Mike Thorsen
Principal Ecologist | Director
Ōtepoti Dunedin📍
Mike joined the Whirika team in 2019, bringing over three decades of hands-on conservation expertise from Aotearoa and beyond. As a conservation biologist and spatial ecologist, Mike has dedicated his career to protecting and restoring some of the world’s rarest birds, plants, and ecosystems - from New Zealand’s unique landscapes to remote islands in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
Mike combines deep scientific knowledge with practical experience in rare species management, pest and weed control, biodiversity offsets, and large-scale restoration. He is highly skilled in spatial ecology and GIS, using big data to guide effective, on-the-ground conservation action.
Mike’s work is grounded in collaboration - passionate about helping others see the unseen opportunities for nature to thrive. He’s a big-picture thinker driven by innovation, blue-sky ideas, and a belief that creative, pragmatic solutions can create meaningful environmental change.
His contributions span a wide range of projects, including: integrating biodiversity, social, and iwi values into climate resilience planning for lowland rivers with Hawke’s Bay Regional Council; designing biodiversity offsets for OceanaGold using innovative restoration methods; developing riparian prioritisation models for the Halo Project’s Source to Sea programme; and exploring nature-based solutions for flood-prone communities like Westport.
Mike is also a founder of the Endangered Species Foundation of New Zealand, where he continues to contribute as a Trustee.
Outside of work, Mike loves being with his family, riding his mountain bike, and all-things rare native plants – capturing them through photography whenever he can.
Qualifications:
PhD Seed Ecology in NZ (Otago, 2010)
Get In Touch!
mike.thorsen@whirika.co.nz
027-350-0175