Duncan MacKay - Kaiako Te Ūpoko o Te Ika a Maui

Sleeping on the sand in his boardbag, surfing first-light-waves, catching breakfast then beach clean-ups epitomised Duncan’s love for the outdoors through recent years. Eventually landing in Raglan age 23 he began trapping for local community group Karioi Maunga ki te Moana Project. Duncan jumped at a chance to work in nature, especially after learning of the damage done to Aotearoa’s unique and fragile ecosystem in such a small amount of time post colonisation.

MacKay manages a small team of rangers who help run the multi-species predator control over 2300Ha on Mt Karioi. He recruits rangers from the Papa Taiao Earthcare programme he facilitates at Raglan Area School.

He soaks things up like a good potting mix and enjoys opportunities to pass on this knowledge to taiohi. Working for a social enterprise with a heavy community and environment focus is a dream come true. He loves knitting different parts of his surroundings together to produce an outcome that others may not have seen. Particularly in a town of millionaire’s second homes where some local young people regularly go to school without breakfast and lunch.

In his spare time Duncan is a keen gardener & permaculturist (thanks to his Grandad), now 32 he is blessed to be in the budding stages of his own restoration vision – replanting a three acre pasture block with natives and nut trees, planning to move onto it in a yurt this year in 2020. When you go to visit him, take your surfboard, your spade and be prepared for endless cups of tea.