Team

National team

Kristel van Houte-Howes
Kristel van Houte-Howes

Kristel van Houte-Howes: National Director. Kristel graduated from University of Waikato with a MSc in marine and freshwater ecology, and currently works as an aquatic ecologist at NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research) in Hamilton. She also has experience in agriculture and zoology. Kristel was born in the south of The Netherlands, but became a “kiwi” when she moved to New Zealand with her family at the age of 11, and has been passionate about NZ, its diverse people and unique flora and fauna ever since. Kristel recently spent 2 years living and working in the Pacific island of Samoa, and regularly returns there to teach for short periods of time. Together with her husband Justin, and 15 year old son Jordan, she was a volunteer at Mwamba, A Rocha Kenya in 2005. She also loves spending time outdoors, travelling, hanging out with friends, reading a good book and surfing... to name a few...

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Rob Davies-Colley
Rob Davies-Colley

Rob Davies-Colley: Practical projects co-ordinator. Rob is a principal scientist at NZ's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric research (NIWA). He has worked in the field of water quality and aquatic ecology for NIWA and its predecessors for 30 years. Rob has particular interests in NZ’s geology, natural history and biogeography. He is also a keen outdoor recreationalist (hiking, surfing, snorkelling, diving, kayaking), and has special interests in healthy and sustainable living (gardening, composting, nutrition, exercise, cycle commuting, and reducing personal ecological ‘footprints’). He lives in Hamilton with his wife Julie, and one of his three adult children.

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Andrew and Ingrid Shepherd: After completing a PhD in Biology, Ingrid has spent the last decade in a variety of roles including teaching (English language teaching to International students), co-directing an environmental studies program for University students, administration for a community trust, free-lance journalism (around science-ecology issues), and parenting. Andrew has spent the last decade or so involved in various forms of educational work with tertiary students, including working with student movements in NZ and Colombia; co-directing an environmental studies program and teaching theology at different tertiary institutions. He is currently engaged in PhD studies exploring the Ethics of Hospitality. They live, with their two children (Julia & Kristin), in Makarora in the South Island, and if not home, can usually be found ‘tramping’ (hiking) or climbing in the outdoors.

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Liza Storey: Prayer co-ordinator. Liza is interested in global environmental change and how this affects people. She has submitted a PhD, at the University of Waikato (UoW), looking at the combined effects of climate and land use changes on an invasive weed and is now a researcher at the International Global Change Institute, (IGCI), UoW. Liza was born in Brunei, and has lived with her family in Jamaica and Fiji before moving to New Zealand in 2002. She enjoys a bit of art and craft, long walks, cooking, and more recently - plant propagation. Liza is married to Richard Storey, and is enjoying exploring some of New Zealand’s beautiful natural places and reflecting on what it means to care for God’s creation. She is excited by the role A Rocha has in joining with people, so we grow into a deeper understanding and demonstration of caring for God’s creation.

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Board

Richard Storey
Richard Storey

Richard Storey: Chair of the Board. Richard Storey has had a fascination with the natural world since his early childhood. Though not brought up as a Christian, the testimony of God’s creation constantly reminded him of God and was fundamental in his decision to follow Jesus in his late teens. Richard studied biology at Auckland University, and then completed a PhD at University of Toronto, Canada, focusing on the ecology of small rivers. For 2 years after graduating he worked for A Rocha Lebanon as scientific officer. Now back in New Zealand, he is a freshwater biologist at NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research) in Hamilton. He also chairs the national committee of A Rocha Aotearoa New Zealand.

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John Flenley
John Flenley

John Flenley: John Flenley has been a committed Christian for 20 years and a research palaeo-ecologist for 40 years. He is best known for his work on the Tropical Rain Forest and on Easter Island. He recently retired from the post of Professor of Geography at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand. He is now active in forest restoration.

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Nicola Hoggard-Creegan: Nicola lectures in systematic theology at the Bible College of New Zealand and Tyndale Graduate School. She is interested in issues at the boundaries—in particular those of science/theology/ecology, and also feminism/evangelicalism. She takes part in the Templeton Oxford Summer Seminars in Science and Christian Faith. And she has co-authored a book, Living on the Boundary, with Christine Pohl, exploring issues at the intersection of evangelicalism and feminism, published by IVP.

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Peter Willcox: Peter has a background in running small businesses, and though now semi-retired, he continues to run a fish farm, raising grass carp which are useful in clearing waterways of aquatic plants. As well as his involvement with A Rocha, Peter is involved in prison ministry. Peter and his wife Rita have 2 daughters and foster 2 more.

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Council of Reference

David Moxon
David Moxon

Archbishop David Moxon: Archbishop and Co-Presiding Bishop in the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia; Bishop of the Diocese of Waikato.

"A Rocha is one of the Gospel's most significant and dedicated responses to the care of God's creation at this crucial time in the life of our planet. A Rocha is an inspiring and effective response by Christians to the dramatic needs of God's earth, our home, as we face the dangers of pollution and environmental decay. We are called to renew the face of the earth by the Spirit of God."

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Professor John Morton: Emeritus Professor of the University of Auckland, specialist in marine biology.

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Glyn Carpenter
Glyn Carpenter

Glyn Carpenter is national director for Vision Network of New Zealand, a broad-spectrum Christian network and NZ member of the World Evangelical Alliance. As well as having an interest in the environment, Glyn is personally involved in several of Vision’s other networks including prayer, evangelism, marketplace, missions, and politics. Glyn is married to Christine (26 years) and has 3 late-teenage sons. Glyn worked for 28 years in computing, training, and leadership, running his own NZ and Australia-based training business from 1986 to 1997. Glyn lives in Auckland and relaxes through music, reading, and being in, on, or near, the beautiful Waitemata harbour.

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Anthony Cole
Anthony Cole

Anthony Cole: Anthony is a transdisciplinary scientist. He teaches at Te Wananga-o-Raukawa (a Maori cultural university) but is primarily involved in contract research. Research interests include: modelling complex systems, ecological restoration, whole-of-system accounting, trans-cultural research, epistemology, classical history and religion.

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Geoff Stevens: Trained as a soil research technician, Geoff has been involved in Pastoral care ministry for about 40 yrs but only intermittently in ‘normal’ Parish type ministry. Mostly his ministry has been to the unchurched and marginalised of society. Geoff served as an Industrial Chaplain for several years. He has been involved in the founding of 2 residential Christian Communities (Orama, Great Barrier Is. and Kodesh Community Trust, Avondale), and in the late 1970s, managed the Environmental Ethics Trust for which he was partly funded to carry out one of the first exploratory recycling projects in NZ.

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ARANZ Initiative Group
Original A Rocha Aotearoa New Zealand initiative group, from left to right:
Top row: Eelkje Visser, Keith Hamill (and baby Laura), Glyn Carpenter, Andrew Shepherd, Nicola Hoggard-Creegan, John Flenley, Ken Mickleson, Richard Storey, Peter Willcox, Geoff Stevens
Bottom row: Anthony Cole, Kristel van Houte-Howes, Gerben Visser, Carolyn Hamill, Rob Davies-Colley

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