During this environmental week, we had the privilege to hear from two girls who were eager to make us awareness of the importance of taking care of our environment.
The first speaker was Ishie from One Tree Hill College, who amazed us with her moving slam poem. Through her powerful speech, she was able to inspire us and stir us from our nonchalant attitudes towards improving our environment. Her words, ‘Do not be afraid to be the first to change’ rings true to us all.
The second speaker was Nina Santos (pictured above) from Auckland Girls’ Grammar School. This vivacious and charismatic speaker was part of the Young Blake Expedition, a two week trip where 14 individuals were taken to the Sub-Antarctic islands to study climate change. Like Ishie, she was able to inspire us to act upon our role as caretakers of our environment. She explained to us how interesting it was for her to study soil, seaweed and plankton, which surprisingly caught all of our attention.
Overall, these two amazing speakers allowed us to realise that now is the time to change our world and that every single one of us has a part to play. They allowed us to realise that our part begins with improving and caring for our environment, which we so often take for granted.
Angelika Bilbao