Environmental Sustainability in New Zealand : Reviews (Christchurch)

My favorite part of this program was getting to engage with local people and hear their stories and learn about what work they are doing. One of my favorites was the lecture from the CEO of Destination Queenstown. He shared with us his ambitious goals to hit carbon zero in Queenstown by 2023. It was really interesting to hear about how he planned on hitting this goal and the new technology that they are implementing such as hydrogen power and electric motorboats. Also their plans to help make the tourism industry better for the local population. Many of the locals make their living off of the tourism industry in Queenstown, however the large number of people that come to visit can be overwhelming and damaging, and so Destination Queenstown is trying to help solve these issues by making tourism more sustainable for both the environment and for the locals. One example was building an electric or hydrogen powered overhead cable car from the airport to the center of Queenstown, that way the locals would be benefiting from reduced traffic from shuttles bringing people to and from the airport and the environment would benefit due to less carbon emissions from vehicles on the roads. Going with this, learned about regenerative tourism where tourists give something back to the local community and leave things better than they found it. We actually got to engage in this with WAI Wanaka where we helped them with their project of growing native vegetation on the lake front by weeding out the invasive plants and watering and placing mulch around the native plants they are trying to grow. It felt really great to help out and to give something back to the community while we were there visiting. Overall, it was so amazing getting to meet and connect with all these people and see the work that they are doing to not only improve New Zealand as a country, but to improve the environment for the plants and animals that are living there as well.

My favorite part was meeting other KU students who had the same passion for Environmental Studies as me. We were able to share so many memories together.

I loved getting to explore the culture in New Zealand as they prioritize sustainable living in all aspects of their day to day lives. The wildlife and the hikes were also beautiful. It was the most amazing travel experience i've had so far.

One afternoon, we removed invasive species from a community walk path. It was so important for us to give back, and it was an awesome way to help out.

The group trip to Hinewai Reserve was the most rewarding part of the program. This place stands out as a shining example of what can be accomplished when you dedicate yourself to bettering the environment. Getting the opportunity to meet Hugh was so lucky, and honestly inspiring, as he really showcases a lot of the virtues I love about people, and was more than happy to stop and chat with us students, even when we weren't scheduled to see him at all.

I found it so rewarding to get to hear the differences between New Zealand and America. It was so interesting and neat to see just how vastly different the two countries are. Such as in New Zealand they drive on the left side of the road instead of the right. They also have different sports such as cricket and rugby they are really popular instead of football and basketball like America. They also have different names and pronunciations for things compared to what we say here and so it was really fun to talk to the locals and see what things we say differently. For example, we found out that in America we pronounce apricot completely differently than they do in New Zealand, they also say rubbish instead of trash and take away instead of carry out. With regards to sustainability one thing my group pointed out was that people in New Zealand care about the environment and becoming more sustainable because they are concerned for the wellbeing of their land and the plants and animals that occupy it. They care about sustainability simply because they want to make the environment around them healthy again. For example, they are worried about the water quality of their rives and the pollution in the harbor because of the impact that it has on local ecosystems and populations. However in contrast people in America are interested in sustainability in a more selfish way. For example many people in America aren't worried about poor water quality because of their concern for the animal populations, their first thought is often concern for themselves due to the fact that their drinking water comes from polluted looking rivers. Another example is food. People in New Zealand are working towards organic farming practices in order to reduced the environmental impact of pesticides and chemicals running off and getting into the water systems and affecting wildlife. However, in America people are attracted to organic options because of the fear that pesticides cause cancer, and so they choose the more sustainable option incidentally because it is the one that benefits them most. And while there isn't anything wrong with the different viewpoints, it was really interesting to compare what I see most often in America to what the people we spoke to in New Zealand were saying. And while this doesn't account for the whole population, some people in New Zealand may not think like this just like how some Americans might think differently from this as well. But either way, it was really rewarding and interesting to see all the differences between the two countries.

The country is so forward in environmental policy and has a large appreciation for the indigenous population which was really cool to see and learn about.

I found that the companies we visited were very eager to share their stories about how and why they have a sustainable business. I also enjoyed being able to talk to the local residents and hearing their story.

I loved the hands-on learning experiences! Whether I was working in the community garden or getting a tour of a local business to learn about how they incorporate sustainability, it was an immersive and much more rewarding experience than a traditional classroom setting.

I learned a lot about the economical and political influences that really determine how sustainability is implemented.

I think preparation for this trip is key. It is important to identify places you want to visit, or things you really want to do, and figure out well in advance when you will be doing them. But it is also important to go with the flow, and never pass up an opportunity to experience anything.

One thing I learned is that just going exploring and getting to know your surroundings is the best thing you can do, as well as to be careful but not worry so much about getting a little lost or turned around. One of the best things my group did was start walking around and trying to orient ourselves with where we are, as well as practice taking the metro to familiar locations so that when we have free days we would be comfortable taking it longer distances. Doing this at the beginning of our trip helped things to go a lot smoother since we took the time to walk around and even though we risked getting a little lost, by a couple days in we we able to have a good general idea of where we are and what's around us. This really helped when we had to find certain buildings for classes or certain meeting spots for getting back together as a group. It was also a really beneficial thing to do since by the time our free day came, we made plans to take an hour bus ride to the beach and since we had experience going on the bus for shorter distances, we knew how to properly navigate which busses to take to get to the beach which likely saved us a lot of trouble.

It is a very valuable experience to go to a new country and learn from people different than you. We learned about the sustainable initiatives in N ew Zealand so we come back and hopefully implement them here in the US.

Study abroad is a great opportunity to travel to parts of the world I never would have expected to be able to go to! You learn so much about yourself and learn how to navigate new and unfamiliar places! My advice would be to not hesitate and make the most out of your abroad experience by taking every opportunity that may come your way! You never know how great of an adventure it may turn out to be.

For future students I would recommend making the most out of each moment on this adventure. Don't take anything for granted and don't turn down any opportunity to try something new. Also, bring a nice day bag and a swimsuit!