Alanna Matamaru Smith is a Cook Islands based conservation biologist with over ten years of experience in biodiversity protection, environmental advocacy, and community-led conservation across the Cook Islands and Pacific. She holds a Master of Conservation Biology (Merit) from Victoria University of Wellington and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Environmental Management from the University of Otago.
Alanna has worked extensively with Te Ipukarea Society, the Cook Islands’ leading environmental NGO, most recently serving as Director from 2023 to present. In this role, she led national initiatives focused on biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, and sustainable development, while strengthening partnerships with communities, government agencies, and regional organisations. She has managed complex conservation projects, including the current Cook Islands Seabird Monitoring project and the Turtle Citizen Science Programme, integrating scientific research with culturally grounded stewardship.
Previously, as Deputy Director and Senior Project Manager, Alanna coordinated environmental media and outreach projects and facilitated community consultations on marine and terrestrial conservation issues. Earlier in her career, she represented the Te Ipukarea Society at regional and international forums including the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) Major Groups and Stakeholders Meeting and the United Nations International Seabed Authority, contributing Pacific perspectives to global ocean governance discussions.
Her experience also includes deep-sea research collaborations with the Ocean Discovery League and an internship at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa analysing deep-sea megafauna. Alanna is an active member of several IUCN specialist groups and the Global Deep Sea Consultation Scientific Committee, and has served as a Youth Member to the Sustainable Ocean Alliance.
A committed science communicator, Alanna uses documentary production and creative outreach to make conservation accessible and locally relevant. Her leadership has been recognised through awards including the Cook Islands Mana Tiaki Champion – Environmental Guardian and the Graeme Gibson Conservation Leadership Fellowship.
