The forests of Aotearoa New Zealand hold immense intrinsic value. The landscape is integral to our history and who we are. My reverence for these spaces began upon first lifting my head and connecting with Tāne Mahuta. This experience is etched in my childhood memory. I believe that if we could live in connection with old-growth forest, the world would be a better place.

As awe leads to curiosity, I began a degree in Resource Management from the Unitec Institute of Technology. This cross-disciplinary program used a systems’ science approach to address socio-economic, cultural, and environmental issues. I found the courses in GIS, remote sensing, ecology and organic agriculture particularly inspiring. I then went on to complete a permaculture design certificate. I am passionate about becoming more self-sufficient and think we should all reduce our reliance on supermarkets.

In 2008, I began a six-year career as a geospatial consultant, mapping forests and deforestation while coordinating teams for global field data collection. My work included leading a national deforestation mapping program for the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) as part of its deforestation mapping program and Low Carbon Development Strategy with Norway. This role was an incredible opportunity to lead a team and build technical capacity with local GIS analysts in a historically underserved country. I believe that true success in these projects goes beyond just 'ticking boxes'; it's about deep knowledge transfer. This consulting role meant balancing project management with capacity building and stakeholder engagement, while ensuring my team found fulfillment in their work. The GFC use the system to guide decision-making regarding national forest management, while the Norwegian government and ESRI promote it as a model for measurement reporting and verification (MRV) systems.

In 2015, I joined the global land analysis and discovery group within geographical sciences at the University of Maryland. Working with Professors Matthew Hansen and Peter Potapov, who are leaders in large-scale land cover change monitoring, was a truly educational and perspective-shifting experience. During this time, I earned a second degree in Computer Science. I also coordinated and published research in high-impact scientific journals on stratified random sampling-based approaches to mapping forest loss in Peru and Guyana. I helped build a sample interpretation system to map 30 years of deforestation in Indonesia. I began flying UAVs and passed my Part 107 UAS license exam to remotely operate a drone to collect and process lidar data in the forests of The Republic of Congo, Senegal and the United States. After many years of traveling to dozens of countries, mapping agricultural crop expansions in the USA, China and South America, I returned home to New Zealand.

I am always interested in hearing about different opportunities, so get in touch to discuss your project.

Ngā mihi,

Jeff