Author: Veiva

Today we got to explore the Te Papa museum, one of New Zealand’s most prized landmarks. The museum was incredible as it encompassed so many areas including art, history and nature. There were a couple exhibits in the museum focused on sustainability. One cool one was the futuristic city model, where innovative ideas such as…

Getting the chance to visit the Sustainability Trust in Wellington today was a very cool and unique experience. I had no idea that there were companies that tackled so many different aspects of sustainability, from recycling waste to raising awareness to hosting repair events. What I enjoyed hearing about the most was how they combined…

Today we met with various individuals from different universities to discuss sustainable architecture and sustainable cities. My favorite part of the day was learning about the design and building of various areas on Cuba Street. There is a lot more that goes into city planning than I thought! Everything from art, safety, accessibility, and sustainability….

Today we got to speak with members of Tourism Industry Aotearoa. The most unique aspect of this business was their focus on regenerative tourism. This is one step up from sustainable tourism. This means that their goals are not only to ensure that tourism is not harming the planet, but also ensure that New Zealand…

Today we toured Victoria University in Wellington. Though Whittier College is a very small campus compared to this university, there are still a lot of initiatives that Victoria University is doing that we could learn from. For example, the worm compost and glass milk cartons are both exciting new projects. I found it interesting that…

Today we toured a very interesting geological location known as Waimangu Valley. It is home to many hot springs and geysers as a result of a volcanic eruption in 1886. Although this site could be used for geothermal energy production, the land is kept safe from developments of this nature. This may seem like a…

Today we talked with sustainability manager Peter Longdill at Sanford Fishing Company, the largest fishery in New Zealand. One of the most interesting things to hear was how their auctioning worked. I’ve never heard of an auction that starts high and goes low. This is a sustainable practice as it ensures that reasonable prices are…

Today we did a bunch of cool stuff in Waiheke island. First we planted native trees to help restore the forest that was lost due to farmland. For those of you that didn’t notice the sign, look at what the forest we were in used to look like. I can’t believe the difference! It’s great…

Today we visited Sky City Hotel in Auckland where we got to meet Anthony, their sustainability manager. One of the things I liked most about this trip was seeing that even large corporations with a focus on entertainment can have a big role in sustainability. Caring about the environment is not just a small hippie…

Hi everyone, I’m Veiva and I’m graduating this semester with computer science and physics degrees. I like to play piano, do gymnastics, and explore new places. I am most excited to see the shire when we’re in New Zealand! Here’s a picture of me