Zara Koorey

Environmental Scientist and Ecologist with a Master's Degree in Conservation Biology and a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and Biology. Proven expertise in conducting ecological assessments and implementing conservation strategies. Strong analytical skills with a focus on data-driven decision making and environmental impact analysis. Committed to advancing sustainable practices and enhancing biodiversity through research and collaboration.

Recipient of the Tangiwai Excellence Scholarship, 2020

• Invasive Species Eradication Volunteer, Argentine Ant Eradication - Ahuahu, Great Mercury Island, Great Mercury Island, NZ, 2024, Great Mercury Island is a pest-free, isolated Island in the Coromandel. I volunteered to help continue the yearly eradication program. This role included baiting and collecting data on insect populations. Informing stakeholders on the success of the program and accessing the effectiveness for future eradication.
• Marine Educator and Snorkel Guide, Mountains to Sea, Wellington, NZ, 2022-2023, Focused on connecting people with nature and building understanding and appreciation for the environment through science. My role included guiding school groups through marine reserves, snorkeling as well as teaching the community about the marine environment and what can be done to protect it.
• Youth Mental Health support worker, The Peer Tree - Kites Trust, Wellington, NZ, 2022, The Peer Tree is a community of young adults that are dedicated to helping vulnerable young people navigate their well-being. We listen and help young people struggling with mental health express themselves.
• Member of CORE Psychology Group, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, NZ, 2022, CORE is an education focused group of postgraduate psychology students and university/professional guest researchers who share findings based on what they may be currently working on. We collaborated and discussed how to improve research techniques, including new and exciting discoveries in neuroscience.

• Victoria University CBNS Psychology Lab - Research Assistant, 2022, I was a part of the Cognitive Behavioral Neuroscience Lab which was based around an ongoing project that was investigating dorsal medial prefrontal cortex damage in people who have sustained tumors to this area. This role involved interacting and conducting scientific interviews and tasks on healthy participants, who were then be compared to patients with damage to the prefrontal cortex.
• Marine Invertebrate data collection - Non-Commercially Targeted, 2023, Post-graduate research that involved collecting and reporting data on non-commercially targeted invertebrate species within and outside the Te Angiangi Marine Reserve (Hawkes Bay, New Zealand). Research provided data on the health and effectiveness of the reserve for DoC records. Tools Used: Jamovi and R-Studio statistics programs.