As an ambassador for the environment, I endeavor to raise awareness of major issues such as global warming through education programs for our youth. I strongly believe that educating our youngest generation will aid them in understanding what impact our environmental issues, have on the future of our mother earth and what we can do to ensure living in a sustainable and environmental friendly world. Teaching them simple things such as planting trees to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, choosing alternatives to transportation such as walking, bike riding or carpooling, using energy efficient appliances, and implementing the slogan “reduce, reuse, recycle” which all have an enormous impact on the effects of global warming. Although we are too late to find a cure we are never too late to reduce its effects. I am currently working at Bonnyrigg high school where I hope to introduce minor education programs that are designed to teach students what they can do everyday individually to help protect our mother earth and keep her from deteriorating. My goal is to implement such programs in other schools throughout the country.

I am proud to be representing my country Australia mainly due to our multiculturalism and belief systems. Australian society today made us a strong nation composed of great diverse nations. Multiculturalism is the act of advocating or encouraging integration of people of different countries, ethnic groups and religion into society. It is the philosophy that underlies the government’s multicultural policy and programs. It recognizes, accepts, respects and celebrates our cultural diversity. Throughout Australia today there are people from a staggering range of over two hundred countries. I feel that within Australia today everyone has benefited in one way or another from the migration of people into Australia. Despite what was originally thought about foreigners and migrants in earlier times, a lot has changed and most Australians as a whole are proud of their people and country. It is a nation that many people from around the world call home. Australian also has developed and implemented environmental management strategies with the help of different organizations that target various issues that are posing an influence on our nation and our world. Organizations such as Landeare Australia have been established to harmesses indivuduals and groups under the ethic of earing for the land since it had its genesis in initiatives to improve agricultural productivity through sustainable land managements. The movement has grown from this to a broader focus on sustainable managements of all of Australia’s natural resource assets and now encompasses individuals and group across the whole landscape from coastal to urban and remote areas of Australia. With our country developing such initiatives we are taking a step forward in making our world a sustainable and environmentally aware place.

I have grown up in a close and supportive environment, where the importance of family has always been valued. We would often be going on family holidays with my grandparents, bonding with each other with love and support. I was always very active, and most of my nights were spent at either dancing or involving physical culture. Looking back today I have to say I have most supportive parents. Wherever I needed to go or whatever I needed they would provide me, wanting to give me the best shot at life and for that I couldn’t thank them enough. I was also very academic, making time for my studies and attending extra classes on weekends to enrich myself with further knowledge. I always enjoyed what I did, there wasn’t an opportunity I didn’t take and that has shaped me into the person I am today.

One of the biggest life lessons I learned during my growing years was if you are committed you see it through no matter what. My mother had always taught me that if we start something or make a commitment to someone then we should always honor it. This also taught me a sense of responsibility as I gained an understanding of my actions, accepting the consequences that come from them and accepting that what you do impacts those around you. I also learned the power of positivity. A quote has stuck with me, and that is “whatever the mind perceives you can achieve”. This helped to show me that with a positive mindset anything is possible, and although we go through periods of hardship and trials we will always come out the other side if our mind is clear and positive.

One of my most memorable moments would be going for walks on the mountain with my Pop. Travelling to the central coast was always something special; it meant that we were spending time with two of our most loved people in the world, my grandparents. We would often set out on adventures, walking through Kineumber mountain, which we now call Poppy’s mountain. We would often take empty Milo tins so we could fill them with the native gumnuts we collected on the way. I would echo my pop’s voice when he sings along to his favorite made up songs. He would often point out different trees and give us a brief history of their origin. More often than not, we would come back with multiple cuts up our legs and dirty clothes of which I am sure my mother enjoyed cleaning. What made it so special was that what once was a brief walking adventure turned into a tradition, a memory that has and will last forever.

My environmental advocacy is educating our youth in understanding the importance of preserving and conserving our environment today as we know it. I strongly believe that by educating our younger generations, who are ultimately our future, we are ensuring that the needs for the protection of our mother earth is being heard and answered. If our youth are knowledgeable in terms of major environmental issues which our earth is facing, we can nurture their dedication to the preservation and conservation of the environment so that they may too be able to enjoy the beauty of our world. Such an understanding means that not only will our youth recognize environmental issues but also be able to act on them in a positive manner to ensure our world stays as it should in years to come. It is time we gave back to our mother Earth, for she provides for us each day.

We can all use energy more efficiently. This means acknowledging that we can make a difference at an individual level, taking the steps to avoid wasting energy, and finally being smarter in using energy. My biggest tip would be looking at how we use energy in our own homes and working out ways in making energy work more for us while using less energy. By doing the little things such as switching to energy efficient appliances, turning off
appliances if not being used, using renewable energy resources such as solar heating, flushing economically and installing water saving shower heads we are ultimately making a difference in how we use energy and turning to more efficient energy usage practices. We all have the power to make a difference, big and small, and by recognizing how important our actions are on the sustainability of mother Earth we can start to change our environmental footprint.

I am a motivated person who is always willing to take up a challenge. Entering Miss Earth has been an experience I will never forget as I have gained so much. Being able to give a voice to our environment has given me the opportunity to make my mark on protecting the future of our earth and sharing its importance with those around me.