The Young Leaders Hui that Ihaka, Tamu, Maddie and I were given the amazing chance to go to was absolutely amazing. Getting to meet our collaborative cousins from around New Zealand and to put our heads together, discuss common challenges and learn new approaches to environmental conservation was extremely insightful for me as it opened my eyes up to all the different ways things could be dealt with as well as dispelling the illusion of “no one cares and I’m all alone”. Spending time with everyone was so inspiring, it gave me a boost of motivation and passion that I didn’t know I lacked until I had it. Everybody there was so into their projects and I feel so privileged to know them and be able to call them my friends. I learnt, played, explored and laughed with people I managed to become unimaginably close to in such a short period of time and I loved every moment I had there and never wanted to leave.
