In our 2023 newsletter, alumna Elena Piere (Class of 2008) shared her "pivotal decision" to pivot from a globetrotting career in outdoor education to studying Sustainable Business at the University of Otago. At the time, she encouraged our current students to "not be afraid to take on new adventures."

Today, we are thrilled to share that Elena has done exactly that—and the results are making a national impact.

Now a PhD candidate at the University of Otago, Elena recently made headlines in the Otago Daily Times and University news for the launch of her "Waste Less, Care More" toolkit.

Building on the passion for the environment she discovered during her Commerce degree, Elena has spent the last few years researching food waste in aged-care facilities. Her work is far from just theoretical; she partnered with 14 care homes to implement practical, "low-tech" changes—like offering flexible portion sizes and using visual menus.

The results of Elena’s pilot program are staggering. By listening to residents and staff, the participating facilities saw:

• An average 25% reduction in food waste.

• 13.6 tonnes of food diverted from landfills in just nine months.

• The equivalent of preventing 77,000 meat pies from being wasted!

Many of you will remember from Elena’s previous update that her husband, Mr. Daniel Bleckinger, is a familiar face around the Otago Girls’ campus. While Daniel is an incredible support to our students here at school, Elena is proving that the values of resilience and creativity she once taught in the outdoors are just as effective when applied to the climate crisis.

Elena’s journey from Fox Glacier to the University labs serves as a brilliant reminder to our community: follow your passion, work hard for those scholarships, and never stop looking for ways to "care more."

"Nothing in there is groundbreaking... it’s just been having somebody spend the time to look at the system, to hear what people are saying, and recognize the areas where change could be achieved." — Elena Piere, as told to the ODT.

Read more about Elena’s toolkit and her mission to reduce Aotearoa’s carbon footprint here: Waste Less, Care More toolkit launches.