Samantha Walmsley-Bartlett

Hello!

My Grandmother has created and cared for diverse home gardens her whole life. She's collected species and varieties from across Aotearoa, and when it comes to planting, the only rules she plays by are where the plant will thrive. It's a wonderland of diverse shapes, colours, smells, sizes and species. I am in awe of the magic and wonder of the natural world. I love bringing people together from across businesses to design systems and solutions that work with nature, not against it. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Management and an Honours Degree in Botany, industry experience as a sustainability manager in horticulture, and I am currently an Environmental Strategist for Circularity (a circular design and innovation partner) where I share insights, tools and approaches for people in business to build their capability to design and implement circular solutions themselves. I am the Chair of the Board of Sustainable Coastlines, an advisor to Croptide, (a start-up providing growers with tools to optimise water use), and a mentor for ArCubed (a start-up scaling Smart Bin technology that utilises artificial intelligence to eliminate contamination in bins and maximise recovery for reuse and recycling). I enjoy connecting people to solutions, to each other and to nature.

One policy change I’d like to see: compulsory Te Reo and Te Ao Māori in schools.

If I could choose one superpower: all urban land and developments would be an explosion of colour and plant diversity – with soil and top soil retained, natives and fruit trees replacing concrete and grass and rainwater capture systems installed to support tree health and survival. The presence of flora impacts happiness, connects people, and increases feelings of kindness and compassion – I want to live in a world that looks like that.