Patea teacher Kate Paris Greenpeace volunteer who believes in direct action

Kate Paris believes direct action is necessary to shake "people out of their denial".

Although Kate Paris has been in Patea less than three months she knows it was absolutely the perfect move for her.

It was a coming home of the very best and most emotional kind, she said. "Taranaki is my family home. It's where I belong.''

Ms Paria left Auckland last year and moved into a house in South Taranaki in December.
"My house cost half the deposit my friend had to pay for a small apartment in Auckland. It's crazy.''

Although she is a committed teacher she is also an ardent volunteer with Greenpeace NZ.
Her involvement with Greenpeace started when she dropped by its office in Auckland in 2007. She started volunteering regularly and soon became involved with the actions team.

Ms Paris remembers donning a pair of orange Greenpeace overalls for the first time.
"I was completely elated, I had to pinch myself ... direct action is important.
It shakes people out of their denial when you are prepared to put your freedom on the line to make a statement."

Ms Paris has been involved in a number of Greenpeace actions – from tree planting on a large-scale dairy conversion to blockading a destructive fishing trawler from leaving port. Her most recent action was in Tauranga, blocking a shipment of imported palm kernel animal feed from Indonesia which was intended for Fonterra dairy farms.

Greenpeace activists usually start by volunteering regularly, before moving on to actions-related training so they can get involved in direct action, she said.

In 2013 Kate Paris was named Greenpeace Volunteer of the Year.

"I am still a very active member and always will be. Greenpeace is large part of my life.'':

Ms Paris is excited that in the planning for Taranaki is a whale sanctuary, and she will be involved in the ongoing issue of ironsand mining.

Last month a group of Greenpeace activists boarded a ship, the Mermaid Searcher, the supply vessel for the the Amazon Warrior, which was conducting seismic surveying in an area off the Taranaki coast on behalf of a number of oil and gas companies.

"I wasn't there but I knew all about it.''

She said the real objective was to show opposition to the work of the Amazon Warrior and the new exploration for oil and gas in New Zealand.

One of 10 most exciting Greenpeace ventures in Taranaki ahead was the setting up of a whale sanctuary. The closest blue whales are a long way off the Whanganui coast but a marine mammal sanctuary could still bring economic benefits, proponents have argued.

When Green Party leader James Shaw went through South Taranaki in September he proposed making the South Taranaki Bight a marine mammal sanctuary.

Sanctuaries are set up to protect seals and dolphins as well as whales. It would mean that using sound waves to find out what is under the seabed (seismic surveying) would be banned in some of the sanctuaries.

Ms Paris said a marine mammal sanctuary for the South Taranaki Bight was a great idea.
"It excites me because blue whales are known to live there year-round.''

Taranaki tribes had a relationship with whales and the whales could calve there again, she said.
A marine mammal sanctuary would be a real win win here in South Taranaki, she said. She reckoned the whole town of Patea would love it.

Ms|Paris is thrilled she is living here and is working at Patea Area School. "The school is so vibrant and has so much energy. And Patea has a big heart I love it here.''