Sustainable Lens
Resilience on Radio
Every student can make a difference

Samuel Mann with Graham Henton [ 58:41 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Graham Henton is an inspirational Enviro Science Teacher at Whakatane Intermediate School, in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. We talk about his background, his approach to teaching and the restoration of the Awatapu lagoon and why he loves what he is doing. Talking points What a difference a child can make Every child – […]

Food sovereignty

Samuel Mann with Toi Iti [ 57:47 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Toi Kai Rākau Iti is of Tūhoe, Waikato and Te Arawa decent. An actor and documentary maker, he is back home in Tūhoe working with his community, Hāpu and Iwi. We talk about food sovereignty – agroecological regenerative systems which intersect western horticultural science with traditional Tūhoe ecological knowledge and practice. Talking points Transitioning […]

Zero-waste textile practitioner

Samuel Mann with Fiona Clements [ 55:07 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Fiona Clements of Senorita Awesumo and Sustainable Dunedin City describes the many challenges of the clothing industry – not least of these that it is a business model that relies on changing fashions. She describes social injustice, water use, manufacturers’ waste (call it what it is – wasted resource). But rather than complaining, she […]

Food systems whisperer

Finn Boyle variously describes himself as a compost nerd”, a “food philosophy explorer” and a “yeast whisperer”. Realising the question of “what am I eating?” took him down a rabbit hole, Finn saw that he needed to change the world and that his lever was food systems design. He embarked on a food design degree […]

Samuel Mann with Finn Boyle [ 57:26 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Transforming education

Samuel Mann with Paul LeBlanc [ 58:05 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Dr Paul LeBlanc is President of Southern New Hampshire University. He says his goal (and that of SNHU) is making the world a better and more just place – one learner at a time. And how they are doing it, at scale. We talk about the social justice underpinnings for College for America, and […]

Giving back to restore

Alyth Grant retired from an academic job teaching German and has launched into a retirement role with the Orokonui Ecosanctuary.  She tells us that the sanctuary is about protecting an ecosystem, it’s not a zoo.

Samuel Mann with Alyth Grant [ 53:56 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Talking points It felt like this was my opportunity to give back to what I’d always loved doing It […]

Social justice management framework

Bonnie Robinson is exploring the intersection of social justice and management.  She is drawing on a career in social services and putting it into practice in her role as Chief Executive of HBH Senior Living, focussing on meeting the needs of vulnerable older people.

Samuel Mann with Bonnie Robinson [ 56:58 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Talking points: Change comes about from change at systemic level You […]

Authentic change making

Scout Barbour Evans is many things – a student, an over committed volunteer, a transgender activist, a mayoral candidate to name a few.    We talk about an open society, where we value openess and authenticity and the importance of being openly mentally unwell and queer. Scout is committed to keeping learning and is a […]

Samuel Mann with Scout Barbour Evans [ 51:11 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Passion for creating change

Ashleigh Smith is Co-founder and Board Chairperson of Sticks n Stones, New Zealand’s largest youth led bullying prevention organisation.   She is a Queen’s Young Leader and a student in both the Bachelor of Nursing and Bachelor of Leadership for Change.

Shane Gallagher and Samuel Mann with Ashleigh Smith [ 55:17 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Talking points: If you are unhappy about something, do something about it! I have such […]

Passion behind business marae

Heidi Renata is the energy behind Dunedin’s Innov8HQ.  She is “inspiring people to follow their dream”.  

Shane Gallagher and Samuel Mann with Heidi Renata [ 56:15 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Talking points: Being a women and being Maori has presented itself as a form of unconscious activism. We’ve created a western and commercial version of a marae that brings people together and enables them to cross pollinate […]

Education of positive discourse

Oonagh McGirr is Deputy Chief Executive Learning and Teaching at Otago Polytechnic.

Shane Gallagher and Samuel Mann with Oonagh McGirr [ 55:03 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Talking points: Other people motive me, just working with other people is a privilege and a pleasure. I’ve worked in lots of places, Spain, Italy, Greece, Ireland, England and now in New Zealand. So, I feel really privileged because its basically like a […]

Representing environment

Samuel Mann with Bryan Scott [ 55:39 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Bryan Scott is an Otago Regional Councillor. With varied experience in science, engineering and agriculture, Bryan has a focus on integrating the science and the decision making. Thriving region with a community focus Graying of our environment Unintended consequences of development We need the environment to be there for our children, but we need […]

Transformational skills through enterprise

Samuel Mann with Colin Kennedy [ 58:52 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Dr Colin Kennedy is Head of Impact for the Young Enterprise Trust. We’ve been too busy focussing on the problems…it’s time for the solution section Enterprise is the most powerful agent of change we have – for good or bad. How could we have a bigger positive impact? Why wouldn’t you use something exciting […]

play> reflect> act

Shane Gallagher and Samuel Mann with Dina Buchbinder Auron and Edgardo Martinez of Education for Sharing. Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
We talk with Dina Buchbinder Auron and Edgardo Martinez of Education for Sharing. Education for Sharing’s (E4S) mission is to form better citizens from childhood through innovative education programs based on the power of play and physical activity. Their vision is for EfS to become an integral part of school communities globally. We ask about […]

Placing nurses as activists

Samuel Mann with Jean Ross [ 54:26 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Dr Jean Ross is a Principal Lecturer at Otago Polytechnic. She specialises in rural nursing and we ask her about the role of place and community, and how the professional responsibility of nursing operates at different scales. Commitment, drive and wanting to make a difference. To do nothing is not the option, to do […]

Big data habits

Shane Gallagher and Samuel Mann with Ben Anderson [ 56:41 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Dr Ben Anderson is Principal Research Fellow in the Energy & Climate Change Division of the Faculty of Engineering and the Environment at the University of Southampton, UK . We ask what big data can tell us about habitual energy and water consumption. Living beyond our means. We are currently living outside of our […]

Telling the story of science

Shane Gallagher and Samuel Mann with Amadeo Enriquez-Ballestero [ 57:17 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Amadeo Enriquez-Ballestero is science presentation co-ordinator at Otago Museum. If we all did a little bit, we could make big differences in the world. My motivation is offering the experiences that I would have wanted as a child to kids around New Zealand, and seeing that I can make a difference. Don’t stop feeling life […]

Creative technical innovation

Samuel Mann with Will Simm [ 57:50 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Dr Will Simm is a Senior Research Associate with the School of Computing and Communications at Lancaster University. He works in short lifecycle community-led digital technology innovation projects. Playful in space you wouldn’t expect Prototypes to understand problem space, not as a solution Perhaps the grandest challenge of our time, but beyond problematising individual’s […]