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MISS EARTH AUSTRALIA
HELEN LĀTŪKEFU
DESCRIBE YOUR CHILDHOOD/GROWING YEARS
I grew up in Guildford a small suburb in Western Sydney. We moved in with my uncle when my dad left us, and for much of my life I had a strong independent single mother raise me. I am the eldest and only girl at home so from a young age I was always helping my mum.
For safety and practicality my mum dressed me a lot like a tomboy growing up. My family is very musical and when one person starts a song in the kitchen, another will join in from the lounge and another from the shower. We have endured a lot together as a family and we are very close because of it.
My mum invested in us to get swimming lessons and eventually we all swam competitively – sometimes swimming 6 times a week. I grew up in a very multicultural my bestfriends are muslim and buddhist and I am a Christian, we bond together over our love for our families.
For safety and practicality my mum dressed me a lot like a tomboy growing up. My family is very musical and when one person starts a song in the kitchen, another will join in from the lounge and another from the shower. We have endured a lot together as a family and we are very close because of it.
My mum invested in us to get swimming lessons and eventually we all swam competitively – sometimes swimming 6 times a week. I grew up in a very multicultural my bestfriends are muslim and buddhist and I am a Christian, we bond together over our love for our families.
WHAT IS YOUR MEMORABLE MOMENT?
Assisted in PhD research in the desert for 2 weeks with two guys I had never met. We were camped out under a milky way galaxy, and spent whole days hiking up and down sand dunes and conducting field work.
I had never seen red desert soil before that, I had never seen Australia like that, especially seeing our native animals roaming so freely. In the desert pursuing my purpose as a caretaker of the Earth makes me feel most beautiful!
I had never seen red desert soil before that, I had never seen Australia like that, especially seeing our native animals roaming so freely. In the desert pursuing my purpose as a caretaker of the Earth makes me feel most beautiful!
ANY SPECIAL STORIES OR FACTS ABOUT YOUR FAMILY?
My family originates from Tonga and Scotland. One of my great great grandpas arrived in Australia on the 3rd fleet as a convict. My Tongan side hail from a tiny island in Tonga called Tungua and another that is famous for fruit bats called Kolovai.
I am a proud Tongan Australian woman. I especially want to use the opportunities I am given here in Australia to give back to my culture, especially because they are the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
My grandma and mother are both super adventurous and down to earth women and I think I am a product of their great example.
I am a proud Tongan Australian woman. I especially want to use the opportunities I am given here in Australia to give back to my culture, especially because they are the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
My grandma and mother are both super adventurous and down to earth women and I think I am a product of their great example.
WHAT IS THE MOST UNUSUAL THING YOU HAVE EVER DONE?
In year 11 I shaved my long beautiful curly hair to raise funds for the Leukemia foundation as a part of the World’s Greatest Shave we were able to raise a couple thousand dollars.
I have helped track dingoes with satellites, snorkeled to set up food baits to study fish eating habits and also measured microplastics under a microscope - but these are all kind of normal in Ecology!
I have helped track dingoes with satellites, snorkeled to set up food baits to study fish eating habits and also measured microplastics under a microscope - but these are all kind of normal in Ecology!
WHAT TIPS CAN YOU SHARE TO PROMOTE ECOTOURISM & CLIMATE CHANGE?
- Be respectful to the culture, traditions and meaning of the land that you travel to. Especially in Australia, the land is an intrinsic part of first nations people’s customs and beliefs.
- Educate yourself before you go on what is appropriate in different cultures or get a local guide, this way you can ensure that you are being respectful and won’t offend the locals. Also be open to making mistakes and do your best to accommodate others where you can.
- A lot of airlines have a carbon offsetting option, so paying this extra fee is one small way we can lessen our carbon footprint when travelling.
- Instead of using climate change as a buzzword, we should start breaking it down to what it actually is (and that is different for everyone across the globe). Let’s highlight the research that exists, and give people perspectives they can hopefully empathize with.
- Its important to also recognize that there are a lot of groups, and organizations actively mitigating climate risks, rather than saying “we need to do more or we need to solve climate change” lets change the narrative to supporting these groups through promotion and funding.
- Educate yourself before you go on what is appropriate in different cultures or get a local guide, this way you can ensure that you are being respectful and won’t offend the locals. Also be open to making mistakes and do your best to accommodate others where you can.
- A lot of airlines have a carbon offsetting option, so paying this extra fee is one small way we can lessen our carbon footprint when travelling.
- Instead of using climate change as a buzzword, we should start breaking it down to what it actually is (and that is different for everyone across the globe). Let’s highlight the research that exists, and give people perspectives they can hopefully empathize with.
- Its important to also recognize that there are a lot of groups, and organizations actively mitigating climate risks, rather than saying “we need to do more or we need to solve climate change” lets change the narrative to supporting these groups through promotion and funding.
WHAT MAKES YOU PROUD OF YOUR COUNTRY?
I am proud of the uniqueness and resilience of my county’s fauna and flora. We have some of the toughest and most variable environmental conditions, but our native wildlife is well adapted to it.
I am proud of my Western Sydney community. We are made up of dreamers, immigrants, refugees – people who have come from far and wide hoping to make use of the opportunities available in Australia. I am proud of how all our cultures come together in one place in a mostly harmonious way.
I am proud of my Western Sydney community. We are made up of dreamers, immigrants, refugees – people who have come from far and wide hoping to make use of the opportunities available in Australia. I am proud of how all our cultures come together in one place in a mostly harmonious way.
WHAT IS YOUR ADVOCACY?
My advocacy is called the Ecosystem Mindset.
Ecosystems can be defined as a community of living organisms, their physical environment, and all their interrelationships in a particular unit of space.
As an ecologist I have grown to marvel at the way everything is interconnected, and also how small actions we take can have large impacts through time. I want people to know how important they are, but also the extent to which - what they do matters.
I believe that a lot of environmental issues require collective efforts, and that starts with each of us as individuals. Especially I want to draw people back to the framework of caring for nature, and reconnecting with it so that they feel more inclined to respect and look after it.
Ecosystems can be defined as a community of living organisms, their physical environment, and all their interrelationships in a particular unit of space.
As an ecologist I have grown to marvel at the way everything is interconnected, and also how small actions we take can have large impacts through time. I want people to know how important they are, but also the extent to which - what they do matters.
I believe that a lot of environmental issues require collective efforts, and that starts with each of us as individuals. Especially I want to draw people back to the framework of caring for nature, and reconnecting with it so that they feel more inclined to respect and look after it.