Awa Moana Lead job description update March26

Purpose of the position:

• Bring together a community team and support emerging volunteer leaders

• Lead the development and delivery of a coordinated restoration workstream from freshwater catchments to coastal and nearshore environments.

• Develop a management plan including phased actions, monitoring schedules, stakeholder roles, and priority habitats.
  - cameras for passive monitoring
  - what passive monitoring can i use as i only have so much time.

• Oversee governance, health & safety, reporting processes, and communications for the workstream.

• Engage with Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, Ngāti Paoa, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Te Kawerau ā Maki, and other iwi partners.

• Ensure all work aligns with tikanga, mātauranga Māori, kaitiakitanga values, and co-designed aspirations.

• Collaborate with kaumātua, whanau Māori (including rangitahi/youth), the local Māori Advisory Group and other rangatira/leaders to ensure cultural integrity and possibilites of participation across activities.

• Build strong relationships with residents, clubs, marine user groups, schools, and community organisations.
  - make it clear i want to learn from the local communities as they know the area far better than me. they have more experience just by living there but also with the work they have done.

• Facilitate volunteer pathways, leadership development, training, and ongoing involvement.

• Deliver public hui, workshops, coastal ecology walks, and school programmes.
  - maybe would be cute to do a little do you know your and do some species groups (show people what we are trying to protect.)

• Establish and support citizen science programmes (water quality- i would be super keen to get those boys on this, shorebirds, intertidal surveys, photo points, biodiversity counts).

• Oversee ecological baselines, habitat mapping, and repeat monitoring across key ecosystems.

• Coordinate monitoring kits, training sessions, data collection, and reporting.

• Plan and coordinate hands-on activities including:
• riparian and dune planting and supportive efforts (
  - could be cool to do some community planting days?, would also be a good school activity.)
• coastal margin pest control, intertidal and estuarine monitoring
  - (could do a similar volunteer style to the pest stuff. teams that have a spot they return to on a agreed upon schedule)
• freshwater fish protection and monitoring
• reef restoration
• mangrove education and monitoring
• nearshore awareness initiatives
• Work with landowners in priority areas (e.g., Shoal Bay BFA) to reduce sediment and other pressures.

• would need to do a state of the environment brief for myself to understand the particular challenges faced in this area.
  - could film some stuff via snorkelling to show the current state.

• Maintain relationships with DOC, Auckland Council, Tūpuna Maunga Authority, schools, clubs, NGOs, and regional marine organisations.

• Align local work with regional priorities (e.g., Revive Our Gulf, Heal the Hauraki, Mountains to Sea).

• Liaise with universities, researchers, and technical advisors to support best practice.
  - once i have a better understanding contact lecturers and let them know about the possibility for students to do some work in the area.

• Prepare ecological and community engagement reports.
  - something like quarterly or annual reports would be cool.
  - find out how frequent the newletters are and maybe do a little something in them every now and then.

• Track metrics across volunteer hours, biodiversity surveys, educational reach, and restoration milestones.
  - what do i think are restoration Mile stones? The return of keystone species?, measurable increases? what would the community value?
  - What are they keystones (snapper?)
  - more native seaweeds.
  - increase Inanga survival.
  - reduced pollution.
  - Mangrove planting??

• Experience in environmental restoration, coastal/marine ecology, freshwater ecology, biodiversity, or related field.

• Strong community engagement skills and ability to work with diverse groups, including schools, volunteers, and local residents.

• Proven project coordination or programme management experience.
  while i do not currently have this i feel that i have the organisational and people skills need and just need the opportunity to prove myself.

• Commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, basic understanding of tikanga and mātauranga Māori, and willingness to learn from Mana Whenua iwi partners.

• Strong facilitation and communication skills, including public speaking and workshop delivery.
  my public speaking is somewhat weak, but the more i know about a topic the easy it is to talk about and i know so much about the ocean and near shore environments.

• Ability to run or coordinate citizen science and monitoring activities.

• Organised, self-directed, capable of managing multiple workstreams simultaneously.

• Experience working with Māori communities, iwi partnerships, or kaupapa Māori programmes.

• Knowledge of ecological monitoring methods (water quality, biodiversity surveying, habitat mapping).

• Skilled in volunteer coordination and leadership development.
  

• GIS or ecological mapping experience.

• Understanding of coastal pressures, restoration planning, and urban catchment dynamics.

• Experience working in NGO, community, or conservation settings.