Meet our new volunteer

Malo e lelei! 

I'm VEPA's new volunteer from Canada. I am studying for a Bachelor of Philosophy and Interdisciplinary Leadership at Renaissance College, a part of the University of New Brunswick. A truly wonderful and unique program that has helped me to be able to volunteer here in Vava'u. Aside from this, I am studying environmental science and plan on focusing my future studies on marine conservation, so I am extremely excited to have this opportunity to volunteer with VEPA and their amazing island preservation initiatives!

Growing up, I have always been involved with environmental programs in my community and school. The summer prior to this I had the opportunity to intern with the Nature Trust of New Brunswick, a non-profit land trust organization that focuses on education, stewardship, and conservation of significant land in New Brunswick. A truly amazing organization that inspired me to focus my studies on conservation, specifically marine conservation from working on the coastal preserves, which fit perfectly with the work that VEPA is currently undertaking. 

Left to right: Lisa, Meredith, Courtney and Seini

So far, my time in Tonga has brought me nothing but pleasure. I've experienced a feast, church, VEPA events, and have met so many incredible people. The kindness and hospitality that has been shown towards me so far has Tonga living up to its reputation of being the "Friendly Islands"! I'm looking forward to getting to know more about Tonga's people, culture, and ways of life in the next 11 weeks that I have with VEPA. 

Malo,

Courtney