Ginny Ellis-Kirifi | North American Association for Environmental Education

Ginny is a champion for young people to be involved, included, and part of the changes we are making to protect our natural world. Through education, participation, and fun, Ginny believes that all young people can be environmental leaders and guardians for the environment.

About Ginny's Community Action Project

My work at current–residential environmental leadership programmes with youth–exceptionally aligns with my core values, intertwining youth participation and environmental leadership. However, in Aotearoa, there are young people who miss out on opportunities like this due to many different reasons but predominantly, lack of funding. I am inspired by how many Indigenous communities center reciprocity, respect, and care for the environment. There is a lot to learn from many Indigenous frameworks around the world, which believe we as humans are part of the environment, not separate from it. My community action project idea aims to expand on this belief by supporting more Māori and Pacific students across Aotearoa to attend environmental leadership programmes to engage and encourage stewardship and guardianship over our natural world.

About Ginny

Ginny is a lifelong learner, she is dedicated to growing, changing and learning (that includes unlearning) as much as she can. She enjoys spending time in the sun, reading, learning languages including Spanish, Sāmoan and Te Reo Māori, playing the guitar and piano, and trying new foods. She is a proud aunty to many official and unofficial nieces and nephews and is an avid traveller when time, budget, and life allows for it. Most of all, Ginny is a daughter, a partner, a sister, a dog mum, a cousin and friend. Her relationships are held at the centre of her world. Without a village we do not exist!

More About Me

What is one fun fact people should know about you?
When my Dad was born, the doctor mistakenly spelt his last name wrong - as Kirifi, when it should have been Kilifi. So all of his children, including myself, have the last name Kirifi, unlike the rest of my family who have Kilifi. In New Zealand, we have a famous rugby player with the last name Kirifi and I get asked often if I am related to him.

What is your favorite memory of being in nature?
It’s so hard to narrow it down to one, but on a recent programme with twenty 11-12 year olds at the beginning of this year, we had a surfing lesson at Tāwharanui beach, and the sun was shining, the water was a beautiful temperature and crystal clear. Even though they were bailing in the waves, the students were having the time of their lives learning to surf and it was the funniest, happiest time.

If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be?
Does everything turn out okay?