Melanie manages the marketing, communications, partnerships and technology functions of the Trust. Her background is in corporate communications and sponsorship and it was as the head of the sponsorship team at Meridian Energy, at the time the Trust’s major sponsor, that she first started working with Project Crimson. She was so inspired by the Trust’s work that she switched sides and spent ten years working with not-for-profit clients (including Project Crimson) in the communications and partnership space. She is now full-time with Project Crimson.

Mel has worked on a number of Project Crimson programmes, including Living Legends, TREEmendous and was instrumental in the establishment of Trees That Count. She enjoys working with our partners to help them deliver upon their sustainability goals, and loves seeing our campaigns come to life.

Melanie grew up in Arrowtown where not a pōhutukawa was in sight but introduced oaks, sycamores, cork elms and ashes created a beautiful autumnal display. Lots of time as a child spent in the nearby Rees and Greenstone Valleys created a lifelong love of New Zealand native trees, particularly beech forest – but of course also southern rātā.

Melanie now lives in Wellington with her young family, surrounded by northern rātā trees. “I find it so inspiring to know that the work I am doing for Project Crimson will make a real difference to the environment that my kids and their family will grow up in, hopefully with an even more crimson coastline around them!”