Welcome to the team - Laura Watson

Welcome aboard the LFTL waka Laura Watson!

LFTL is stoked to introduce the first of our Environmental Community Coordinators to the team, as we begin to build our service offerings for Tairāwhiti’s local groups.

Laura will be working as a point of contact for any local taiao groups, providing advice and support around grant applications and how LFTL can best support them.

Here’s a few words we got from Laura as way of introduction.

“Joining the Leading from the Land team as an Environmental Community Co-ordinator allows me to combine my love for the environment with my commitment to education, sustainability, and community collaboration—helping to build more resilient, nature-connected landscapes for generations to come.

I am a fourth-generation sheep and beef farmer with a passion for environmental restoration, supported by 13 years of land management experience. For the past six years, I have worked as the Project Manager for the Waimatā Catchment Restoration Project, and I also work as the local facilitator for Trees for Survival. Alongside our two young boys, my husband and I have been restoring our farm’s native bush, wetlands, and waterways through fencing, native planting, and predator control to help regenerate healthy native ecosystems.

I enjoy working closely with landowners and their whānau, bringing practical experience to native restoration and catchment management. I look forward to supporting local community groups across Te Tairāwhiti.”