Charmaine Bailie (Te Uri o Hau - Ngati Whatua ki Kaipara) has been an inspirational ecologist, ethnobotanist and an active community leader for more than 20 years. Her voluntary work has had a demonstrable and profound impact on communities and the land. Charmaine led the establishment of Ōkahu Rākau nursery and restoration of Whenua Rangatira in Ōrākei. This is the largest urban, Māori-led restoration project in Aotearoa, and has become a template for others to learn from. An ecological lead working on the Ara Tūhono Pūhoi to Warkworth highway, Charmaine’s knowledge and influence has enriched 1.2 million trees planted along 18km of motorway. Working on Motutapu Island with Ngāi Tai Ki Tāmaki, Charmaine has helped establish a nursery, developed a kaitiaki team and plan for the planting of 120,000 natives on Hukanui Pā. Charmaine works with multiple Iwi and nursery programmes such as the Kaipara Moana Remediation, which aims to restore 20 million native plants.
