Manaia Pearmain-Fenton

Manaia Pearmain Fenton (Ngāti Hokopū, Ngāti Awa, Te Whakatōhea) is a behavioural ecologist based at Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka/University of Otago whose research intersects across applied conservation management and Indigenous environmental knowledge. Her work centres on taonga species and the relationships between people and place, combining Western ecological science with Kaupapa Māori methodologies. She is particularly interested in applied conservation, predator management, translocations, and how cultural values shape environmental decision-making. She currently sits on the Council for Te Aka Toro (the New Zealand Ecological Society).

Manaia has worked on population dynamics and dispersal in South Island robin (kakaruai), and is currently developing research exploring culturally grounded conservation approaches for tīeke (South Island saddleback) on Moutohorā (Whale Island). Alongside her research, she teaches in the Ecology Programme at Otago and supports the integration of Te Ao Māori perspectives into environmental science education. Her work aims to strengthen connections between communities and the ecosystems they care for.