Graeme Bloomfield

I was born and raised at Marahau on the edge of the Abel Tasman National Park where my family
has lived for over 100 years. Consequently, I feel a strong sense of connection to our local marine
and freshwater environments. From what I remember I grew up on cockles, whitebait, scallops and
snapper. These were all abundant a generation or two ago. As a kid I do not recall the Bay being
murky brown for days after a heavy rain. Having healthy aquatic environments seems rather
important.
My connection to our taiao resulted in me gaining a MSc in marine biology. From university I
accidently found myself teaching in a secondary school classroom. Apart from the odd year off
(working as a scientist at Cawthron, doing a bit of farming and working on orchards) I have remained
teaching and have been at Nayland College for quite some time. I have set up marine science and
coastal sustainability courses at both junior and senior levels and feel very fortunate to be able to
share my interests with my students. Learning about (and participating in) restoring the taiao is a
significant part of what I teach.
I feel privileged to be part of Tasman Bay Guardians where showing young people what is so special
about our local freshwater and marine environments is our business. I have hope for the world when
I see how so many young folk really get to understand and care about their environment.