Our Name
In 2022 the foundation was honoured to receive the name Te Papa Tū Whirinaki from Dee Issacs. The name acknowledges Papatūānuku, our collective earth mother, who nourishes and sustains us. The word ‘papa’ is synonymous with land, ground and being grounded. It also alludes to our source and the binding of all things together. ‘Tū’, meaning to stand in strength, set in place and to stand up for something, speaks to the significance of the mahi undertaken by the foundation and the criticality of the work. With the kaupapa of the foundation being to educate and empower action, ‘whirinaki’ expresses our support to all those who endeavour to build a better world for future generations.
Our People
Trustees and Kaiāwhina volunteer their time and expertise to provide both governance and leadership for Te Papa Tū Whirinaki. Each is involved in different aspects of the 2022-2025 Plan.
Dr. Alayna Pakinui Rā
Chair
Chair Dr Alayna Pakinui Rā has a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (Hons), Diploma in Māori, Certificate in Iwi Environmental Management, and completed her PhD in 2018 on the integration of Indigenous voices in landscape policy. She is a Registered landscape architect with Tuia Pito Ora New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects (NZILA) and the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA). Alayna has iwi affiliations to Kāi Tahu ki Puketeraki and identifies as a Māori landscape architect – seeing the profession of landscape architecture through a lens that explores the inherent interdependencies of social, environmental, cultural, ecological, economic, and educational design.
She is a member of Te Tau-a-Nuku and Nga Aho, has worked for global multidisciplinary consultancies, private sector organisations and Government agencies. Alayna has been a Director of a multi-national business and held numerous leadership positions in private practice, the public sector and on various boards.
Dr. Diane Menzies, ONZM
Trustee
Dr Diane Menzies is a past president of the New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects and was elected to Life Member status in 2005.ﾠ She was appointed to the Environment Court of New Zealand as a Commissioner in 2001. Diane was elected President of the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) in 2006, serving two terms as President, and was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the environment in 2008.
Sam Bourne
Trustee
Sam Bourne is the Principal Advisor for Urban Design and Landscape at the NZ Transport Agency. He is a Registered Member of the New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects, and has served as the Chairman of the Auckland NZILA Branch during the Auckland Spatial Plan and Central City Master Plan phases. Sam’s project work has included the wide spectrum of landscape practice, major infrastructure, and recovery projects. Sam has a particular interest in cultural landscapes, natural heritage and restoration ecology. This has fostered a passion for on-going work on bio-regional planning and ecological design, and urbanism. Most recently his work has included NZ healthy streets tools and the Aotearoa Urban Street Planning and Design Guide.
Carolyn Hill
Trustee
Carolyn Hill is of New Zealand/Pākehā descent. She is an architect and lecturer in environmental planning at the University of Waikato, New Zealand, and has worked in various heritage-focused roles in New Zealand, Australia, and the UK. Her research centres on urban heritage policy and future directions, with an emphasis on the views and values of young adults in processes of heritage-making. She is editor of the book Kia Whakanuia te Whenua: People / Place / Landscape, published by the Landscape Foundation in 2021.
Marcus Fletcher
Trustee
Marcus has whakapapa to Waikato and Ngāti Maniapoto. He is currently working as a Graduate Planner at WSP New Zealand and is continuing his studies by pursuing a Masters Degree in Environmental Planning at Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato. Throughout his recent years of mahi, he has been working towards building his knowledge within the planning/resource management in Aotearoa with a focus on Iwi engagement and partnership. He has a passion in bringing Te Ao Māori, mātauranga Māori, tikanga Māori and most importantly tangata whenua to the forefront of resource management, environmental policy and legislation in Aotearoa. For the Landscape Foundation, Marcus is the host of the Kia Whakanuia Te Whenua podcast and contributes as a Trustee.
Jacky Bowring
Trustee
Jacky Bowring is Professor of Landscape Architecture at Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki | Lincoln University, and is a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects. She has been involved in judging the NZILA National Awards, as well as a range of other competitions such as the Pacific Memorial for Pukeahu National Memorial Park in Wellington. Jacky has published three books, including two on melancholy and one on landscape architecture criticism. She explores issues in the landscape through design, scholarship and criticism, has published widely, and has achieved a number of design awards including first equal in the international “NUWAO Oceania Nature-based Urban Adaptation driven by Indigenous Knowledge Design Competition” 2022..
Sarah Flynn
Trustee
Dr Sarah Flynn is a senior member of the Ecology team at Boffa Miskell Ltd, with more than 22 years' experience in ecology and biodiversity-related management and research. Sarah has expertise in the assessment of environmental effects of development on terrestrial and wetland ecosystems and has worked in energy, mining, military, land development and infrastructure sectors. Sarah has also provided strategic advice to territorial local authorities and the Department of Conservation, and has undertaken conservation and reserve management-related projects. Sarah is an experienced expert witness and has presented evidence in numerous council and Environment Court hearings.
Tanya Sorrell
Trustee
Tanya Sorrell has spent more than two decades working in resource management in various policy, implementation and leadership roles. She has an MA in Public History and has spent the better part of her career documenting and evaluating cultural heritage buildings, sites, neighborhoods, and landscapes.
Tanya's significant focus in recent years has been on understanding and seeking ways to improve the provision for Māori under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) and other legislation. She believes that cultural landscapes can play a pivotal role in the development of high-quality spatial strategies and plans and is interested in ways to bring them into planning processes more often.
Chris Schraders
Kaiāwhina
Chris runs a learning design agency that creates learning programmes for businesses and tertiary institutions across the motu, focusing on horticulture and related trades. Chris worked as a landscaper and arborist before moving into professional roles. He has worked in tertiary and vocational education since 2004 in roles ranging from instructional designer to head of department in government, tertiary education organisations, and the private sector.
Chris is passionate about removing barriers to learning and building pathways from trades into professional roles. He gets a kick out of creating teaching and learning activities that build learners' practical skills that industry and communities need.
Chris has a long-term goal of becoming a registered landscape architect and has started down this long road by completing a landscape design certificate at the pre-degree level.
Ambassadors
Our Ambassadors are people with a deep commitment to landscapes and have agreed to help the Te Papa Tū Whirinaki succeed in its mission.
Acknowledging our past Trustees
The Landscape Foundation has benefited from the valuable insights and talents of many Trustees over the years. It would not be where it is without them. He mihi mahana ki a rātou.
Jan Woodhouse
Sarah Collins
Anthony Hoete
Frank Boffa
Will Thresher