How We Are Run
We are run by a committed board of eight volunteer Trustees, who carry the legal and financial responsibility for everything the Native Forest Restoration Trust does.
Our Trustees bring a wide range of knowledge, expertise and experience. They are responsible for guiding the Trust’s strategic direction, ensuring strong financial management, and overseeing overall performance. Their leadership is essential to maintaining the effectiveness, integrity, and long-term sustainability of the Trust - ensuring we can continue our vital work restoring and protecting Aotearoa’s native forests for generations to come.
Trustees
ED CHIGNELL CHAIR
Former owner of Treescape & CEO of Predator Free NZ 2017 -2020
Passionate about the environment and conservation, Ed Chignell is a seasoned businessman and leader in arboriculture. In 1981, he co-founded Treescape, growing it into New Zealand’s largest arboriculture and vegetation management company and one of the largest in Australia.
In 2017 Ed became the inaugural Chief Executive of Predator Free 2050 Limited, overseeing investments in ambitious large-scale predator eradication projects, cutting-edge research and innovative product development to support the expanding eradication projects being mobilised throughout New Zealand.
In 2020, he returned to Treescape Ltd. to navigate the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and now serves as Executive Chair.
Recognised for his contributions to arboriculture, Ed was awarded lifetime membership of the New Zealand Arboriculture Association in the early 2000s and has received the prestigious Ron Flook Award for his services to the field.
ROSEMARY DAVISON DEPUTY CHAIR
Waikato Farmer & daughter of Founding Trustee Arthur Cowan
Rosemary Davison grew up on a King Country sheep farm. Being the youngest daughter of former patrons Arthur and Pat Cowan, it was inevitable that strong conservation values were developed at a young age.
With a background in horticulture, Rosemary gained valuable plant knowledge and landscaping experience while working in various nurseries. Today, she is a dairy farmer near Otorohanga. In 2013, she and her husband entered the Ballance Farm Awards, winning the WRA Catchment Improvement category.
Her passion for sustainable farming, water quality, and revegetation led her to establish the Waipā Rerenoa Restoration Project, which has already seen 14km of riparian planting along the Waipā River - an effort that continues to expand. She has also worked as a landscape consultant for both the Otorohanga District Council and the Otorohanga Kiwi House. Additionally, as a member of the Waipa Catchment Committee for the Waikato Regional Council, she remains actively involved in regional environmental efforts.
Since 2010, Rosemary has served as a trustee for NFRT, overseeing activities at Rangitoto Station Reserve. Well-connected within the farming community, she is often approached regarding prospective land purchases, further supporting conservation and restoration initiatives.
GEOFF DAVIDSON FOUNDER TRUSTEE
Native Plant Nurseryman, Founding trustee. Matuku Link & Motu Kaikoura Trusts
The NZ Native Forests Restoration Trust emerged from the Native Forests Action Council and the tree-sitting protests in Pureora Forest. Established in 1980, Geoff Davidson has been a trustee since its inception.
His deep passion for native plants led to the founding of Oratia Native Plant Nursery, which was recognised with the NZ Plant Protection Society’s ‘Weedwise Nursery Award.’ In 2007, Geoff received the NZ Plant Conservation Network’s ‘Lifetime Achievement Award,’ and in 2009, he was awarded life membership of the Auckland Botanical Society for his contributions to botany and conservation.
Geoff has a particular passion for wetlands and played a key role as the lead negotiator in the Mangarakau and Opoutama land purchases for the Trust. He was also instrumental in the New Zealand government’s 2005 purchase of Motu Kaikoura, an island in Port Fitzroy Harbour, Aotea (Great Barrier Island), which is now an open sanctuary.
LOUIS NEL TREASURER TRUSTEE
Chartered Accountant with a strong track record in financial stewardship for charitable trusts
Louis Nel, originally from South Africa, has called New Zealand home for over 20 years. He lives on Auckland’s scenic Hibiscus Coast with his fiancée, Megan, and their two daughters, embracing the outdoor lifestyle to the fullest. Weekends often find him tackling home projects - whether building a deck or transforming his garden. An avid nature enthusiast, he enjoys hiking, fishing, and seeking new outdoor challenges, recently completing the breathtaking Tongariro Alpine Crossing in 2024.
A Chartered Accountant with a BCom in Finance and Accounting, Louis has spent over a decade supporting business growth, particularly in the sports and conservation sectors. He has an extensive background with charitable trusts, having worked with High Performance Sport NZ, Predator Free 2050 Limited and Auckland Rugby League. As Head of Finance and Operations at Predator Free 2050, he played a key role in shaping the organisation with strong financial management and strategic vision. Most recently, as General Manager of Finance at Auckland Rugby League, Louis oversaw the financial stewardship of four entities, helping to drive sustainable growth and resilience in Auckland’s rugby league community.
TIM OLIVER TRUSTEE
Former QEII Waikato Representative and former NFRT Chairperson 2015 - 2023
Tim Oliver grew up on a sheep and beef farm in Cambridge before studying Geography and landform development at Waikato University.
His early career took him to Sydney, where he worked in academic publishing and health services research and planning, before returning to New Zealand in 1980 to reconnect with the land.
He developed a kiwifruit orchard beside Lake Karapiro, transitioning to organic certification in 1992. From 1993 to 2001, he worked part-time with the QEII National Trust, marking the beginning of his deep involvement in conservation.
During this time, Tim was strongly influenced by mentors like Arthur Cowan and Gordon Stephenson. His growing involvement with NFRT projects - initially through Arthur and his regional QEII field role - led to his appointment as an NFRT Trustee in the late 1990s.
Tim served as Trust Chair for seven and a half years (2015 - 2023), guiding the Trust through a period of significant change and growth before stepping back from the role in early 2023.
HELEN LINDSAY TRUSTEE
Restoration Ecologist, Motuora Restoration Society, Chair Nelson Botanical Society
Originally from Dublin, Ireland, Helen Lindsay moved to New Zealand with her family in 1980 and has dedicated much of her life to conservation, both in paid and voluntary roles. Helen spent many years working with the Department of Conservation and community groups in a variety of roles on the Hauraki Gulf Islands. She was a volunteer committee member with the Motuora Restoration Society, where she played a major role in the restoration of Motuora Island.
Her involvement with NFRT began in 1997, initially coordinating volunteers for tree planting at the Waipoua reserves and Rangitoto Station. She became a trustee in 1998, helping to organise volunteers and establish administrative systems as the Trust transitioned from a purely volunteer organisation to one with paid staff.
Since moving to the Nelson region in 2010, Helen has remained deeply involved in conservation. She joined the committee of the Friends of Mangarakau, supporting the management of the Trust’s Mangarakau Swamp Reserve, and became a trustee of the Otuwhero Trust, a community group restoring the Otuwhero wetland near Marahau.
Her contributions to plant conservation have been widely recognised. In 2019, she won the NZ Plant Conservation Network Individual Award, and in 2022, she was elected President of the Nelson Botanical Society. Helen’s botanical expertise, particularly in weed management, is highly valued by the Trust and its supporter communities.
DELL HOOD TRUSTEE
Waikato medical officer of health for 18 years. Waikato Conservation Board member for 9 years.
Dell Hood joined the Trust after a distinguished career in public health medicine, having been an active conservation volunteer for many years.
She played a key role in the restoration of Tiritiri Matangi from the project’s inception and was a founding member of the Supporters’ Committee, chairing the group for a period before moving to Hamilton in the mid 90s.
Her work with Tiritiri Matangi inspired her to covenant a small regenerating bush property in northern Coromandel with QEII.
Dell served for 9 years on the Waikato Conservation Board, contributing to the development of the current Conservation Management Strategy.
Alongside caring for her covenant, Dell is involved in a variety of local environmental and conservation initiatives in and around Hamilton, where she resides. An active member of numerous conservation groups, she can often be found helping with planting projects on Trust reserves, including the Ed Hillary Hope Reserve near Hamilton.
SARAH ONGLEY TRUSTEE
Barrister with over 20 years’ experience in environmental and local government law.
Sarah is a Barrister with around 25 years of experience in environmental and local government law. Her experience traverses a variety of roles, including as a senior public sector lawyer in both central and local government, senior lawyer at an energy company and private practice at two of New Zealand’s largest law firms.
While at the Ministry for the Environment, Sarah contributed to some of the more substantial amendments to the Resource Management Act, developing deep expertise in the legislation. She also led the cross-departmental legal team that advised Ministers on the legislation enabling New Zealand to ratify the Kyoto Protocol.
At Auckland Council, Sarah managed a team of five lawyers and a prosecutor, gaining valuable experience in the consent-processing and enforcement functions of a local authority. During her time at the Department of Conservation, she gained experience in public law, Treaty settlement policy, and specialised legislation such as the Wildlife Act 1953, National Parks Act 1980, and the Conservation Act 1987.
Sarah also has an interest in mātauranga Māori and has successfully assisted iwi and hapu interests in their advocacy.
