What are you doing now Ben?
I am studying toward a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Ecology and Zoology, at the University of Otago. I’m loving the course so far and I’m excited to see where it leads! I’m also enjoying getting involved with community groups around Dunedin. I hope that, through my course, I’ll gain the knowledge and skills to help advance understanding of the natural world and solve environmental issues. Wherever this path takes me I want to effectively communicate and engage with people for positive environmental, social, and cultural outcomes.
When did you become interested in environmental issues?
I’ve been passionate about the natural world since primary school at Paremata, an Enviroschool. My teacher, Rachel Hall, took a “Science Extension” group where I first became concerned with environmental issues and became fascinated with native bird and plant life. We designed a board game promoting conservation and established a lizard garden. By the age of seven, I wanted to become an ornithologist or biodiversity ranger!
What was the role of Enviroschools and Kāpiti College’s Eco Action Group in shaping who you are today?
I joined the Eco Action group as someone already deeply interested and concerned about the environment, but with little experience in creating environmental change. The group allows for everyone to feel empowered, through tangible actions such as planting and recycling, or campaigning on important issues.
Silver/ ponga Holistic Reflection at Kāpiti College.
What was the role of Enviroschools and Kāpiti College’s Eco Action Group in shaping who you are today?
I joined the Eco Action group as someone already deeply interested and concerned about the environment, but with little experience in creating environmental change. The group allows for everyone to feel empowered, through tangible actions such as planting and recycling, or campaigning on important issues.
I absolutely loved tackling restoration work in the community with groups such as Ngā Uruora Kāpiti and Guardians of Whareroa Farm. The smiles and stories shared during planting events, as well as the satisfaction of contributing to something bigger than yourself, make them a huge highlight.
A key focus of Eco Action, when I was part of the group, was climate action. Many of us helped organise School Strike events in Wellington and Kāpiti and our school supported everyone who wished to strike and drive political change. I’m so grateful to have been part of a school with student empowerment at its core, from senior management to groups such as Eco Action.
The Enviroschools Holistic Reflection was so valuable. All of the mahi on our sustainability up until that time was celebrated. We also identified next steps and areas that we felt we could improve on in the future, readying us to embark on the next stage of our journey. We could also see the Enviroschools principles demonstrated throughout the school, with strong roots in te ao Māori. These are exemplified in the development of the Parihaka mai ai values, an increased focus on sustainability and environmental issues beyond the Eco Action group and into the curriculum at all year levels.
Ben contributes to a planting programme at Orokonui Lagoon.
Practical work gives me more hope for the future and combats some environmental anxiety! – Ben Carson
— Ben Carson quote
What are your hopes for future Kāpiti College students and what advice would you give them?
I hope that future students of Kāpiti College understand how powerful they are in the world. There are so many opportunities available at Kāpiti College and so many staff willing to invest their time and energy into making sure that every single student gets the most out of their experience.
My advice would be to follow whatever is interesting, challenging or important to them. The fulfilment they can experience is unparalleled. My time at Kāpiti College was formative and rewarding, and I’m so grateful for those five years!
For the full story visit the Enviroschools website here.
You can also read other stories of student empowerment leading to leadership:
Ethan McCormick is a young man with passion and a vision for the future to eradicate rats, possums and stoats. Ethan’s journey of learning about native biodiversity and understanding about the impact of pests started as a 5-year-old and has since been nurtured by family and his involvement in the Enviroschools Programme at Howick College. This involvement helped open Ethan’s eyes to the raft of opportunities to take real world action and develop hands-on skills.
Alex Parker and Matthew Quot from Botany Downs Secondary College (BDSC) have received the Ros Nicholson Award for Native Ecology for their Enviroschools work in 2020. It is awarded to young people who have made outstanding contributions to native ecology conservation and management in the Howick Local Board area.
