhanga kiwi from Cape Sanctuary released into Kawekas

On Monday 31 March, six kiwi from Cape Sanctuary were released into the Kaweka Forest Park as part of Save the Kiwi’s Kōhanga programme.We … Read More

First chick of the season released into creche

The first kiwi chick of the season is now safely in the creche at Lake Opouahi. On Tuesday 14 January, we conducted a raid on Mr JC’s nest and were … Read More

Three more eggs off to the hatchery

It’s been a busy start to September for our volunteers, with two nest raids and a trip to the Gallagher kiwi hatchery in Taupō.Robyn and Fi … Read More

Luke and Joel meet their first wild (and a bit grumpy) kiwi

At a little past 8am, we set off walking with David and Deb Harrington. I was excited, and so was my son Joel. Our mission was to locate Spike. At 20 … Read More

Robyn, Fi and the adventurous kiwi

It was a cold morning as we headed up to the Kaweka Range to do a health check on Huripari, a young male kiwi. Huripari is an adventurous young bird. … Read More

About us

The Environment, Conservation and Outdoor Education Trust (ECOED) was established in 2002 to halt the decline of North Island brown kiwi in the Kaweka Forest Park. At that time, the estimated kiwi population was about 200. In response to the crisis, ECOED initiated the Save the Kiwi Hawke’s Bay Project, which is now known as Save Our Kaweka Kiwi, or SOKK.

Our goal is to restore a healthy population of kiwi in the forest park.

Do you want to help?

From marketing and fundraising to trapping and kiwi monitoring, we'll be able to find a way for you to help.

Get Involved

Email: [email protected]
Lake Opouahi, Hawke’s Bay

Major sponsors

MAJOR SPONSORS

Copyright © 2025 · ECOED is a registered charitable entity in terms of the Charities Act 2005. · Registration No. CC27154 · Website by D2 ·