Starting out washing dishes in Skyline’s restaurant as a youngster, Grant has previously managed gondola maintenance before leading the company’s national and international luge project development. He has been a director of the board since 1994.

Aside from witnessing the threat to native flora on Bob’s Peak, Grant has watched the scenery get “smothered” by wilding pines in Skippers Canyon, where he owns a holiday bach.

As co-chair of WCG, Grant is passionate about educating people on the threat wilding conifers pose to the environment. While acknowledging that it can be a controversial topic, Grant wants to focus on increased lobbying to central government – to highlight this as a national issue, not just a local problem.

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Dick joined the WCG in July, 2015 and now looks after communications and PR for the WCG. He is Chairman - Hubbard Foods Ltd and has been known to make a few breakfast cereals!

He now lives (very happily) in Queenstown. Dick says “I am very keen on environmental matters and the Wilding Pine problem personally is a very interesting (and important) one. What I like about it is the fact that it is a problem that can definitely be beaten with the right expertise and money.

However we are very close to the "Tipping Point" and therefore if a concerted effort is not made now the whole battle could be lost and lost forever within 10 years.

I am very interested in the outdoors and have been a keen tramper and mountain climber. However these days the biggest mountain I climb is Queenstown Hill!”

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Grant is a Queenstown based business consultant. He has a passion for New Zealand’s wild places based on 40 years of tramping, climbing and skiing.

His interest in wilding trees grew out of the rampant destruction that is clearly evident in the mountains surrounding Queenstown. “I couldn’t stand by and let this happen, I had to get involved”.

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Grant is the General Manager, Closeburn Station and has held this position for the past 11 years.

His academic qualifications gained include a NZ Trade Certificate Farm Management and Advanced National Certificate in Agriculture, specialising in farm and grassland management – Berkshire College, England. And his interests range from dog trials, rugby, travelling, horse racing.

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Geoff is the Operations Manager, Wakatipu - Pou Matarautaki, Wakatipu.

A former police officer, Geoff joined the Department of Conservation in July 2012 as National Compliance & Liaison Manager based in Wellington. Geoff came to the role of Operations Manager in December 2015, and has oversight of all of the Department's operations delivery in the Wakatipu Basin.

Prior to the Department Geoff worked in PricewaterhouseCoopers’ (PwC) Forensic Services Wellington practice and before there, a number of other New Zealand Government agencies. His first role out of Police was as head of corporate security for insurer AMP Society’s New Zealand operations.

Geoff has a Masters in Business Administration from Victoria University, Wellington.

Of Taranaki Iwi descent, born in Hawera, has moved south after 40 years working in the capital.

For Geoff, his Norwegian partner and their three children, tramping, biking, kayaking, Nordic skiing, feature high on their recreational pursuits.

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Tom is a member of the WCG Executive group. After a life of farming in Southland he retired to Frankton in 2012. 

In the wilding control efforts and Tom was asked last year to come on to the executive to help with establishing the Adopt a Plot program.

He has holidayed at Frankton since the mid 1950's and love the lake and mountain scenery. Tom enjoys the outdoors skiing ,boating, 4WD'ing, tramping and cutting down wildings!

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Briana is the Parks and Reserves Officer at Queenstown Lakes District Council, Manager of the WCG.

With a Bachelor of Forestry Science (BForSc) from  Canterbury University. She has worked for Forestry Companies in Central North Island, before heading back to the mainland!

Based in Queenstown over 8 years her interests include walking/hiking in and around Queenstown, boating, camping and biking.

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