Working With Nature, Leading With Heart
Working With Nature, Leading With Heart
From Vet Science to Living Roofs: Resilience, Mentorship and Purpose in Environmental Consulting
From Vet Science to Living Roofs: Resilience, Mentorship and Purpose in Environmental Consulting
Linda is a water quality specialist known for her warmth, wit and unwavering commitment to people and planet. At PDP, she brings decades of experience bridging science and community, restoring waterways, leading nature-based stormwater solutions, and mentoring the next generation. Her journey spans continents, communities and challenges, always grounded in a clear purpose: making a difference and supporting people.
From South Africa to Aotearoa
Growing up in South Africa, Linda dreamed of becoming a vet. “I was obsessed with animals,” she laughs. She was accepted into a science program and studied biology, chemistry, physics, and maths, all with the goal of getting into veterinary school. In her second year, she was finally accepted into the highly competitive veterinary science programme, one of only a few women selected nationwide.
But a dismissive comment from a professor left a lasting impact. “He looked me up and down and said, ‘You’re too small. We need people who can handle cattle.’ I still remember those words,” she recalls. The experience shook her confidence and led her to walk away from the dream she had chased for years. “I’ve always regretted letting one person put me off,” she says. “But at the same time, it pushed me in a direction I’ve come to love.”
She pivoted into environmental science, combining her love for biology and chemistry with a growing interest in how the wider environment supports both animals and people. She began to see that protecting habitats, water quality, and ecosystems could have a broader and more lasting impact on community wellbeing and the natural world. It wasn’t the obvious path, but it became the right one.
Her early career in South Africa was shaped by male-dominated workplaces and challenging field conditions. She tells one unforgettable story: while collecting water samples near an informal settlement known as a squatter camp, her team was attacked by a group of men with knives attempting to hijack their car. “We had to finish the project with an armed guard beside us,” she recalls.
“He sat next to me with an AK-47 pointed at my feet the whole time. Every bump we hit, I prayed the safety catch was on.
The settlement itself was heartbreaking. With no sanitation, makeshift homes, and extreme poverty, the river was polluted by raw sewage and debris. “We even saw rolled-up carpets and worried what might be inside. It was confronting,” she says.
“You want to help, but the scale of poverty is overwhelming. That experience stayed with me.
Starting Over and Thriving
Adjusting to life in New Zealand brought unexpected challenges and a few laughs. Linda remembers her first project on the Whau River and spending far too long looking for something called the Faux River “No one explained that in Māori, W-H is pronounced ‘f’,” she laughs. She was also baffled when engineers casually said they would whack in a Waratah. “I thought they were talking about a rugby player, not a metal fence post.”
Even her daughters, now long-settled, still reveal their South African roots. “They’ve got full Kiwi accents, but ask them to say ‘off’, that one word gives it away every time.”
Despite the cultural curveballs, Linda brought her same spirit of curiosity and humour to settling in as she did to her technical work.
Years later, Linda and her husband moved their family to New Zealand to create more opportunity for their daughters. It meant starting over professionally, rebuilding her network and reintroducing herself in a new system. “It felt like being a graduate again,” she says. “You have to put yourself out there.”
Over time, her fieldwork experience, people skills and persistence became assets across a wide range of projects. “Rebuilding my career here taught me so much. It reminded me why I love this work.”
Nature-Based Solutions and Environmental Sleuthing
Linda lights up when she talks about living roofs, green infrastructure planted on bus shelters and buildings. “It treats stormwater, supports biodiversity, cools the city, and just looks better,” she says. Her team worked with schools and communities to bring these to life. “Seeing bees land on wildflowers in the city, that’s the kind of impact I love.”
She also thrives on environmental detective work. In one project, she helped an industrial client trace unexplained zinc levels to a hidden drain. “It was like solving a mystery. You’re crawling under pipes with a flashlight, chasing clues. When you find it and fix it, that’s the buzz.”
Facing Bias, Building Strength
Linda’s career wasn’t without challenges, especially early on as one of the few women in male-dominated engineering and environmental science spaces. She recalls being treated as support staff on site visits, expected to pour tea or take notes in meetings simply because she was the only woman in the room. Once, while being introduced as the stormwater expert, a contractor smirked and asked, “Did you bring your bikini?”
“I’ve always used humour to defuse situations like that,” she says. “I just laughed and said, ‘Far too cold, I left it at home.’”
But behind the wit was a strategy: stay focused, do excellent work, and earn respect through results. “You won’t change everyone’s mindset, but you can show them how good you are.” That approach has shaped the way she mentors others, especially younger women navigating similar dynamics.
“I want them to feel supported in a way I didn’t always have,” she says. “And I want them to know they belong.”
People First: Leadership, Mentorship and Humour
One of Linda’s most important lessons from years in the field is not to assume your knowledge is universal. “Sometimes I think, surely everyone knows this. But they don’t, and that’s okay. That’s why we share, teach, and support each other.”
For Linda, great consulting is about people. Whether mentoring graduates or building trust with clients, she leads with empathy, humour and clarity. “Sometimes the most important thing is knowing how to talk to different people in different ways,” she says.
She’s known for her catchphrase, “Geez Louise,” and her ability to keep things light under pressure. “You need a sense of humour in this work. If you’re not laughing, you’re crying.”
Mentorship is a big part of her role. “There’s nothing better than seeing someone younger nail a project they were nervous about.
“Helping someone believe in themselves. That is the best part of the job.
Evolving Technology, Enduring Values
The field has changed since Linda began, from hand-drawn maps to GIS, Python coding, and eDNA water testing. But what hasn’t changed is her focus on meaningful impact.
“I get to help people, clients, colleagues, communities, solve problems and do the right thing for the environment. That’s what keeps me going.”
Her advice to the next generation? “Say yes, even if you’re scared. Try things, fail, learn, and surround yourself with good people. You’re never done learning.”
Linda’s story reminds us that purpose, persistence and empathy go a long way. And even in stormwater science, a bit of humour can make all the difference.
“Just keep learning, stay open, and say yes. You never know where it might lead.”