Blog 4 by Terena Koteka-Wiki of Te Ipukarea Society – TIS
Atiu enuamanu you have left me in awe with an overwhelmingly beautiful welcome and feast for all the crew onboard vaka marumaru atua!
Today, we had the opportunity to share a wealth of knowledge about our oceans to the students of Apii Enuamanu. Kelvin and I presented on ocean pollution and the impacts that single-use plastics have on our environments while also leaving behind the message that there is no such thing as away and that we all need to work together to reduce the issue of waste in the Cook Islands.
Following our talk on ocean pollution, I had the chance to get updates from the girls regarding the feminine hygiene products for the Maine Mura campaign which received awesome feedback.
A presentation on deep sea mining from Dr. Teina Rongo and Kelvin Passfield was held in the evening to the community to inform the people of Atiu the potential impacts that deep sea mining could have on our deep sea environments. Overall, the presentation went very well!
Sailing to the southern group has been an experience of a lifetime and it has only just begun! Feeling blessed and grateful to be able to meet my Atiu family.
Meitaki ranuinui Atiu for your hospitality, you have filled us with lots of love and full belly’s!
On a side note, I have a massive appreciation for toilets on land. Going to the toilet on the vaka is a mission but at the same time just grateful to have a toilet on board! Hahaha
