Our Team
The LFTL team brings together a sharp mix of local knowledge, environmental expertise, and hands-on community experience. Led by Tania Swift, the team supports groups across Tairāwhiti to plan, fund, and deliver projects that strengthen whenua and wai. They’re backed by a dedicated Steering Group who provide governance, guidance, and accountability, ensuring every initiative is grounded in the needs and aspirations of our communities. Together, they help turn good ideas into practical action, keeping momentum and clarity across the wider kaupapa.
Tania Swift - Project Manager
I live in Tairāwhiti and feel a deep connection to our landscapes, people, and communities.
I’m proud to be the Project Manager for Leading from the Land – Tairāwhiti, supporting local catchment groups and rural communities to strengthen their capability and deliver meaningful environmental outcomes for te taiao.
Professionally, I bring more than 18 years’ experience in environmental management, community development, and government partnerships. My background includes senior roles with the Ministry for the Environment, Gisborne District Council, and the Department of Conservation — spanning programme leadership, funding and grants management, and inter-agency collaboration across Aotearoa.
During my time at the Ministry for the Environment, I led national investment rounds under the Freshwater Improvement Fund and supported the development of the Public Waterways and Ecosystem Restoration Fund, along with MfE’s online grants management system. My work has enabled restoration projects from Southland to Tairāwhiti, supporting local employment, native planting, and catchment resilience.
I’m passionate about empowering communities to lead their own environmental action — connecting people, place, and purpose to restore the health and mauri of our whenua and waterways for generations to come.
Hamish Johnson - Communications Lead
Working at a community level to help te taiao regenerate and thrive is hugely fulfilling mahi and I feel privileged to have this opportunity with Leading from the Land.
I grew up on a farm and watched as my parents experimented and worked with the whenua to a point where they were one of the first regenerative farms around, before the word regenerative was a thing.
Professionally I spent 10 years working as an outdoor guide before embarking on a 15 year journey founding and growing a Communications Agency in Wellington where the founding principle was to do work that made the world a better place. I was lucky enough to work with a number of community led initiatives including Capital Kiwi Predator Free Miramar and Predator Free Wellington and saw first hand the power and impact community’s can have when they join together with a common goal.
A move to Tairāwhiti in 2020 has allowed me to bring my skills, knowledge and enthusiasm into the community and te taiao space.
Ami Hokaianga - Secretariat Support
Kia ora, ko Ami Hokianga tōku ingoa.
He uri ahau no Rongowhakaata me Ngāti Porou.
My experience with Te Taiao is guided by kaitiaki and a deep appreciation for our Taiao. I am committed to ensuring our whenua is thriving for our tamariki and future generations who will inherit it.
I’m proud to be part of Leading from the Land- Tairāwhiti, supporting local catchment groups and rural communities across Te Tairāwhiti.
Professionally, I have held roles across executive and governance support to Trustees, Board members, and operational leadership. I bring experience in organisational coordination, governance administration, and executive-level support that strengthens both strategic oversight and day-to-day functions
I look forward to contributing to the board’s vision and the ongoing mahi to enhance the health and wellbeing of our catchments.
Laura Watson - Community Coordinator
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.
