How learning about the natural world helped one teacher find her spark again
Heidi-Ann kept putting it off. Despite countless recommendations, the Napier teacher found every excuse not to apply for BLAKE Inspire. Today, she has one regret; "Not applying sooner." The July participant now knows exactly what she was missing. In the Q&A below,...
Sir Alan Mark named 2025 BLAKE Medallist alongside eight other inspiring BLAKE Leadership awardees
Emeritus Professor Sir Alan Mark has been awarded the the BLAKE Medal to acknowledge and celebrate his outstanding contribution to New Zealand as a leading plant ecologist, lifelong environmentalist, and champion of science-based conservation which has helped protect...
August update: What’s been happening at BLAKE?
Kia ora e te whānau What an amazing first half of 2025 we've had! We're excited to share the latest news from across our BLAKE programmes in this update, including details of the BLAKE Ambassadors applications launch, reflections from two BLAKE Inspire programmes, and...
Luca Pudda’s experience with BLAKE Inspire for Students
Featured in Kia Manawaroa Luca Pudda (Ngāi Tahu) is a Year 12 ākonga from Verdon College in Invercargill and one of just 30 rangatahi selected from across Aotearoa to participate in BLAKE Inspire for Students this past April. BLAKE Inspire for Students is a dynamic,...
BLAKE Ambassadors reflect on two weeks with DoC’s takahē recovery team
BLAKE DOC Ambassadors Rāwinia Wikaira and Jake Benny spent two weeks in Te Anau, shadowing the Department of Conservation’s Takahē recovery team. Once thought to be extinct, a population of this flightless bird was found in 1948 and since then Doc have been working to...
WATCH: BLAKE Expeditions 2025 to the Subantarctic Islands
In early March 2025, HMNZS Canterbury headed into the Southern Ocean with 20 BLAKE Expeditions participants aboard. The crew of scientists, students, and teachers from Aotearoa journeyed toward the remote Auckland and Campbell islands on a 10-day scientific mission in...
Teen student dedicated to driving change
Meet Aarthi Candadai - BLAKE Inspire 2025 student and Westpac scholarship recipient Aarthi is a 18-year-old high school student from Wellington with big dreams for an Aotearoa where all voices can be heard. As a natural connector with the tools to create platforms (in...
The BLAKE Awards: Honouring Leadership for a Sustainable Future
For more than two decades, the BLAKE Awards have recognised New Zealanders whose leadership has delivered impact across all walks of life. Now, as we step into our 21st year, the BLAKE Awards evolve to honour our history while reflecting the future. From 2025, the...
BLAKE Expeditions 2025: Finding home truths while feeling a world away
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...
BLAKE announces new focus for its Awards to amplify environmental leadership
BLAKE today announces new categories for its annual BLAKE Awards, strengthening a renewed focus on environmental leadership as nominations open. For two decades, the annual BLAKE Awards have recognized people whose leadership has delivered high-impact results across a...
April update: What’s been happening at BLAKE?
BLAKE Programmes are in full swing for 2025, and we've got some exciting news, stories, and photos to share. Our first BLAKE Inspire for the year has just wrapped up, marking the halfway point in the April school holidays. We had an incredible group for our first of...
When students wonder, learning happens; A teachers BLAKE Inspired journey
When Christchurch teacher Pete Hay talks about how BLAKE programmes changed his career path, he's quick to note it's not an overstatement. In the last 18 months since participating in BLAKE Inspire and BLAKE Expeditions, the Avonhead Primary School Teacher says he has...