Athletes for Nature: Mentorship Programme

Do you care deeply about our planet?
Do you want to do something about it, but don’t know how?

This mentorship programme will inspire you to take meaningful steps towards making a difference in your community and assist you in delivering your own community project.

You will learn from leading experts, gain insights that will elevate your knowledge of planetary health, and receive ongoing support to deliver your project for your community.

You either already have a project in mind or want assistance in developing one.

Your project can be for your immediate family or neighbourhood, or as far-reaching as your workplace, sports club or not-for-profit community group.

Starting Monday, 11 August, we will deliver 4 informative sessions with guest presenters on successive weeks, followed by a check-in 1 month later, and a final debrief 2 months after that.

All sessions will be delivered online on a Monday, 7 PM New Zealand time. We welcome participants from abroad.

For our very first cohort, participation is free; however, there are 3 requirements for participants:

• You are an Athletes for Nature member - just $40 to join

• You have a passion for the outdoors

• You commit to delivering a community project of your choice, big or small

Our 4 Guest Presenters:

Brent Westein

Brent is a People and Culture professional with a deep passion for both people and nature. Over the past 10 years, he has worked extensively with TetraMap to help individuals and teams build self-awareness, strengthen relationships, and foster communication. His approach is to give people practical tools to create positive human interactions so that people thrive.

TetraMap is a communication tool that is quickly understood using nature as a metaphor to help people understand their own communication style and, therefore, others', enabling conflict-free communication. The applications are many; however, at its core, people who know how to communicate and recognise other communication styles will create less conflict and be more successful when working with others. 

Dr Emma Church

Emma Church is a Research Fellow in Great Southern Reef Socioecology with the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies and the Centre for Marine Socioecology at the University of Tasmania.

Emma is currently leading an interdisciplinary research initiative focused on the socioecology of the Great Southern Reef. The Great Southern Reef is an interconnected system of temperate reefs spanning over 8,000 km around Australia's southern coastline, from Kalbarri in Western Australia to the NSW/Queensland state border. Emma is working closely with an Expert Advisory Panel (composed of researchers and managers from across UTAS and the other organisations involved in the Great Southern Reef Partnership project, funded by the Ian Potter Foundation) and Behaviour Works Australia to explore community awareness of the Great Southern Reef, identify drivers and barriers that enhance conservation behaviours, and develop strategies for fostering connection with and stewardship of Great Southern Reef ecosystems.

Professor Niki Harré

Niki Harré is a professor of psychology at the University of Auckland. Her research and teaching focus on the psychology of sustainability and how to work with people for a better world. She has written two books: Psychology for a Better World: Working with People to Save the Planet and The Infinite Game: How to Live Well Together.

Jason Reti-Thompson

Jason is Kaiārahi Kaupapa Māori for 2degrees. He is of Waikato and Ngāpuhi descent. His core responsibilities include delivering cultural capabilities to the organisation, delivering foundational concepts of Te Ao Māori and aiding teams to deliver concepts in a modern fashion.