BLAKE

BLAKE inspires people to lead a sustainable future for Aotearoa. linktr.ee/blake_newzealand Sir Peter Blake was an inspiring and visionary kiwi leader.

BLAKE keeps Sir Peter's leadership legacy alive by recognising and celebrating leaders across all fields and pursuits through the BLAKE Leadership Awards and Young Leader Awards. These BLAKE Leaders, join a growing group of individuals who follow in the footsteps of Sir Peter and possess many of the characteristics admired in him. A life spent on the world's oceans instilled in Sir Peter Blake the

certainty that action is needed to preserve and protect this precious resource. Today, BLAKE seeks to carry on his work through our environmental programmes. Our annual BLAKE Inspire empowers over 150 young kiwis and 90 primary school teachers with knowledge and confidence to take action on topical environmental issues with a further BLAKE Inspire programme for teachers. Every year we send up to 15 BLAKE Ambassadors on incredible environmental opportunities. Students and teachers from BLAKE Inspire are then eligible for an experience with BLAKE Expeditions.

19/06/2026

Sharing this cool opportunity for rangatahi between 16-24! 👇

🚨Applications for the 2027 True Blue Fellowship are now open!

Do you know a young leader using creativity to inspire environmental action?

The True Blue Fellowship supports youth ages 16-24 worldwide who are leading projects that address ocean, waterway, and climate challenges through a creative arts lens.

Selected Fellows receive:
💙Up to USD $2,500 in seed funding
💙Access to a global community of peers
💙Capacity-building opportunities
💙Support from the Future Blue Youth Council and Bow Seat Staff

Eligible applicants include individuals, groups, and organisations with new or emerging projects less than two years old.

⏰Applications close August 30, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET.

16/06/2026

Picture a school with beehives, orchards, and a chicken coop, where students spearhead their own seed selling initiatives and make firebricks with wastepaper. That’s Stratford Primary School in Taranaki, and also the recipient of our inaugural group award at the 2025 BLAKE Awards.
We loved their feature in School News, and our educators also had a wonderful time visiting the school to deliver NZ-VR this term!

11/06/2026

Kaiako across Aotearoa - don't miss out on this opportunity!
It's the final days to apply for BLAKE Inspire for Teachers 2026.
Please share with any teachers you know who are passionate about developing their environmental knowledge, and having an awesome, fully-funded week with like-minded educators while they're at it. Here's the link to learn more, and apply online!
https://www.blakenz.org/programmes/blake-inspire/blake-inspire-for-teachers/
Ministry of Education NZ

08/06/2026

Today, we're reflecting on these powerful words which remind us of the importance of our moana, and the vital need to protect it for future generations.

Happy World Oceans Day! 🌊

Here's our team mid-winter dip from Palm Beach, Waiheke Island last week, and our NZ-VR set up on Takapuna Beach yesterday as part of Live Ocean's mid-winter dip. What an amazing turnout!

Photo // Josh Chapman - during BLAKE Expeditions 2025 to the Subantarctic islands.

02/06/2026

If you’re wondering what BLAKE Inspire for Teachers is all about, here’s a glimpse into this 5-day programme for educators across New Zealand. Applications close on June 15 - don’t miss out!

25/05/2026

Exciting news... BLAKE Inspire for Teachers dates have been confirmed, and applications are open NOW!!

Dates:
28 September-2 October
5-9 October

If you're a kaiako from Aotearoa, looking to further your knowledge on environmental education, this is a programme you can't miss.

Fully funded by the Ministry of Education, it's a week which will stay with you forever, surrounded by like-minded teachers, environmental experts including Ruud Kleinpaste, Sally Carson, and Frazer Dale, and providing hands-on experiences and tools to inspire the next generation of environmental champions.

If you need any more reasons to consider applying, check out what previous participants of BLAKE Inspire for Teachers have said about the programme;

“This whole experience has forever changed me as a person and an educator. Thank you for taking such good care of us, the manaaki shown and felt has been phenomenal. Thank you. I believe all educators need to experience BLAKE Inspire.” - 2025 participant.

"What an incredible week! This is such an empowering and leading framework for professional development...The use of incredibly engaging experts has been impeccably balanced with the facilitation from the amazing and highly skilled Blake staff. I will be recommending this course to every teacher I know!" - 2025 participant.

“AMAZING week, I feel well and truly inspired, thank you so much. Hands down the best PD I have ever done, my kete of resources and ideas is overflowing.” - 2025 participant.

“Thank you so much for allowing me to meet the most inspiring people and learn such incredible knowledge. Thank you doing what you do for us, the children, the environment and NZ as a whole. Such a variety of experts who are passionate but also able to share their knowledge in an accessible way.” - 2025 participant.

Share widely with any teachers you think may be interested. Link for more information, and to apply below:
https://www.blakenz.org/programmes/blake-inspire/blake-inspire-for-teachers/

22/05/2026

BLAKE Inspire for Students is just around the corner!!

With six weeks to go until we welcome our first intake of rangatahi, we're celebrating former participants who have brought their action plans to life. (full story below)

Liam Hodgson attended BLAKE Inspire in December last year, and has since put together a proposal to establish a trapping network in the forest surrounding his school's offsite campus at Tihoi.

Eventually it would cover 60,000 hectares near the Pureroa Forest, and his proposal involves resident students running and monitoring it's progress as part of their time spent off site.

“It is the home for precious endemic manu like Pōpokotea, Tītipounamu, and Kōkako. Pests like possums and rats not only compete for food resources but decimate the wildlife directly through predation,” he explains.

With school support and some funding already secured, he's confident his plan has momentum, and believes there are many benefits, including being a great opportunity for students to make a practical contribution to the local area.

“If you’ve got ideas and the time to put together a solid plan, you’d be surprised who will listen and get behind you,” he says.

His advice to all students attending Inspire this year who will be challenged to think about their action plans;

“Get started on it straight away, rather than leaving it to do later,” he says.

The next BLAKE Inspire will unfold in the Waikato from Sunday 4th – Thursday 9th July.

https://www.blakenz.org/2026/05/21/time-ideas-and-one-student-driven-to-restore-new-zealands-native-forest/

13/05/2026

BLAKE Explorers has reached a milestone moment, reaching its 1000th student as the final three-day programme of Summer wraps up.

Since its launch in 2020, BLAKE Explorers has now reached its 56th programme, with 1000 students and 120 teachers having participated across Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch.

While the landscapes and activities vary slightly across the motu, the aim remains the same; To increase hauora through connection to te taiao. This in turn gives tamariki a renewed understanding of why it’s so important to protect our natural world.

Our 1000th BLAKE Explorer says the three days of outdoor activities left him feeling closer to his class, pointing out snorkelling and kiwi spotting as his personal highlights.

BLAKE is hugely grateful to its programme partner, for supporting this programme.

BLAKE Explorers is supported by , @(Auckland), (Wellington) and Sport Canterbury (Christchurch).

11/05/2026

Join our team at BLAKE!
We're on the lookout for an Environmental Educator to help us deliver our programmes in the Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland region, including NZ-VR, BLAKE Explorers and public events and activations.
This is an exciting opportunity to connect young people to our natural environment through virtual reality and experiential learning programmes. You'll work within a diverse, dynamic team travelling to schools and kura around the Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland region.
Keen to know more? Click below:
https://www.blakenz.org/2026/05/11/blake-environmental-educator-part-time/

05/05/2026

The Ocean Race stopover team in New Zealand has confirmed a partnership with BLAKE as official charity partner of the New Zealand stopover - coming to Auckland in February 2027!!

We're excited to be part of this collaboration which carries forward Sir Peter Blake's legacy of ocean advocacy.

Speaking in front of Steinlager 2 at a media launch this week, The Ocean Race Chair Richard Brisius spoke about the special connection between Sir Peter Blake, The Ocean Race, and it’s return to New Zealand.

Sir Peter Blake is an icon of The Ocean Race, and his time spent competing in the event helped inspire him to become a champion for the health of the ocean. The Ocean Race is committed to using its platform to raise awareness of critical issues such as ocean health and climate change. We're very proud to be the official charity partner of the Auckland stopover, and excited for February 2027!!

Full release below;
https://mediacentre.theoceanrace.com/en/press-releases/en/93f258

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http://www.blakenz.org/

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