History section
Matt Poole – Community Connector
Matt Poole is the Community Connector for the Kānuka Mid Canterbury Restoration Trust. A proud father of three tamariki and a New Zealand Scouts leader for 5 to 8-year-olds, Matt is passionate about connecting people, communities, and nature.
A lifelong outdoor enthusiast, Matt has a deep appreciation for the native landscapes of Aotearoa New Zealand. His commitment to environmental stewardship extends beyond his professional role, with hands-on experience in native planting, pest control, tramping, and hunting throughout New Zealand’s backcountry. These experiences have shaped his practical approach to conservation and community engagement.
Matt brings an authentic Kiwi perspective and a wealth of real-world experience to the Trust’s Exploring Our Footprint programme. He is passionate about inspiring young people to connect with the natural environment and understand the positive impact they can have on the world around them.
Matt looks forward to working with schools, building on the fantastic foundations established by Kim and the Kānuka Trust team, and supporting students and teachers as they continue their environmental learning journey.
Current Board Members
Chantelle Quinn – Chair
Chantelle Quinn – Chair
Chantelle is a Mid Canterbury business owner, community advocate and proud Chair of Kānuka Mid Canterbury Regeneration Trust.
With a background in hospitality and business ownership, Chantelle now spends much of her time involved in governance and community work, currently serving on three local boards.
What she loves most about Kānuka is seeing young people get outside, get their hands dirty and learn about the environment right here in their own backyard. She believes real change happens when we connect people, schools, businesses and community groups and simply get on with making things happen.
As Chair, Chantelle loves being part of an organisation that combines education, environmental restoration and community action, while giving young people the opportunity to be involved in something that will make a difference for generations to come.
“I absolutely love seeing our young people realise they can make a difference.”
Angela Cushnie
Growing up in rural Mid Canterbury has instilled in Angela a strong sense of pride in her community. Through sport, her career, and family activities, she has come to appreciate the importance of strong and vibrant communities.
Over the decades, topics such as water quality, biodiversity, and our natural landscape have increasingly become areas of focus as awareness and curiosity about these important issues have grown.
One of the questions most often asked by people looking to undertake a biodiversity enhancement project is, “Where do I start?” This was one of Angela’s key motivations for establishing the Kānuka Trust in 2018.
Exploring sustainability and our environmental footprint was not something commonly discussed when Angela attended Hinds School. However, through the development and growth of the Kānuka Trust’s Exploring Our Footprint education programme, she has enjoyed watching teachers, students, and communities learn about their natural environment and, in turn, share that knowledge with others.
A particular passion of Angela’s is encouraging strong leadership that will help shape and influence the kaitiaki (guardianship of our land and water) legacy that this generation leaves for our children and grandchildren.
Tania Paddock
Tania Paddock is an Ashburton local, having grown up on a sheep and deer farm near Hinds. Since leaving university, she has worked as a lawyer in Christchurch, London and Ashburton, specialising in property, agribusiness and resource management law.
Tania believes Mid Canterbury is a special and unique place. She is excited to be involved with a community-led trust whose focus is to work with a range of stakeholders to protect and enhance the Mid Canterbury district for present and future generations. In doing so, she considers the Trust fills an important gap by providing a collaborative approach to community projects, education and conservation for the benefit of the District.
Martin Laas
Being a beekeeper has fostered a strong interest in how insects interact within the environment. In addition, working within the arable industry and providing pollination services has further strengthened this interest by highlighting how these interactions contribute to the economics of agricultural production.
Martin studied Zoology and Genetics at the University of Otago and works in the Research Office for Midlands Seed.
His role focuses on understanding bee health, where biodiversity within the environment plays a key role. Martin also works on understanding the impact of pest insects in crops, including how changes to the environment can influence pest populations and their effects on crop production.
Martin has recently joined the Trust and is looking forward to bringing knowledge about insects and their interactions to a wider audience.
Megan Hands
