Our Pest Free Banks Peninsula Team
We’re a team of 15 passionate people, supported by some very clever canines. We spend our days trapping, monitoring, teaching, engaging and supporting our partners and communities to be pest free!
Programme Leader
brett.butland@bpct.org.nz
Brett is project leader – although as this is such a great team, it’s possibly the easiest job he’s ever had!
Brett’s worked in conservation for almost 4 decades so he brings experience and professional networks to the project. Brett has previously worked for Predator Free 2050 Limited, Auckland Council and Department of Conservation.
In his spare time, Brett is a trustee on another conservation trust, enjoys walking with the family dogs and trout fishing.
Operations Manager
tim@pestfreebp.org.nz
Tim oversees operations, supporting the team leads, developing work plans, reporting & staying connected with other PF 2050 projects. He shares our learnings to accelerate PFBP’S goals. After Lincoln University, Tim spent time in the field throughout NZ, involved in the design & implementation of new technologies and refining older methods of predator control & wildlife management. Tim is kept busy with a young family and enjoys sharing outdoor experiences with them.
GIS and Information Manager
sarah.bisley@pestfreebp.org.nz
Sarah (aka The Biz) is responsible for all aspects of data and information management for the project. She loves geeking out over the data and loves making sense of the dots on the many maps and dashboards she creates. Sarah splits her time between Duvauchelle and Lincoln keeping a close eye on both project teams. When not hunched over her computer in a darkened room she enjoys thrifting and hanging out with her family.
Operations Coordinator-Kaitorete
jayden@pestfreebp.org.nz
Jayden is the Operations Coordinator for Kaitorete. He is currently leading the feral cat elimination there. He has been with Pest Free since the start of the project (which was around 2021) contributing to both Kaitorete and the Wildside projects.
In his spare time, you will find him out caring for his bonsai, surfing, playing sport or otherwise enjoying the great outdoors.
Operations Coordinator Wildside
ollie@pestfreebp.org.nz
Ollie is the Operations Coordinator for the Wildside. He manages the Wildside possum elimination programme and works alongside the Field Team to deliver that. He dictates where the team work & what they do. When not working for PFBP, Ollie is often at the Akaroa Fire Brigade and he is the Station Officer there. There’s not much time left over for hiking & walking his dog Milo but that’s what he loves to do.
Land Liaison Officer
Hollie@pestfreebp.org.nz
Hollie works with the landowners on the Wildside getting the Access Agreements in place for the Field Team to come onto private property. Hollie lives in Akaroa and has always worked in community roles. Her hobbies are gardening, bee keeping, & Permaculture and she loves to travel. She enjoys meeting new people and is thrilled to be working on this great conservation project, especially landowners who she hasn’t met before.
Leading Hand Wildside
chris@pestfreebp.org.nz
Chris is one of the Leading Hands on the Wildside. He comes from the UK and has been living in Akaroa for the past 7 years, working in hospitality. He’s always had a passion for the outdoors, and now that he has permanent residency here in NZ, he is now very happy to work with us.
Chris loves hiking so he is the perfect person to take on the very active position as Leading Hand on the Wildside.
Leading Hand Wildside
blake@pestfreebp.org.nz
Blake is one of the Leading Hands on the Wildside. He liaises with Ollie and is the one point of contact for the Wildside team. He is also in charge of the toxin & vehicle management. Blake started in June 2023 with PFBP. In his spare time, he loves hunting & fishing, tramping adventures in the hills and NZ wilderness (with a backpack that’s not containing work gear) and surfing. Born and bred in Akaroa, Blake is a local.
Pest Free Ranger-Wildside
riley@pestfreebp.org.nz
Riley is the newest member of the Pest Free Wildside team. Fresh out of Akaroa Area School, Riley grew up in Pigeon Bay. He loves hunting and fishing, and all sorts of team sports, basketball and volleyball. He is also a keen swimmer.
Riley is very happy to be working for Pest Free and looking forward to getting fit and learning new skills with the Field Team. Welcome Riley. We are very happy to have you also.
Leading Hand-Kaitorete
William@pestfreebp.org.nz
Will has been with PFBP since February 2023 and works mostly on Kaitorete with the Field Team there. He leads the mustelid workstream and is a very capable ranger loving the outdoors and the mission at hand. Since childhood, he has always had a burning passion for our biodiversity & the outdoors. Outside of work he spends a lot of his time fishing and exploring our beautiful country.
Pest Free Ranger-Kaitorete
john@pestfreebp.org.nz
John has been leading our team on Kaitorete so is very knowledgeable about the project. He is now a Pest Free Ranger & is working to eliminate hedgehogs, feral cats, and mustelids. It’s a big task but the small team are able to manage a large trapping network with the help of a self-reporting trap system. It’s always exciting to see what the traps will bring us each morning. When not at work John is most likely to be on a horse, and sometimes in exotic places like Mongolia.
Pest Free Ranger-Wildside
guy@pestfreebp.org.nz
Guy has worked for PFBP since the project’s inception in 2021, so he is one of our longest standing rangers. He now works on a casual basis. He loves working in nature and the outdoors. He has always been coming to Banks Peninsula since childhood and now resides in Le Bons Bay. Outside work he loves tramping, mountaineering, sea kayaking, mountain biking and skiing, a real outdoorsy Guy!
Pest Free Ranger- Wildside
tai@pestfreebp.org.nz
Tai started with Pest Free mid 2024. He went to Akaroa Area School and is happy to be away from the books and into nature. Brought up in Akaroa, Tai is enjoying his new role with Pest Free and according to the Field Team, Tai is a ‘machine’ out in the field, getting very fit and strong.
In his spare time, Tai loves fishing and diving.
Watch out possums!
Pest Free Ranger-Wildside
jonathan@pestfreebp.org.nz
Jono started with PFBP in November 2024. His background is in hiking tours where he travelled through NZ on some of our famous trails. He loves the underwater world and was a Padi Dive Instructor and has dived in many spots in NZ and outside of NZ. Jono is passionate about conservation and caring for nature. Working for PFBP is a new experience and one he is embracing.
Pest Free Banks Peninsula are currently recruiting!
We have a number of roles that we need to fill.
Email us at info@pestfreebp.org.nz or see our Facebook page for more details.
Dog Handler
karin@pestfreebp.org.nz
Karin is one of two dog handlers at PFBP & mainly works at Kaitorete. She walks the landscape with the dogs looking for their target species. Karin is very passionate about improving the native biodiversity and thinks she has the best job in the world. When not at work, she can be found paddling, rock climbing, tramping, horse riding, skiing or mountain biking.
Dog Handler
jason@pestfreebp.org.nz
Jason has worked as a Dog Handler for PFBP since June 2023. He is in charge of Scmack the possum detection dog and they work mostly on the Wildside. Outside of work Jason is a bit of petrol head (he was a helicopter mechanic in his previous work), fixing up cars and hunting (although these days less hunting now that he is hunting possums), gardening and bee keeping.
Hedgehog Detection Dog
Nighdee is a 5-year-old Border Terrier, who is excellent at finding hedgehogs (her target species). She works with Karin (one of the PFBP dog handlers) mainly at Kaitōrete. Nighdee is the mother of Bob, the other hedgehog dog. She is highly intelligent and very social. She loves to sit on Karin’s lap and is the only dog that’s allowed to do that.
Possum Detection Dog
Scmack is the possum detection dog who works under Jason’s guidance. Jason loves working with Scmack who he says took a while to warm to him but is now totally trusting. Scmack is being trained for the DOC Dog Certification programme. Good Luck Scmack! Scmack is very robust, he plows through gorse & onga onga with only one thing on his mind: possums!
Feral Cat Detection Dog
Terry is a 2.5-year-old Welsh Springer Spaniel who specializes in detecting feral cats or their scat & scents. He takes his job very seriously, while thoroughly enjoying the great life he has at Karin’s place. He loves pats, his palace kennel, bones and relaxing by the fire in winter. He is Karin’s Velcro dog (he sticks to her) and is a bit of a princess!
We are always looking for good and hard-core Pest Free Rangers for the Wildside.
Do you like working in the outdoors (in all weathers), can carry a pack with gear, want to work on this great conservation project, will enjoy working with a great team of people?
Then maybe you would love to come and work for us?
And maybe we need you!
Contact Brett Butland (Programme Leader) on info@pestfreebp.org.nz about other job opportunities too.
Pest Free Ranger -Wildside
Eden comes back regularly to join us over his breaks at Otago University where he is studying Ecology. He fits in well with the team and we are always happy to have this outstanding guy back!
Eden grew up in Pigeon Bay and went to school in Akaroa. During his spare time, he loves hunting, diving and trapping for possums on his parents’ property and he plucks the possums for their fur. Good luck at Uni Eden!
Check Eden out in the Frank Films documentary on YouTube.
Contact Us
Office: 752 Christchurch Akaroa Highway, Tai Tapu
Postal Address: PO Box 146, Tai Tapu, 7645, Christchurch, NZ
Email: info@pestfreebp.org.nz
Phone: +64 (03) 3296340