Rowan Sprague
Rowan is a Science Knowledge Broker at Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, where she helps translate research to policy makers and end-users. She has a background in science, having done her PhD at Lincoln University on wilding pines. However, she’s found that the part she really enjoys about science is helping apply it. She loves working with people and finding ways to facilitate a two-way flow of information and knowledge between scientists and practitioners. Rowan is currently the vice president of the NZ Biosecurity Institute.
Shane Hona
Shane Hona has been dealing with weeds for many years in his role as a Biosecurity Officer for the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, based in Whakatane. In 2022, he was awarded the Wendy Mead Professional Development Award by the NZ Biosecurity Institute to attend the 22 nd Australasian Weeds Conference in Adelaide where he presented a paper about the funding model used in New Zealand for funding research into biological control of weeds. In 2023, he shifted jobs to become an advisor for the Ministry of Māori Development (Te Puni Kokiri) but has remained on the executive committee of the NZ Biosecurity Institute.
