Our Team

The Green Lab is a small organisation with a big heart. Our team is comprised of part-time staff and a whānau of skilled contractors. We are a registered charity with a governance board.

Operations Team

Bridget Allen

she/her, Tangata Tiriti
Director

Bridget has a background in contemporary fine art, with a Bachelor’s in Fine Art, majoring in sculpture, from Canterbury University in 2002. Her practice as an multi-media environmental artist has lead her to researching various forms of green sculpture, horticulture, landscape design, community development projects, and conservation efforts. Most recently, she has trained as a landscape architect at Lincoln University. She has lived for the majority of her life in Ōtautahi and has raised her tamariki there. She co-founded the New Brighton Stitch-O-Mat Charitable Trust, a community sewing room that sews projects for the local community.

When she has free time Bridget enjoys riding one of her many bikes, discovering new music and connecting with people and the community.

Katie Hallam

she/her, Tangata Tiriti
Communications Manager

Katie joined The Green Lab in 2021. She was involved with community and environmental activism before completing a BA Hons in Film and English Literature in 2007. She has skills in PR, website admin, social media coordination and graphic design, and has used them exclusively for non-profits, including The Conservation Volunteers (a charity working to connect people and green spaces), a child health charity and the magnificent YSP. In 2015, she came to Aotearoa with her whānau, became Communications Manager for CoCA Toi Moroki and opened her heart and mind to the creative and cultural landscape of a new country. Katie took a break in 2018-2021 to work as a gardener, develop a creative practice and take care of her young tamariki. Katie also works part time for her local Oxford Gallery and serves as a Volunteer Firefighter.

Kaela Metz

she/her, Tangata Tiriti
Accounts and Funding Coordinator

Kaela joined The Green Lab in early 2021 to contribute her skills and experience in finances and fundraising for non-profit organisations. Having worked and volunteered in community based groups like Youthline, The Women’s Centre and Project Lyttelton over the last 15 years, she has a real passion for wellbeing and ensuring that everyone has a voice and place within their community. Kaela was born and raised in sunny Tauranga, spent time living and working in Australia and has now called Ōtautahi home for 15 years. Aside from her mahi at The Green Lab, Kaela immerses herself in a creative practice of fine arts, finding joy and peace in designing and creating sustainable, colourful collage pieces.

Rik Livermore

they/them, Tangata Tiriti
Community Host

RikTheMost is a vegan, queer, non-binary, polyamorous spoken word artist and producer, who spends most of their spare time making homophobes feel uncomfortable. Originally from the UK – Rik has been commissioned by the BBC; toured internationally as a poet; represented Australia and Aotearoa on the world slam stage; is New Zealand Poetry Society’s Vice President and currently resides here on the prestigious “Exceptional Talent In The Arts Visa” where they run the biweekly online spoken word event and community “Your Place Events”

Outside of performing and creating shows – Rik facilitates all manner of beautiful community workshops and gatherings, including our regular Wednesday Writers group and Queer Games Night.

Our Board

Anna O'Sullivan

She/Her
Chair

Anna joined The Green Lab at the end of 2022 and this is her first governance role. Anna hopes that her skills as a landscape architect with almost 20 years worth of experience working within or along side the horticultural industry and general love of plants will be of use in this role. Currently Anna is a tutor at Lincoln University for the School of Landscape Architecture were she teaches into a number of courses with a focus on planting design.

Karen Long

she/her
Treasurer

Karen joined The Green Lab in March 2021 and was Chair from November 2021 to May 2023. She brings her extensive experience as a Chartered Accountant and is a plant enthusiast. This is Karen’s third governance role and she is excited to lead and grow the important mahi and kaupapa of the Board and The Green Lab. Originally from England, Karen has lived in Ōtautahi for the last decade with her husband and two small dogs. She enjoys relaxing with her family and friends when she isn’t working.

Kitty (Layling) Stanbury

she/her
Board Member

Layling joined TGL in 2021 to, in her words, “tell everyone to plant more native trees”! Born and raised in Ōtautahi, she has a BSc in Zoology, which fueled a passion for restoring native ecosystems. She is a committee member of Greening the Red Zone, and when she’s not doing it voluntarily, has the privilege of getting paid to plant native trees and kill invasive weeds. In her spare time she makes terrariums in bottles, which are for sale in understorey. Layling also supports Queer Games Nights every month. She is the most liberal feminist Christian she’s ever met, and is passionate about human rights for all minorities, especially her fellow queer peeps.