In the second week of the holidays I was in Auckland for the July 2023 BLAKE Inspire Programme run by the Sir Peter Blake Trust.

This programme is all about environmental leadership and it taught me so much more than I was expecting. I came away with some incredible experiences and new friends all over the country, as well as new initiatives I am excited to introduce to the Columba community soon.

Some highlights of the week for me included visiting Rotoroa Island in the Hauraki Gulf, which is a predator free island, home to many native species including Takahē. On the boat trip back to Auckland, we were lucky enough to see a pod of around 40 dolphins! We also went kayaking along the Pūhoi River and on the final night had a policy simulation which brought together a lot of ideas around sustainability and economic interests in a political sense.

One of the main goals of the week was for each of us to create an Action Plan to take back to our schools or community. Something that I decided I wanted to implement at Columba is more education around the natural environment and resources available to us. As Middle School Prefect, I am hoping to introduce an environmental programme which will take place over four years for Year 7-10 students. This is to allow them to learn some of what I did during my time at BLAKE Inspire and to allow them to become more environmentally aware and appreciative of Dunedin’s natural resources.

This experience taught me so much about our natural environment and its significance to many communities, particularly Mātauranga Māori. I am so grateful for this opportunity and encourage students to apply in future.