NEW ZEALAND
CHARLISE HAMMOND
Age: 18
Height: 165 cm
Measurements: 31 in - 25 in - 34 in
"I travelled around the whole of New Zealand before ever leaving the country."DESCRIBE YOUR CHILDHOOD/GROWING YEARSI grew up with 8 siblings so life was always entertaining. I got the pleasure of having much younger sisters on my dad's side and learnt a lot about younger kids and got to play and bond with them as the cool older sister. On my mum's side I was equally as lucky to have siblings all much closer to my age and so I got to enjoy things we all were the age for. We were regularly going camping, hiking, to the beach, to the gardens and mountain biking so I have always been very lucky to be surrounded by nature and my beautiful country.
I thoroughly enjoyed school. My favourite subjects were always writing and reading as I have always been very literacy based. My other favourite subject was also art as I am extremely creative. My parents were always extremely supportive in anything I was interested in or wanted to give a go. I was very lucky through my schooling to be involved in the environment so greatly from such a young age. This is what has made me base my advocacy around environmental activities in schools.
One of my favourite things when I was a kid was during the holidays I got to go and stay with my nan and koro’s (grandparents) house. They have always been my favourite people and taught me a lot whether it was people skills, how to write speeches, ride a bike or even about the 7 wonders of the world.
WHAT IS YOUR MEMORABLE MOMENT?In New Zealand we have a special type of insect that resides in caves named glow worms. The rear end of glow worms light up. As an early teen I went black water rafting at Waitomo caves where there were thousands of glow worms along the cave walls and ceiling. Waitomo caves is one of New Zealand's biggest tourist attractions but we have to take precautions such as not touching anything outside of your tube and only going in a maximum of 6 people at a time to keep the caves ecosystem alive. This is my most memorable moment as you cant access it anywhere else in the world other than my beautiful country and it is a magical moment to experience.
ANY SPECIAL STORIES OR FACTS ABOUT YOUR FAMILY?I have 7 sisters and 1 brother!
WHAT IS THE MOST UNUSUAL THING YOU HAVE EVER DONE?In 2017 I was lucky enough to travel around Asia with my family. We visited Komodo Island which is home to the Komodo dragons. This was a surreal once in a lifetime experience for me. Komodo dragons can be up to 2.6 meters long and are found on very few Indonesian islands. This was definitely one of the most unusual things I have done in my life.
WHAT IS YOUR ADVOCACY?My advocacy is encouraging educating children during school about the environment. From a young age I think it is important we start learning about environmental issues and how to care for our surroundings. Growing up I was fortunate enough to be involved in many environmental projects. This has shaped me into the person I have become and my love for the environment.
During my primary school years at Hukanui school, I was involved in building the “living room” an eco classroom, which was the first of its kind in New Zealand. We made bricks from mud and newspaper and insulated the walls and floors with 1500 wine bottles. The living room is solar powered and made of all natural resources. Attached to the living room we installed our own beehives and the school learnt of the important role bees play in our ecosystem. We also sold the honeycomb to raise money for other environmental projects such as tree planting through our gully. We also took reusable containers to school with our lunch in it due to our school removing bins to reduce littering and plastic waste. This also taught us how to recycle and we were taught about the pollution in our country and the part we can play to reduce it.
Whilst at Puketaha school for my middle school years, I learnt about community and farmlands as it was a small rural school. Our school was frequently involved in arbour days and tree planting projects. On school camps our school prioritised environmental learning alongside having fun. We did many beach cleanups and learnt about the damage rubbish was doing to the ocean. Worm farming uses composting worms such as tiger worms or red worms to eat through a mixture of food scraps, garden waste, waste paper and cardboard to produce worm castings and liquid fertilizer known as worm tea. Both the castings and the worm tea are excellent fertilizers and great for the garden. Our school farmed worms and sold the juice to our community.
During my high school years at Fairfield College I took an active role in the environment through the following; As our 2018 environmental project, the group I lead for ‘stars’ (an integration programme to make the transition from middle school to high school easier for year 9’s) we chose to build weta hotels. These are a safe place for weta to breed and hide from predators such as birds in the wild. This increases the weta population. We built these using bunnings sponsored wood and dispersed them throughout the wild. At Fairfield College we have a community garden which not only contributes to the environment but also feeds the community. We would weed and work in the garden weekly. We would often do this at lunch breaks or after school. Fairfield students also took part in a food bank owned by a parent and donated vegetables from the garden.
I was extremely lucky to have been able to learn a lot about the environment from such a young age and make my contribution to the community. I plan to continue to involve myself through visiting schools and using my platform and voice to promote the environment by running small activities such as lessons around recycling, tree planting sessions, running community projects and teaching children small things they can do at home and in their everyday lives once corona virus has reduced and we can safely be at school and in large numbers. My advocacy is enforcing children to grow up with environmental knowledge and practices.
WHAT TIPS CAN YOU SHARE TO PROMOTE ECOTOURISM & CLIMATE CHANGE?
Ecotourism is something New Zealand as a country needs to explore, as Tourism was New Zealand's most significant industry heavily before Covid-19. Ecotourism is defined as "tourism directed towards exotic, often threatened, natural environments, intended to support conservation efforts and observe wildlife." Simply ecotourism is tourism, which is done sustainably, which has the least effect on the environment. In New Zealand, numerous places and events have to do this. Otherwise, the tourist destination will soon either disappear or become damaged. A huge way that you're able to be a green traveler is to say no to straws. Straws contribute hugely to global waste; it's estimated that in the United States Of America alone, 500 million straws are used. When traveling, it's much better to carry a pack or two reusable straws and use them. Another way is never to purchase wildlife products. Every year, thousands of animals are killed horrifically for 'tourist souvenirs.' Things like chess sets are made out of ivory, depleting elephants of their magnificent tusks, or birds stripped of their feathers for 'fashionable' items. Instead of taking a plane to every destination, why don't you try taking an electric train or sustainably powered boat. Also, when walking around National parks, or when in a cave, don't stray from the track and don't touch anything the signs tell you not to. In New Zealand, we have Waitomo caves, amazing caves filled with glow worms (Worm's that light up in the dark). Due to natural oils in the average person's fingers and body, we can't touch things like stalactites in caves. This is because when they're touched by human skin, they instantly can't grow anymore, and become black rather than white. Waitomo caves have stopped people from handling them by introducing an invisible laser fence, which, when an object goes past it, a loud beeping sound activates. They've also introduced a fine for touching them of ten thousand dollars NZD. Things like this stop tourists from touching things they shouldn't and make them stay on the path, creating more ecotourist environments.
Global Warming, a considerable threat to our livelihoods and the way that the human race lives. There are numerous ways that the average person can do to help reduce the amount of carbon we release into the atmosphere. It is estimated that we as a race only have until 2030 to drastically reduce the amount of carbon dioxide we release into the air before global Warming becomes irreversible. A considerable way to impact the amount of carbon dioxide we release into the atmosphere is to cut down our global meat consumption. In 2018 it was estimated that 346.14 million tons of meat were consumed globally. In 2030 it is estimated that this number will be around 453 million tons, a 44% increase. This is horrifically terrifying, especially since the meat industry gives out 14.5% of the greenhouse gas emission globally. A way we can dramatically decrease this is by switching to a more plant-based diet globally. The same amount of water that it takes to make 24 hamburger patties could also make 75 loaves of wholegrain bread and thirty jars of peanut butter. If we were to all globally switch to a plant-based diet, we could also feed 3.5 billion more people.
Another way we can drastically put a dent in the greenhouse gas emission is by using public transport more efficiently. Instead of taking your car to work every day, why don’t you bike? Instead of taking a plane on your next vacation, take a boat that runs sustainably, make your trip more enjoyable. A flight from London to New York City puts 0.67 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere per passenger. Whereas a sailboat would use 0.00 tons of carbon dioxide for that trip. If we all do small alterations to our lives and diets, we can put a significant dent in our global emissions.
WHAT MAKES YOU PROUD OF YOUR COUNTRY?New Zealand is a beautiful country, and I am proud to be a citizen here. One of these reasons most indefinitely would have to be our handling of Covid-19. Many states haven't been able to contain this virus, resulting in thousands of deaths. With global case numbers exceeding 25 million the other day, it's quite horrific to think about. Eight hundred forty-six thousand people have died from this virus, and it is a horrible loss. Though in New Zealand, we as a country have eliminated the virus in pandemic dictionary terminology. New Zealand overall had 22 deaths from Covid-19. That's roughly four deaths per million people. As a result of this, our economy is more robust than in other countries, and job loss is minimal.
Another thing to be proud of is our zero carbon emissions bill; this bill ensures that New Zealand is at a net-zero (except biogenic methane) by 2050. Protecting our native animals, plants, and trees is another thing that makes me proud to be a kiwi. In New Zealand, it is illegal to cut down native trees unless permitted by the council to do so. We've also made sanctuaries for our fish, like herald island. This vast tropical environment is protected and looked after heavily. 29% percent of New Zealand's total land area is forest. The Whanganui river even has the same rights as a person, protecting it from being destroyed or destroyed by destructive tourism. The amount of sustainable tourism we have is also something to be proud of, Waitomo caves, as mentioned before, have taken many precautions to make sure that destructive tourism doesn't ruin the caves. Cascade fall, a trial walk of a beautiful forest, was completely closed off to the public because of destructive tourism and the destruction of the native Kauri trees. Overall there are many reasons to be proud of being a New Zealand citizen; our environment and how we take care of it is something I'm overly proud of.
WHAT CAN YOU PROMOTE ABOUT YOUR COUNTRY?New Zealand is a beautiful country; there are many things to promote it. Our developing eco-tourism is something that needs to be announced. However, all of our tourist destinations aren't entirely environmentally friendly. New Zealand is trying our best and slowly creating more ways to ensure that our tourist destinations are kept alive and green. As previously explained, Waitomo caves have taken significant steps to ensure that the caves are looked after and around for generations. Poor Knights Islands marine reserve is another marine reserve in New Zealand. The Islands themselves are off-limits because of the Tapu, although diving is allowed around the island. Rotorua is also an eco-tourism destination, a geothermal wonderland that is well looked after, and precautions are made for public health and safety and to keep out destructive tourism. Kaikoura is also another place in New Zealand known for its environmental protection.
Whale watching is the leading tourist destination; these immensely beautiful creatures may be watched daily; they're heavily protected, with precautions being made to make sure that the whales are looked after. Because that's what New Zealand is known for internationally. Our green mental state and the fact that we care and want to look after our environment can promote. We look after our native plants and wildlife immensely. New Zealand has numerous wildlife sanctuaries, looking after native animals, making sure they'll be around for countless generations. If our native animals were to go extinct, it would have an immensely horrible effect on the New Zealand wildlife's environment and food chain. Our farming sector is also something to be proud of; in New Zealand, cows, pigs, and sheep are all grass-fed, chickens are the only animal kept in cages. This makes our meat quality better and more humane for the animals. Who will hopefully have a decent life and eat what they're meant too. This also means that New Zealand has immensely useful meat exports globally.
WHAT TRIVIA ABOUT YOURSELF WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE?I like to make my own pasta from scratch regularly
I am a qualified florist
I went to makeup school and achieved a make-up certificate
I read a novel a day