About Us / Our Raptor Team

• Heidi Stook, Manager

   

  

  Originally a Wellington girl, but escaped the city on her motorbike to live at the beach and then explore the Bay of Plenty forests. She swims, she kayaks, she climbs mountains; safe to say she is Wingspan's action woman!
  
  Heidi has always had a love for wildlife and her past experience has included looking after New Zealand birds. It didn’t take her long to figure that falcons and hawks fly much better than kiwis! You could say she is now hooked on raptors, whether it's training them, talking about them, or watching them in the field.
  
  But looking back, Heidi was probably one of those kids who would draw on the walls as soon as she could hold a crayon in her hand. Now that she is all grown up, she’s still drawing on the walls - her artistic talent in the form of her ‘pet’ projects, and now no wall or window is safe at Wingspan from Heidi’s signwriting and koru murals.
  
  ‘Sign’ of a good thing at Wingspan; come visit, meet Heidi.

• Riba Greally, Raptor Assistant

   

  

  Riba essentially stumbled into the raptor world – she wasn’t bird of prey mad until she started working with them. After completing her Bachelor of Science majoring in Ecology and Biodiversity, she spent some time abroad working at various animal sanctuaries. She’s worked with wolves and bears, but it was the winged predators at an Irish bird of prey sanctuary that seeded a new passion. Kestrels, turkey vultures, white-tailed sea eagles…she was hooked!
  
  After returning home, Riba worked as a ranger for four years before finding her home at Wingspan. The ultimate energiser bunny, if she’s not out luring her bird, Riba can be found prepping food, or cleaning aviaries – she’s not afraid to get her hands dirty!
  
  Come meet Riba. Just don’t shake her hand.