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Nicola Toki

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Nicola Toki
Born
Nicola Jane Vallance

Invercargill, New Zealand
OccupationThreatened species ambassador
Known forConservation advocacy

Nicola Jane Toki (née Vallance) is a New Zealand conservationist. She has worked for the Department of Conservation as threatened species ambassador[1][2][3] and became chief executive of Forest & Bird in April 2022.[4]

Biography

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Toki was born in Invercargill, and spent much of her early years moving around the South Island to support her father's career as a ski-plane pilot.[5]

Toki studied at the University of Otago where she studied zoology and ecology, as well as a postgraduate diploma in natural history film-making.[6]

As of 2022, Toki lives in Waipara with her husband and son.[5]

Career

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After finishing university, Toki worked as a camera operator for Channel 9, held an internship at Otago Museum, and then worked at the Dunedin branch of the Department of Conservation.[6] She went on to work for the Department of Conservation as a media manager and for Forest & Bird as a conservation advocate.[7][8] Between 2015 and 2019, Toki worked as a Department of Conservation threatened species ambassador, where she advocated for New Zealand's threatened species.[9][10][11] After leaving that role, she was retained by the Department of Conservation as eastern South Island operations director.

In April 2022 Toki was appointed as Chief Executive of Forest & Bird, replacing Kevin Hague.[12] On her appointment, Toki said that she was looking forward to taking Forest & Bird (established in 1923) into its next century of operations, and wanted to work more closely with mana whenua.[6]

She helps present the weekly radio show Critter of the Week with Jesse Mulligan on Radio New Zealand and previously had regular appearances on TVNZ's Good Morning and Meet the Locals.[13][14]

Political and conservation views

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Toki has disagreed with previous New Zealand Government policy proposals to mine in national parks and other significant conservation areas previously off-limits to mining interests. While at Forest and Bird she advocated for the protection of New Zealand endemic species through the use of 1080,[15] and campaigned against intensive and large-scale dairy farming.[7][8]

Toki has said that she would like to see the Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister hold the conservation portfolio, because it is an area that does not receive much attention nor funding.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Meet Nicola Toki". www.doc.govt.nz. Archived from the original on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  2. ^ "DOC's champion for threatened wild creatures". Stuff. 23 November 2017. Archived from the original on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  3. ^ "Nicola Toki". Curious Minds, He Hihiri i te Mahara. 19 September 2018. Archived from the original on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  4. ^ Forest & Bird (21 January 2022). "Second Nature For New Chief Executive Of Forest & Bird". www.scoop.co.nz. Archived from the original on 25 January 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  5. ^ a b c Green, Kate (8 July 2022). "'Don't let anything else go the way of the moa': Nicola Toki is taking Forest & Bird back to its roots". Stuff. Archived from the original on 11 July 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  6. ^ a b c Trump, Eric (23 April 2022). "Toki leading Forest & Bird at 'critical time'". Otago Daily Times Online News. Archived from the original on 25 April 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  7. ^ a b Gilchrist, Shane (13 March 2010). "Her voice against the mines". Otago Daily Times Online News. Archived from the original on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  8. ^ a b Bond, Sophie. "Advocate Nicola Vallance Local Hero". Good. Archived from the original on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  9. ^ "Behind the scenes: biodiversity report". Newsroom. 8 May 2019. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  10. ^ Edwards, Jono (8 May 2018). "Telling the 'real story of New Zealand wildlife'". Otago Daily Times Online News. Archived from the original on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  11. ^ "'Biodiversity crisis': NZ has highest rate of endangered species on Earth". Newshub. 29 January 2018. Archived from the original on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  12. ^ Gifford, Adam (22 April 2022). "More room for Māori in Forest and Bird". Waatea News: Māori Radio Station. Archived from the original on 5 June 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  13. ^ "Critter of the Week". RNZ. Archived from the original on 21 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  14. ^ Gilchrist, Shane (6 September 2008). "Girl meets the locals next door". Otago Daily Times Online News. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  15. ^ Mullord, Ally (6 August 2011). "Report puts 1080 into perspective – Forest and Bird". Newshub. Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
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