Kathy Harford – Te Ati Haunui a Pāpārangi
Kathy is an experienced weaver who loves to share her mātauranga – knowledge and skills – with all, children and adults, making baskets that can be used in everyday life.
Field-Based STEM connects NZ teachers and students with a network of more than 50 specialist facilitators across Aotearoa.
Geologists, marine biologists, forensic scientists, astronomers, ecologists, educational psychologists, cultural educators, and mātauranga Māori practitioners work directly with students and teachers in the places where the learning lives.
Kathy is an experienced weaver who loves to share her mātauranga – knowledge and skills – with all, children and adults, making baskets that can be used in everyday life.
Rod is a former primary school teacher who embeds literacy, maths and science activities within outdoor conservation projects. Through hands-on experiences in the natural world he supports pupils to develop
Astrobiologist, planetarian, and analog Mars astronaut. Teaches planetary protection at UoA and astrobiology at VUW. Executive Director, NZ Astrobiology Network. Making space science real for NZ students.
Forensic scientist. 18 years Metropolitan Police, New Scotland Yard. 13 years NZ Police. King’s Honours recipient. Founder of Forensic Insight Ltd — NZ’s first authentic CSI school programme.
Astrophysicist and space science communicator. RNZAF pilot, former Director of Intelligence MPI, and Diplomat. Teaching critical thinking and leadership through space science in NZ schools.
NZ’s most recognised science communicator. MSc in animal ecology, Wageningen University. Thirty years on radio and TV as The Bugman, championing biodiversity and citizen science across Aotearoa.
Head of Science, Burnside Primary School, Ōtautahi. Teaches science exclusively Years 1 to 6. Prime Minister’s Science Teacher Award recipient. Hands-on inquiry-based science from the earliest years.
30+ years leading schools in Te Waipounamu. Specialist in Te Tiriti o Waitangi and culturally responsive practice. Supporting principals and boards to bring genuine bicultural practice to life.
Marine educator with extensive experience developing interactive marine education programmes for NZ schools. “Richard de Hamel’s knowledge and enthusiasm are incredibly contagious.”
Geologist and palaeontologist. 30+ years at GNS Science. Adjunct Professor, Victoria University of Wellington. International Ocean Discovery Programme leader. Specialist in climate change and making science accessible to every learner.
Sam Hampton is an earth scientist with over 15 years’ experience in teaching and learning. Sam uses his academic knowledge and adventures in the environments of New Zealand to encourage
Geologist and field scientist. Specialist in geology, rocks, and reading climate change through the landscape. Taking students into the field to understand the story the land tells.
Marine scientist and coastal educator. Doctoral-level expertise in coasts and estuaries. Field-based learning grounded in genuine scientific research, delivered directly to NZ students in authentic coastal environments.
Bruce is one of New Zealand’s leading geologists, paleontologists and marine ecologists. He is the go-to expert on the geology of northern New Zealand and the volcanoes of Auckland. He
Kaitiaki of Ngati Hamua hapū and Rangitane o Wairarapa. Trained by kaumātua in tikanga, taiao, and Wairarapa history. Connecting students and teachers to the stories the land holds.
Mātauranga Māori practitioner and weaving specialist. Connecting students to knowledge systems carried through making and doing. Specialist in raranga and traditional cultural practices grounded in place and community.
Educational psychologist specialising in learner engagement and learning barriers. Helping teachers identify the psycho-social factors shaping student learning and recreate successful field conditions in the classroom.
Beekeeper and pollination specialist. Ten years focused on bees following a career in entomology across NZ. Brings a live observation hive and hands-on beekeeping to every session.
Rachel Thompson, although primary trained, has worked in a variety of teaching roles for over 20 years. Her passion is in environmental education and in connecting tamariki with nature. As
Environmental educator and citizen science facilitator. Specialist in climate change education and nurture through nature approaches. Supporting students and teachers to engage meaningfully with the natural world.
Field-based educator and freshwater ecologist. Specialist in aquatic ecosystems and freshwater invertebrates. Bringing genuine ecological knowledge directly to students through authentic fieldwork in rivers and streams.
Environmental restoration specialist. Expertise in native plant restoration, riparian and wetland ecology, regenerative farming, and climate change resilience. Action research grounded in real places and genuine ecological outcomes.
Freshwater and conservation ecologist. Specialist in freshwater invertebrates, native fauna, and predator-free restoration. Active across Christchurch, Taupo, and beyond, connecting students with real ecological fieldwork.
Nature connection and environmental educator. Specialist across bugs, birds, freshwater, coastal, and native plant environments. Bringing children into genuine relationship with the natural world through direct outdoor experience.
Historian, conservationist, and community educator. Specialist in Aotearoa NZ history, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and local ecology. Connecting curriculum to the stories and landscapes that shape where students live.
Prime Minister’s Science Teacher Award and KUDOS Award recipient. Global educator from Abu Dhabi to Tokyo. His students have achieved nationally, internationally, and at the highest levels of public life.
Ciara is a freshwater ecologist with a deep-seated passion for the natural world and the great outdoors. Her expertise in New Zealand freshwater macroinvertebrates and native fish enables her to
As a lifelong learner, I am deeply passionate about weaving authentic learning contexts and experiences into educational programs, particularly within the digital realm.
Zoe is a geologist, editor, and science communicator. She has a wide range of teaching experience in the Earth sciences, including paleontology. Her research has focused mainly on structural geology
Phillip is the Tsunami Guy. He works with schools to raise understanding and awareness of our tsunami hazard through engaging classroom activities. He is on a mission to educate young
Sue is passionate about public art, and collaborates on outdoor murals, transforming graffitied spaces into vibrant, meaningful artworks.
Sandi is a dedicated horticulturist and educator who specialises in edible and medicinal plants.
Materials technology educator and workshop facilitator. Specialist in hands-on making, design, and materials across school and community contexts. Building capability through creative and practical field-based experiences.
Claire is a Design Technology and Inquiry specialist teacher at Spotswood College, based in Taranaki. She enjoys working with students around local environmental issues and tackling problems using the Design
Ingrid Anderson is a well known NZ textile designer and the owner of Ingrid Anderson textile design. She creates screen printed fabrics with an innate connection to local design, heritage
Abigail is a scientist passionate about sustainability. She has been involved in the management and protection of the environment. Through her freshwater ecology lens, she wants the fishes, bugs and
Debbie is a primary school teacher with many years’ experience across the year levels, specialising in gifted education. She also runs after-school science classes, focusing on fun hands-on learning to
Patricia has whakapapa connections to Ngāpuhi and grew up on a dairy farm in the South Hokianga. She had an environmentally centered upbringing which influenced her in pursuing tertiary education
Sharon is a West Coast-based geologist who has worked in the natural hazards and climate change adaptation space for the past decade. She is passionate about public science education, especially
Kia ora, I’m Shanthie – a primary trained teacher and environmental educator. I love sharing my enthusiasm for the natural world with students and teachers, learning and working with others
Tony Jones is the founder of Field-Based STEM and the developer of the Real World Ready methodology for AI-active schools in Aotearoa New Zealand.
He has 40 years of classroom experience across New Zealand and the United Kingdom, including roles as Deputy Principal for Curriculum, Head of Science, and Head of Physics. He is a Ministry of Education Accredited PLD Facilitator (Accreditation Number: ACC1342) and a Masters researcher at AcademyEX, where his research focuses on AI adoption in education and business networks, with peer trust as a central finding.
He is the founder and editor of aiEDnz, a free weekly newsletter for NZ teachers navigating AI in real classroom conditions, and runs AI Clinics with NZ small business owners.
Field-Based STEM has grown through principal-to-principal peer trust to a network of more than 50 specialist facilitators delivering authentic field experiences and professional learning across every region of Aotearoa.
Unlike scientific community programmes that are expensive and require lots of investment, field work is done by individuals and is accessible to anyone.
The skills gained during field work open up a huge area for everyone undertaking it.
Real World Ready is the methodology that makes those skills visible, assessable, and defensible in an AI-active classroom.
