Youthful ambassador on environmental issues

An environmental forum in Wellington will see Pratibha Singh do leadership training with the NZ Defence Force at Trentham. Photo/Stuart Munro

Pratibha Singh will join 49 teens at the 11th annual Sir Peter Blake Youth EnviroLeaders Forum in Wellington this month.

In Year 12 at Wanganui High School (WHS), Pratibha won her place at the forum from 200 teen hopefuls.

Pratibha is also eligible for selection to join the next SubAntarctic Young Blake Expedition to the Auckland Islands, where they will be involved in the construction of the new world-leading climate research Blake Station.

She is excited to be meeting up with like-minded students who are ready to change the world at the five-day forum from April 27 to May 1.

But, although there is a growing awareness of taking care of the planet, Pratibha says she thinks the Government could do more.

"We do not seem to care about what we are doing to the environment.

"The adults are in power right now and everybody needs to be a lot more aware."

However, she believes youth have the power to make a difference - much bigger than they could ever have imagined.

"The Earth's environmental state is precarious and I strongly feel that as global citizens we need to step up and start instigating change."

Pratibha said she applied to the Youth EnviroLeaders Forum to extend her knowledge about some of the environmental issues we faced today, and what we can do about them.

Pratibha said she was initially in shock when she heard of her selection.

In the week before the forum she will be on the qualifying Gold Duke of Edinburgh Hillary Award Expedition around Mt Ruapehu, which, she says, will help with her fitness.

She is a member of her school's sustainability club, which does projects that sustain not only the environment but also the society we live in.

Last year she was the Wanganui co-ordinator for Generation Zero's "What's the Holdup?" speaking tour.

The forum is run in conjunction with the Ministry for the Environment, and students will have the opportunity to be involved in a range of activities, including a climate change workshop and leadership training with the NZ Defence Force at Trentham.