Melanie Mark-Shadbolt

Melanie Mark-Shadbolt (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Porou, Te Arawa, Ngāti Raukawa, Rangitāne, Ngāti Rārua, MacIntosh, Gunn) is an Indigenous environmental leader working at the intersection of mātauranga Māori, environmental science and public policy.

She is CEO and co-founder of Te Tira Whakamātaki, a pan-Māori environmental and research charity, and home of Mātaki: the Māori Biosecurity Network and Hono: the Māori Emergency Management Network, Chair of the Better Border Biosecurity Collaboration Council, and Pou Whakahaere of the Natural Hazards and Resilience Platform. She was formerly Director Māori of New Zealand’s Biological Heritage National Science Challenge and Deputy Secretary Māori Rights and Interests at the Ministry for the Environment.

For almost two decades, Melanie has worked across science, government and community to advance Indigenous-led approaches to environmental protection, biosecurity, biodiversity and resilience. Her work focuses on strengthening Māori leadership in environmental research and decision-making, giving effect to Te Tiriti, and finding practical ways for mātaurangaMāori, science, policy and whānau, hapū and communities to collectively protect the places, knowledge and species that matter to them.

In 2026, Melanie was elected a Companion of the Royal Society Te Apārangi for her nationally significant contribution at the intersection of Indigenous knowledge systems, environmental science and science policy. She has won a number of awards for her environmental work, including being named the 2021 Westpac Women of Influence Public Policy winner for her work in biosecurity and advancing Māori rights.