Fiona Moorhouse – Chairperson
Fiona grew up in Taranaki but in her late teens the wider world was calling so she headed off to live in Patagonia Chile for twelve months. This was followed by a brief trip home before heading back to Chile for another four months. On return from Chile Fiona then set off to Queensland Australia to explore an area closer to home but vastly different from life in the Andes.
Fiona’s permaculture journey started whilst living in Australia where she completed a PDC under Geoff Lawnton and short courses with Morag Gamble and Robin Clayfield. After nearly 20 years in Australia Fiona returned to Aotearoa/New Zealand in 2017 with her husband and three-month-old son. Over the next two years Fiona completed a PDC with Phil and Sharon Stevens in the Manawatu, to not only gain an understanding of the New Zealand context, but to build connections to the Aotearoa/New Zealand Permaculture community. During this time Fiona also managed the building of their passive house and created the design for their six-acre farm in the Rangitikei. The farm now provides 100% of their meat, eggs, milk, most of their vegetables, bonus goodies of cheese and soap, and the volume of fruit increases year on year.
With a love of cooking, homesteading, permaculture and people, Fiona can often be found working with her husband with her son by her side, tending to her animals, hanging out in the garden, preserving the harvest, or sharing her knowledge of these skills with others.
As a self-confessed busy person, in addition to her paid work managing international students, and university studies where she is currently working towards her master’s in psychology, Fiona also volunteers her time and has managed the Marton Community Garden for the past five years. Since stepping into this role Fiona has set up a charitable trust for the garden, gained support from local and national businesses and facilitated a range of events, workshops and community participation sessions alongside the regular working bees and crop swaps she manages. Fiona is aiming to launch a PDC at the garden later this year to spread the permaculture message in her community and region.
Fiona was heavily involved in coordinating the National Permaculture Hui in Whanganui that sadly due to Covid could not proceed. However, people are what Fiona is passionate about, so creating value for the membership along with opportunities for connection and knowledge sharing are high on her priorities for PiNZ.
As Chairperson of PiNZ Fiona wants to know what you think, what you want, how PiNZ can support you, and what you can contribute to making it happen. So, if you have feedback on both matters big and small then please get in touch with Fiona at info@permaculture.org.nz
Amanda Warren – Co-Chair/Membership
Amanda loves Permaculture; since doing her PDC with Guenther and Trish in 2021, she is positively addicted to it. Amanda is a designer and so Permaculture has become her profession too. Amanda began www.GiftTheGarden.org.nz as a movement to help people in urban spaces gift their gardens to nature, whilst growing food for themselves using least work (as nature does it for us). The gardens are designed and then delivered Permablitz style. Amanda runs workshops from her garden www.gardenforwellbeing.org to introduce Permaculture in a gentle way to urban people with their own small spaces.
Amanda has recently begun a mentoring program for those who wish to do the same, designing & delivering more Gift-The-Garden projects. This is a free service for those who have or are studying their PDC. Gift-The-Garden is also the subject of my Permaculture Diploma which she is currently writing up having delivered over 15 gardens in the last 2 years. Finally, a group of local, talented people and her started www.sustainablegardentrail.
Amanda has two areas of particular interest; Professional Permaculture and helping those who are practicing to thrive and network across Aotearoa and secondly, links with our international brothers and sisters. Amanda regularly travels to Australia and Europe to see what is new there that she can bring back into her designs as there are some very strong Permaculture practices there.
Lucretia Charan – Treasurer
Lucretia has had a long career in the Horticulture Industry and has worked in all areas of Horticulture, from running large properties as a Head Gardener, through to a Certified Organic Market Gardener producing food for an onsite restaurant and lodge.
Lucretia is currently teaching Sustainable Primary Production Level 4 and also works as an Environmental Educator working with schools to help them reduce waste to landfill, supporting teachers and students by helping them to implement systems into their school to reduce waste in the Northland Area.
Lucretia is passionate about gardening and permaculture design and especially growing healthy food and soil, and considers it an honor and a privilege to be working on the council. Lucretia and her husband live in Whangārei and have 4 children. They are developing their 6 acres of land in the Hokianga according to Permaculture Design Principles.
Alex Hildebrandt – Membership
Alex is a 38 year old naturally inquisitive permadventurer who has found his way into his permaculture journey by way of a masters of sustainable product design, 12+ years in the corporate world as business development manager for multiple global companies in 5 countries, and a much-needed redundancy wake up call that lead me to restart my design career as permaculture designer.
Alex feels that permaculture in NZ can reshape and reignite our thinking of how we build our communities, feed our souls and our soils and how we can reintegrate our communities in more resilient ecosystems for our collective future.
Alex believes that his corporate background in building relationships, global profile and connections, and his passion to build could really be of good use for the council.
Mei Leng Wong
Mei Leng has been the deputy editor of NZ Gardener magazine since 2017 – it’s the perfect job for her. Combining her personal interest in gardening and permaculture with her career as a journalist and editor, which began in her native Malaysia more than two decades ago.
One of the first things she did when she came to New Zealand in 2014 was study for a Certificate in Organic Horticulture, and since then has been promoting and helping to spread the word about permaculture which has been a big goals of hers. As well as meeting and interviewing New Zealand’s most passionate and knowledgeable permaculture practitioners who always continue to inspire her.
Mei Leng is a Cantonese and Malay speaker, with somewhat functional Mandarin, and is currently pursuing proficiency and literacy in te reo Māori. Mei Leng is proud to be named Best Journalist (Home, Food & Lifestyle) at the 2020 Magazine Media Awards.
Alaina George
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Alaina has lived here in NZ since 2008 and have a young family with a home in Leigh. Alaina finished her PDC in 2023 and would like to continue my journey in Permaculture. By joining the committee Alaina can contribute from her varied background while being part of the ever changing permaculture scene in NZ. Alaina would love to grow her role within the committee as time rolls on. |