CHAIR

Vivien moved into the Styx catchment in 2019 and lives beside the river. She is a qualified accountant and enjoys walks on the beach and kayaking in her free time. Vivien is passionate about bringing back more native birds to the area and would like to have a positive impact on the health of the Styx river. She is also Treasurer for the Spencerville Residents Association and is a valuable link between the Trust and the Spencerville community.

TREASURER

Stephen joined the Trust as Treasurer in October 2024. With nine years’ experience in banking and eighteen years in machine finance, he brings a practical and steady hand to the Trust’s financial management. Stephen spent ten years playing club ice hockey and was involved in the governance of the sport in Christchurch. These days, he enjoys delving into history, working on knitting projects, and travelling when he can. He’s proud to support the Trust’s work caring for the ecological health of the Styx River, and values being part of a team dedicated to protecting this special part of Christchurch.

Jon has been a freshwater scientist for over 30 years, having undertaken research in New Zealand, USA, Singapore, Tonga and Nigeria. He has published seven books and over 150 scientific papers and reports. In both Singapore and Nigeria he helped produced the first keys to identifying freshwater invertebrates in those countries. Jon has focussed most of his research on the impacts of human activities on streams and rivers. He knows enough about lakes and wetlands to be dangerous! He has worked extensively on urban, agricultural and mining impacted systems. Jon has two doctorates (a PhD and a DSc) and he is a Professor Emeritus of the University of Canterbury. You can follow Jon on Twitter (jonharding333).

Johno Ridden is the Associate Curator Natural History at Canterbury Museum. He also serves on the New Zealand Entomology Society executive committee as the Membership Officer. He has a Bachelor of Science (Hon) with a major in Conservation and Ecology. He has a keen interest in Aotearoa New Zealand’s natural history, profiling and highlighting our unique flora and fauna. The group he is most interested in are the invertebrates. Johno is keen to contribute his knowledge and experience to conserve and promote the Styx River vision of being Living Laboratory. In his spare time, he will most likely be walking somewhere around Ōtautahi or the Waitaha Canterbury foothills with his wife and dog Namu the Springer Spaniel.

Sara is a former Christchurch City Councillor with a passion for our unique natural environment. She held Council's Climate Change Portfolio and led the Adaptation Working Group as Council approved its first Adaptation Plan in 2025. She has a wealth of governance experience, is a member of the Institute of Directors, and has worked with dozens of community groups to foster environmental and community outcomes over two decades. 

Weekends often find her out tramping in the mountains or Port Hills, or at planting events across the city. 

Kay was born and raised near the source of Pūharakekenui. She attended Papanui High School, University of Canterbury and Christchurch Teachers’ College, graduating with a BA (Geography, English) and Diploma of Secondary Teaching (English, Geography, Social Studies, Outdoor Education).

She returned home from an OE to teach at Rangiora High School. Management roles at Banks Peninsula District Council and Canterbury DHB followed. Kay is Founder and Managing Director of Help4U health navigation and advocacy service. She has an MBA (distinction) from UC and postgraduate certificates in HealthTech from MIT and Harvard Medical School. Kay now calls Kāinga home.

She leads the Kāinga Preservation Group, supporting Predator Free Kāinga and the Kāinga Creek Restoration Project.

Mark is a long-term resident in Casebrook and has been walking, nature-watching and generally enjoying the Pūharakekenui/Styx River environment from the upper reaches down to the coast for over two decades now. He is currently semi-retired but works part-time as an adjunct Senior Fellow at Te Kura Ngahere |New Zealand School of Forestry at the University of Canterbury. In the first half of his career, Mark  was a  forester and soil conservator.  He then chose the academic pathway, completed a PhD at Lincoln University, and taught agroforestry, silviculture and soil science at both Lincoln University and Te Kura Ngahere.

John has a Bachelor of Science in Geography and a Master's of Philosophy from Massey University. His studies have focused on our natural environment and people and place. John says, "My involvement with the Styx River was as a response from returning to Christchurch after living for many years in national parks in Australia. Noticing how Christchurch was rapidly pushing out into the country with urban growth, I thought it would be a good thing to be involved with conserving the Styx River in its natural state. It's not over yet, there is still plenty to do and to know that future generations, wildlife and the river will benefit from what is being accomplished."

SECRETARY

Piper lives in the catchment and loves exploring and running around the Styx. She is studying Law and Economics at the University of Canterbury and is particularly interested in resource management law. Piper has been working at the Ministry for the Environment as a Policy Analyst on the Emissions Trading Scheme and has a background in youth engagement. Her aspiration is to grow awareness and generate interest in the Styx River as an example of what urban waterways can be.

Nick Moody was the National Whitebait Fishery Manager at the Department of Conservation and is now on sabbatical exploring the great rivers of the Americas, fly-rod in hand. Nick grew up in Brooklands on the Styx River, joined the Styx Vision 2040 project in 1998, and loves working to restore the river on which he grew up. He previously worked at Environment Canterbury where he led catchment restoration projects by bringing together science and compliance. He was the ECan rep to the Trust for 6 years, as well as the ECan lead on the $4.2M Styx River Freshwater Improvement Fund project. He is a keen fly-fisherman, and a passionate advocate for both fish and public access to rivers.

Dale is General Manager at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve, which is an MOU partner of the Styx Living Laboratory Trust.

Dale moved to New Zealand in 2006 from South Africa. He studied mechanical engineering, but changed careers to work and focus on the family business. In his spare time Dale enjoys watching the kids' sports and running.

Jon has been a freshwater scientist for over 30 years, having undertaken research in New Zealand, USA, Singapore, Tonga and Nigeria. He has published seven books and over 150 scientific papers and reports. In both Singapore and Nigeria he helped produced the first keys to identifying freshwater invertebrates in those countries. Jon has focussed most of his research on the impacts of human activities on streams and rivers. He knows enough about lakes and wetlands to be dangerous! He has worked extensively on urban, agricultural and mining impacted systems. Jon has two doctorates (a PhD and a DSc) and he is a Professor Emeritus of the University of Canterbury. You can follow Jon on Twitter (jonharding333).

Dr. Gillian Lawson is an Associate Professor at Lincoln University in Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand, but originally from Australia. Her research interests are in landscape education, visualisation and public engagement in place-making in Australia, New Zealand and other Asia-Pacific countries, and on water and plants as catalysts for improving the adaptation of our cities to climate change. Her work has focused on the sociology of education, social practices in public/private open spaces, green infrastructure and waterfront communities in landscape planning and design. She has supervised a large cohort of PhD students to completion within these areas in Australia.

Leo has a background in Agricultural Science and recently retired from Environment Canterbury after 35 years working in various regulatory and non-regulatory roles. Most recently he worked with individual land-owners farming adjacent to sensitive rivers and lakes to research reasons for decline in water quality and actions needed to address, both on and off-farm. He is currently a member of the North Canterbury Rural Support Trust and working with MPI to help build resilience in rural communities. Leo and is married to Julie and they live in Harewood, close to the top end of the Pūharakekenui.

Johno Ridden is the Associate Curator Natural History at Canterbury Museum. He also serves on the New Zealand Entomology Society executive committee as the Membership Officer. He has a Bachelor of Science (Hon) with a major in Conservation and Ecology. He has a keen interest in Aotearoa New Zealand’s natural history, profiling and highlighting our unique flora and fauna. The group he is most interested in are the invertebrates. Johno is keen to contribute his knowledge and experience to conserve and promote the Styx River vision of being Living Laboratory. In his spare time, he will most likely be walking somewhere around Ōtautahi or the Waitaha Canterbury foothills with his wife and dog Namu the Springer Spaniel.