Meet our crew
Harriet Spark
Cofounder
Harriet fell in love with the ocean while dive instructing on the Great Barrier Reef. Experiencing the beauty of the underwater world first-hand, and learning about the threats this ecosystem faces, led her to swap her fins and mask for a pencil and computer.
Harriet believes in conservation through creative communication. Harriet has worked in communications and design for some of Australia’s leading environmental organisations, including 1 Million Women and Taronga Conservation Society Australia, and now runs a boutique creative studio that works with people doing good stuff for us and the planet.
Dr. Alicia Lloyd
Cofounder
Alicia is a coral biologist who has recently traded in her lab coat and pipette to share stories of sustainable living in her local community.
As the marine scientist and sustainability advisor behind Operation Straw, Alicia is working on local solutions to global problems and building a community that fuses the local economy with the protection of the ocean and environment.
Keeping her science skills at the forefront, Alicia runs community workshops & events, write grants & reports and manages the data collection & dissemination.
Richard ‘Woody’ Spark
Chief of Logistics
Richard grew up in the U.K and didn’t get to experience the wonders of the ocean until his late teens. Since then he has become a hardcore ocean enthusiast.
Richard is mildly obsessed with jumping in the water with his camera at every available chance, and loves to capture the ocean and the people working hard to protect it.
Richard has a background in project management, and is in charge of all things practical and well, operational, for Operation Straw.
Lauren Shadbolt
Operations Coordinator
Lauren has been in love with the ocean since her birth on the small island nation of New Zealand and throughout her upbringing, she was always taught to be a 'tidy Kiwi'. She was late to the party when it came to exploring the beauty of the underwater world but since learning how to scuba dive it's even harder to get her out of the water than it was before!
Lauren was a volunteer participant at many of our events and has recently stepped into the role of event host and social media manager for Operation Straw so she can continue to be a 'tidy Kiwi' while she encourages others to join our community.
Matt Johnson
NSW Event Host
Matt started surfing at the age of 12 in Cornwall UK, where he gained a passion for spending time in the ocean, which led him to move to Australia. From previous surfing trips to Indonesia and seeing first hand the dreadful amounts of plastic and other rubbish in our oceans Matt became an active member of the strawkling squad.
As a Manly local, when the chance came to help run the strawkle events and spread the enjoyment of keeping the oceans clean with the local community he jumped at the chance.