Friday, May 15th, we visited with a lovely lady named Cath Wallace for our first formal lecture setting. Cath has been an advocate for environmental issues for most of her time on this Earth now, and her stories and lecture was quite humbling. I realized how ignorant and nieve I truly was in the struggles that New Zealand faces currently, as well as in the near future. I do not believe that any books that I could have read would have prepared me for the intricate details of New Zealands issues as elloquently as Cath reiterated them.

Our second meeting was with Herb Christopher, a senior advisor for the New Zealand DoC or Department of Conservation. Obvioiusly a very motivated and inspired gentleman, Herb again addressed some of the issues that Cath spoke of, but seemed to be sticking more to solutions rather than problems. I respected that. I can tell from both of their lectures that a task of this sorts is quite daunting, but every little step in the right direction is a reward that can not be measured in Eearthly terms.

Most of the topics covered pushed the spectrum of Environmental Politics, a subject that I truley have no interest in. I become quite frustrated when this topic arrises because of the apparent issues and the seeming lack of will to confront theses by political bodies. It really puts in perspective what one who chooses this life is up against. I have the upmost repsect for any folk that have the determination to dedicate their life to this.

All my thoughts on that for now, cheers!