Journalist - Melanie Newfield

Passionate about Mars because:

I'm fascinated with the life forms that live in extreme environments and the possibility that there may be life somewhere on Mars. I'm also fascinated with the exploration of extreme environments and the logistics of what it takes to keep people alive and comfortable in such circumstances.

Any other relevant detail/s:

Melanie Newfield currently manages the Plants and Pathways Risk Assessment team at the Ministry for Primary Industries. Her main work in risk assessment has been assessing non-native species risks for plants and moths, and the risks associated with non-biological cargo such as shipping containers. She co-authored a risk analysis for Antarctica New Zealand's operations in the Ross Sea Region of Antarctica.

She has worked in a diverse range of environments, from the New Zealand back country, Niue, Mauritian offshore islands and Ross Island in Antarctica. She has experience in hygiene protocols for offshore islands and protected areas, invasive plant management, eradication and monitoring, teaching botany to senior managers and goat hunters, and working with a wide range of people from diverse backgrounds. Outside work, her skills include growing her own food, cooking from scratch (e.g. making bread by hand), waste mimisation and belly dancing.