Gidday, I’m Reuben. I’m a generalist ecologist with an absolute passion for anything flora or fauna. I was in the newspaper at age 4 as a budding entomologist and started my first unofficial company at age 8, “Wildlife Animals and Adventure”, which hired about half of my classmates and had them training hard at lunchtime for future missions to Borneo.

I have a Bachelor of Science majoring in Ecology and Plant Biotechnology from the University of Otago, following which I went straight into consent work as an ecologist for a large engineering and professional services consultancy. Working from the small Whanganui office for two field seasons, I worked on a very wide range of projects and learnt the skill of having to call on seniors from across the country to produce high quality deliverables. A quote from my previous manager - "Reuben has an ability to focus on the task at hand which is legendary and at times concerning".

I’ve since founded my own company and am quickly growing my reputation locally. I leverage the breadth of my professional experience with a notoriously outgoing nature to bring in relevant seniors for targeted involvement on many of my projects. I deliver value and efficiency through the correct implication of ecological standards and proactive communication.

I have been involved in a wide range of projects, working alone and in with a selection of phenomenal experts. Please contact me for my personal CV if you'd like a detailed list. I have experience in:

• Fish passage assessment, culvert design and culvert remediation;

• Stream Ecological Valuation (SEV) and stream offsetting using the SEV calculator;

• Fish survey and salvage, netting and electro fishing as well as fish exclusion barrier design and construction;

• Wetland delineation, planting/enhancement plans and offset design;

• Consents for multiple quarries including under the new rules allowing for loss of wetlands;

• Values and impact assessments using the EIANZ Guidelines and NPS-IB;

• 2+ seasons (including current involvement) in the SH3 Mt Messenger bypass implementing the lizard management plan and the ecology and landscape management plan;

• Lizard surveys and monitoring using artificial cover objects (ACO's), tracking tunnels, closed cell foam covers, manual searching and nocturnal spotlighting. I still prefer to work in with experienced seniors in this rather contentious space;

• Hotchstetters frog survey and salvage on the Brynderwyns SH1 roading project;

• Bird counts on most projects and as part of long term monitoring of the pest management area on the Mt Messenger Bypass;

• Pre clearance nest inspections;

• Native bat monitoring using hand held and automatic bat monitors (ABM's) and habitat risk assessment;

• Pest survey and management plan preparation;

• Site ecological values scoping and constraints/recommendations reporting;

• Extensive GIS mapping experience which forms the backbone of my reporting.

A jack of all trades and a master at collaborating with the right people to deliver exceptional work.

• BSC - Ecology and Plant Biotechnology

• DOC bat competencies 3.1, 3.2 & 3.3

• NIWA electro fishing machine safety training

• MPI Special Permit and Authorisation for native fish salvage and transfer

• MFE Certified pindone handler

• Outdoor first aid certified

• Offroad 4wd certified

• NZ Firearms and Class 1 drivers license

• Sitewise accredited 100% for 2024 / 25

• New Zealand Herpetological Society (NZHS)

• Society for Research on Amphibians and Reptiles in New Zealand (SRARNZ)