Melanie (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Porou, Te Arawa, Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Whakatohea, Rangitane, MacIntosh, Gunn) is an indigenous environmental advocate who specialises in understanding and applying mātauranga Māori to biosecurity and biodiversity issues. She has a specific interest in decolonising ideologies of conservation and restoration to address injustices and harm caused to indigenous peoples and our planet.

Melanie is the Chief Executive of Te Tira Whakamātaki, a Māori environmental not-for-profit and recently returned as the Kaihautū Ngātahi – Co-Director Māori to the Biological Heritage National Science Challenge. She provides governance, direction and support to several boards and groups including the Resilience to Nature’s Challenges National Science Challenge, Trees That Count Board, and Better Border Biosecurity Collaboration Council.

Melanie was the former Deputy Secretary Tūmatakōkiri (Māori Rights and Interest) for the Ministry for the Environment. While at the Ministry she was named the NZ Public Policy Westpac Women of Influence (2021), and her team was named the 2021 Diversity Works - Mātauranga Māori Award winners. Alongside her TTW team she has won several biosecurity awards including the inaugural Dave Galloway Innovation Award 2016, the inaugural Māori Biosecurity Award 2017, and Biosecurity Science Excellence Awards in 2018, 2019, and 2022.