Nelson youth inspired by young environmental leaders programme

Fifteen-year-old Nelson Youth Councillor Sophie Weenink-Smith has returned from the BLAKE Inspire programme ready to put into practice what she has learnt.

The Year-10 Nelson College for Girls student was selected from hundreds of people to attend the programme for “young environmental leaders who want to make a difference” held in Waikato recently.

“It was just so cool because I haven’t really met many other youth in Nelson who are as keen as me to do things in this area,” she said.

“It is really good to have contacts all around New Zealand.”

The programme helped her develop skills as an environmental leader, through debating and presentations, learning from scientists. Sophie also had the chance to go caving, kayaking, black water rafting and diving.

“We went black water rafting on tubes and it took us about an hour to get down, it was my highlight. It was really cool,” she said.

Sophie has a passion for the environment and making change.

She has organised several beach and river clean-ups in Nelson and for her 15th birthday on 3 October she fundraised more than $2000 in food vouchers for the homeless in the city through Giving Aroha.

“I am action-based, I don’t really want to just sit around, I want to put everything into it,” she said.

Deputy Mayor Judene Edgar was one of three references Sophie used in her application for the BLAKE Inspire programme.

"Sophie is not only a future leader, she is a current leader,” Deputy Mayor Judene Edgar said.
"Her commitment to the Nelson community, to the environment and to achieving better social outcomes is unwavering.  She is a true inspiration."

Sophie’s next project is a Tahunanui Beach clean-up on Saturday 5 December from 10am to 12pm.

She organised her first one there last year and expected to have 10 people attend. More than 200 people showed up and collected 200kg of rubbish.

If anyone is interested in attending Sophie’s clean-up events then they can go to her Ecogirl NZ Facebook page for details.