While hunting for miniscule weevils across the wild subantarctic islands on BLAKE Expeditions, Weymouth Primary School teacher Deirdre Carraher’s mind drifted back to her own backyard in South Auckland.
Of all the places her thoughts could have wandered while worlds away from her daily routine as busy working mum in Aotearoa, the hunt for tiny creatures got her thinking about garden compost.
“When you’re searching for something normally overlooked it gets you thinking,” she reflects.
“At school we talk about making and using compost. It’s part of our daily routine. We know what it is and what it does, but do we know what’s living in it? Searching for life so carefully can make you wonder just how much we don’t see in our own ecosystems” she explains.
The weevil search was part of a wider invertebrate study carried out by Amy Liu of Monash University as one of four climate research projects to have taken place during the expedition to the remote subantarctic islands in March this year.
Deirdre says the experience enabled her to fully absorb the scientific discovery of 10 days working alongside lead scientists and passionate students, and delve deep into how she could link these processes and findings to her classroom and family life.
While many springtails were found, Deirdre was the only team member to discover a weevil, the moment causing much excitement during the exploration of Campbell Island.
She also assisted team members from the University of Waikato, the University of Otago, and GNS on their projects, relating to kelp surveys, rock sampling, and peat coring.
She says part of the beauty of being able to assist across four entirely different projects was the realisation that they all relied on the same simple truths – that of story telling.
“Everything the scientists are looking at is telling us a story. Whether it’s about what’s happening right now, or what has happened in the past. They’re using what they find now to predict what’s happening in the future,” she explains.
Although Deirdre’s daily work at school centers on teaching sustainable practices and environmental education, she describes the expedition as a powerful reminder of why students need to develop true environmental awareness.
“Once they’ve got a love for it, they want to protect it, that’s really what it comes down to,” she says.
Fellow BLAKE Expeditions teacher Kelly McKeown of Glenavon echoed this sentiment.
“As Sir Peter Blake would say, “You have to see it to love it.” My task now is to share the story and spread that love. With my students, kura, and community. To inspire greater environmental awareness and responsibility. This experience has truly fuelled my passion and strengthened my commitment to developing future environmental leaders,” she says.
The trip was part of the New Zealand Navy’s ‘Operation Endurance’ which carried various groups including DOC, Ngai Tahu, and Defense Science and Technology as well as the BLAKE group of four scientists, four teachers, and eight students from across Aotearoa.
This year’s trip marked BLAKE Expeditions’ 9th voyage and 4th to the subantarctic region, with selected students and teachers having participated in the BLAKE Inspire programme.
Continuing Sir Peter Blake’s legacy: Rangatahi realising their ‘why’
16-year-old Westlake Girls High School student Rosa Morris, also part of BLAKE Expeditions 2025, had a profound moment while working alongside the scientists on Campbell Island.
“Being part of this Expedition has put a ‘why’ into what we learn at school. I can see why we learn about zonation on the hills, I can see why we learn about chemistry in the water, I can see why we learn about radiation in the rocks and how we date them. I can see why this all helps towards understanding our past and what we can be facing in the future,” she says.
She says the expedition has opened her eyes in a very moving way, and felt grateful to have the opportunity to continue Sir Peter Blake’s legacy by developing a better understanding of the science that can help to protect our unique ecosystems.
“Exploring the sub Antarctic islands with such inspiring, intelligent people and learning about the rich, precious and unique wildlife was one of the most formative experiences of my life so far,” she says.
Joshua De Guzman of Sancta Maria College found realisation in the moment of being present with the projects themselves, rather than reading reports or textbooks.
“When you learn in the classroom it’s so different to being out here. When you’re in the classroom, information is fed to you… When you’re learning in a place like this, you’re in the moment with environmental change,” he says.
Moments like this mean the weeks following on from expedition have taken much contemplation and discussions to unpack the experience as a whole, for teachers and students alike.
Understanding the science: Tracking Antarctic microbiomes
One of the research projects conducted during BLAKE Expeditions was Phoebe Chapman’s intertidal kelp surveys; a study which aims to provide insight into timelines and data of what’s being carried to Antarctica via seaweed. As the lead scientist for the University of Otago, Chapman emphasizes the importance of the subantarctic region for baseline research data.
“With climate change, we’re expecting lots of species and ecosystems to move their way South, and we’re anticipating significant ecological shifts. The subantarctic being the gateway to the Antarctic means it’s particularly relevant,” she explains.
The expedition offered students a unique opportunity to witness science firsthand. Through their experience, Chapman felt hope about the next generation’s potential to apply this knowledge and continue essential research.
“If anything from this expedition, I hope the students take home the message that these special places are in their hands, and that they can really make a difference in preserving them for the future,” she says.
BLAKE Expeditions 2025 departed from Bluff on HMNZS Canterbury on 2nd March and returned on 12th March.
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2025 Delegates by region:
Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland
Student: Bella Watson – Western Springs College
Student: Joshua De Guzman – Sancta Maria College
Student: Rosa Morris – Westlake Girls High School
Doctor: Claire Woodward
Teacher: Deirdre Carraher – Weymouth Primary School
Teacher: Kelly McKeown – Glenavon Teacher
Teacher: Moana Lucre-Hedger – Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Raki Paewhenua
BLAKE Staff: Elle Ueland – BLAKE Programmes
Waikato
Scientist: Gary Wilson: University of Waikato
Te Moana-a-Toitehuatahi / Bay of Plenty
Student: Zoe Parker – Rotorua High School
Te Matau-a-Māui / Hawkes Bay
Student: Jed Potbury – Napier Boys High School
Manawatū-Whanganui
Student: Connor Anderson – Ruapehu College
Te Whanganui-a-Tara / Wellington
Photographer/Videographer: Josh Chapman
Student: Georgia Martin – Paraparaumu College
Blake staff: Alice Ward-Allen – BLAKE Head of Programmes
Blake staff: Alice McCullogh – BLAKE Programmes Manager
Waitaha / Canterbury
Student: Ella Rickard: Ashburton College
Ōtākou / Otago
Scientist: Greer Gilmer – GNS
Scientist: Phoebe Chapman – University of Otago
Poipiripi / Melbourne, AUS
Scientist: Amy Liu – SAEF / Monash University
About BLAKE Expeditions;
BLAKE Expeditions offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for alumni of BLAKE Inspire, BLAKE Inspire for Sailors and BLAKE Inspire for Teachers to join a team exploring remote and environmentally significant areas across Aotearoa. Participants engage in real-life scientific research and learn from world-class scientists and environmental leaders.
Exploration leads to revelation. Through BLAKE Expeditions, participants not only gain the rare chance to venture into hard-to-reach landscapes but also contribute to scientific understanding and conservation efforts, helping to uncover and protect our planet’s environmental pulse points. These experiences are then brought back to communities across Aotearoa, where participants share their knowledge and inspire others to take action in preserving our environment.
