At my sit spot, I imagine myself as a tree with many stories to tell within the city of Dunedin: given that Dunedin is home to New Zealand’s oldest university, I imagine that a lot of my stories revolve around students. Students coming to Dunedin for an education, and having a fun time around town after their studies. Though of course, the wilderness in Ōtepoti has existed long before the students. I imagine seeing the Water of Leith rushing through a more untamed version of town, and more bird varieties in the trees: perhaps I would actually see a tūī bird on campus, or more of my favorite kererū bird.

New Zealanders are no strangers to the pressing issue of climate change: as I walk down George Street in Dunedin, I see many posters urging people to take action about the current climate crisis; their presence hangs over the retail center of the city, and lingers in the back of my mind as I walk down the street. These posters are colorful with attention to artistic detail. While many of the posters have shown wear and tear, their presence on the walls is a constant reminder of how our actions are impacting the world as we speak. 

Last semester, I took a class at Wellesley about the ethics of meat-eating, where we discussed the advertising used in meat products. For example, milk in the U.S. is often labeled with images of free-roaming cows in green fields, with a red barnhouse not far in the background. This picturesque image couldn’t be further from the truth in the U.S. farming industry. I see in New Zealand supermarkets that this sort of labeling is also present on various animal products, but I feel it isn’t as widespread as it is back home. I think this may be attributed to how the issue of animal mistreatment isn’t as widespread in NZ as it is in the States, though that does not mean it is nonexistent. New Zealand’s attitude towards environmental protection (and subsequently, animal life), I feel, is generally stronger than that of the United States.