NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Environment

Sam Judd: Kudos to the kids

Herald online
20 Aug, 2014 05:30 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Riley Hathaway of Young Ocean Explorers

Riley Hathaway of Young Ocean Explorers

Opinion by

Global problems, local solutions?

When it comes to environmental challenges, we constantly hear that solutions need to be locally owned.

Now I believe this is very much a great way to fix problems - those who are directly dealing with the issue are more likely to change their behaviour if they are part of the solution. This is the case with Enviroschools a very successful initiative that works with local council-employed supporters to reach over 240,000 children through schools and early childhood education centres.

Kudos to the kids

One thing we definitely know is that, while it is easy to switch off to environmental challenges by changing the channel, or closing a window on your browser, you can't easily switch off your kids.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The younger generation have become one of the most powerful change agents in local households - far before they reach the voting age kids will significantly influence their parents.

These days, small children are incredibly digitally literate and it is predicted that the next generation will be streaks ahead with regards to rapidly taking in knowledge.

While I am a bit uncomfortable to hear that children now struggle with books because they try to swipe the pages across like a touch screen, the better news is that statistically, the next generation are increasingly concerned about the state of the environment and people's wellbeing. This gives hope to those people amongst us who work hard to create a better environmental future for the young ones.

Kids can be the secret weapons in the war against bad behaviour by their parents, but to do this, we must utilise what works for them.

Lights, camera and action for good

Discover more

Opinion

Sam Judd: Last dance of the bees

07 Mar 04:30 PM
Opinion

Sam Judd: Plastic wrapped bottoms

15 Mar 04:30 PM
Opinion

Sam Judd: Plastic wrapped bottoms - Round 2

22 Mar 04:30 PM
Opinion

Sam Judd: Free-range fibbing

03 Feb 07:52 PM

A few years ago I was making an educational video and I wanted some underwater footage that would wow the kids. I contacted my old colleagues and good friends from Dive! Tutukaka (who are lucky enough to go diving in an epic visibility all the time) and they recommended a certain Steve Hathaway.

When I contacted Steve out of the blue, his passion literally erupted through the phone. He was super excited that his work would contribute to educating kids about looking after the ocean he loves and obliged with the most amazing footage I have ever seen in Kiwi waters.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

We have used the same clips to change the behaviour of tens of thousands of children since - and we have actually proven that inspirational video content is one of the tools that works for changing kids behaviour.

Steve found this out first hand when he made a short film with his daughter for a school project - the kids (and their parents) were engaging with the content because it was fun and presented by a young person, for young people.

Many hands will make lights, camera and action work

Now Steve is arguably the best underwater videographer in New Zealand - his work has featured on National Geographic, BBC, Discovery Channel, TVNZ and he is one of the most experienced in the world at filming orca - but when it comes to speaking on screen, he is far out shadowed by his daughter Riley, who is clearly celebrity material in the making.

They have produced an inspiring series called Young Ocean Explorers (you can check out the episode in the following video), which has seen very high acclaim.

Their next mission is to produce books about the series and send them, along with the films to every school in New Zealand, so that those who haven't had the chance to experience the epic underwater life - which forms 93 percent of our fine territory - can be inspired to look after it.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

I take my hat off to Riley and Steve and think that they deserve all the help they can get - so if you can spare a few dollars - follow this link.

If you have any other examples of inspiring kids working in the environment, then send me an email or leave a comment.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Environment

Environment

Waikato eco-sanctuary first site to receive kōkako from Hunua

30 Jun 04:07 AM
New Zealand

Feral goats' days numbered in 'unique' conservation park

25 Jun 07:40 PM
Premium
Opinion

Simon Wilson: Chlöe Swarbrick and the lost lessons of Monopoly

17 Jun 05:00 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Environment

Waikato eco-sanctuary first site to receive kōkako from Hunua

Waikato eco-sanctuary first site to receive kōkako from Hunua

30 Jun 04:07 AM

Once on the brink of local extinction, the Hunua Ranges kōkako have slowly bounced back.

Feral goats' days numbered in 'unique' conservation park

Feral goats' days numbered in 'unique' conservation park

25 Jun 07:40 PM
Premium
Simon Wilson: Chlöe Swarbrick and the lost lessons of Monopoly

Simon Wilson: Chlöe Swarbrick and the lost lessons of Monopoly

17 Jun 05:00 PM
Auckland's first electric ferry is on the water

Auckland's first electric ferry is on the water

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP