From the 18-24th of April I had the honour of attending the 2017 Youth Enviro-Leaders Forum run by the Sir Peter Blake Trust. 

The purpose of the week was to take young people from around New Zealand and the Pacific Islands who have a passion for the environment and an interest in leadership, and extend their knowledge and give them confidence and experience. They then take back into their communities a desire to influence and make changes to help the environment.

I believe that the organisers achieved this in every way and additionally I made some friendships as strong as Harakeke which I am so grateful for. Every moment of this action packed week was inspiring, fascinating and fun and I have returned from it eager to take my new knowledge and apply it at home, in school and in the wider community to help make the changes that we need to move into a sustainable future. The Forum was held in Auckland where we sixty delegates were lucky enough to see the  beautiful scenery of the area,  including Rangitoto, Rotorua Island, and the Goat Island Marine Reserve.

We were also treated to experiences with the NZ Navy at their base in Auckland, and visited the lab facilities at Auckland University -  where we learnt about the harmful effects of microplastics on our marine ecosystems. We were  welcomed by the wonderful hosts at Orakei Marae for a morning of learning about the tribe’s history and how they are leaders in sustainable living. We were treated to a visit to Rotorua Island, a pest free island where we cleaned up four beaches, listened to talks from two inspiring experts on marine life and topped it all off with a swim in the beautiful clear water facing the Coromandel.

We were also lucky enough to visit Goat Island where we learned about the process of establishing a marine reserve, the dynamics of marine life and their movements through marine reserves and also the epic snorkelling expedition across the reef. We heard from inspiring leaders in environmental journalism, scientists, workers at the Ministry for the Environment and environmental photographers leading the world in 3D videography.

This truly incredible experience has opened up my eyes to the world of possibility in my passion for the environment and ensuring a sustainable future for our oceans, our country and our planet.

Isobel Backhouse

Year 13