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 an MSc in marine biology. From university, I accidentally 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.