“We want to restart people caring about the environment … through adventure, through participation, through education and through enjoyment.” – Sir Peter Blake

The Sir Peter Blake Trust (BLAKE) was established in 2004 and is dedicated to continuing the environmental leadership legacy of New Zealand’s most celebrated yachtsman.

Following his sailing career, Sir Peter Blake turned his focus to helping protect the environment and raising awareness of the issues it faces by voyaging to “environmental pulse points of the planet” and sharing what he discovered. BLAKE aims to inspire thousands of young New Zealanders to care for the environment through activities and adventures that encourage environmental awareness and leadership, and instil a deeper sense of kaitiakitanga within them. Read more about BLAKE’s programmes…

To learn more about the various programmes at BLAKE, visit www.blakenz.org

WATCH

Find out more about the work of BLAKE.

Runs for 5:40 minutes

NZ-VR is a school outreach programme that aims to connect thousands of young New Zealanders with the marine environment through virtual reality (VR) technology. Students in schools across Northland, Auckland and the Bay of Plenty get to experience the rich biodiversity that exists below the surface of the ocean, as well as the damage that has been done to the ecosystem.

The BLAKE Young Leader Awards aim to recognise young New Zealanders (Years 5-8) who show commitment to leading positive change in their community that leads to a sustainable future for Aotearoa. Sir Peter Blake believed in the incredible potential of young people to achieve great things and these annual awards carry on that belief.

This is a week-long leadership development programme in partnership with the Ministry for the Environment. Year 11–13 students work together with scientists, environmental experts, a diverse range of leaders and other like-minded students to help them develop strong leadership skills while learning about topical environmental issues and how they can take action to tackle them. Delegates become eligible to join future BLAKE Expeditions as student voyagers. BLAKE Inspire also includes programmes for teachers aiming to help them become more effective environmental educators.

BLAKE Expeditions is a rare opportunity for young New Zealanders to travel to remote and environmentally significant areas such as the Kermadec Islands / Rangitahua and Sub-Antarctic Islands. Students team up with scientists to engage in research and projects that ignite and fuel a passion for the environment while learning valuable lessons from the Royal New Zealand Navy about life on board a Navy ship.

The BLAKE Ambassadors Programme – through partnerships with NIWA, the Department of Conservation (DOC), Antarctica New Zealand and GNS Science – offers environmental leadership opportunities for 18–25-year-olds to contribute to important projects while advancing their career opportunities by working with leading scientists, conservationists, engineers and conservators on important projects and research.

Each year the BLAKE Awards celebrate extraordinary New Zealanders who have created positive impact from all areas of New Zealand society and recognise and celebrate people whose leadership has delivered high impact results and contributed to a more sustainable future for Aotearoa socially, culturally, environmentally or economically. The awards include the presentation of the BLAKE Medal, awarded to a New Zealander whose leadership has significantly contributed to a more sustainable Aotearoa over an extended period of time.