Jessica Lamb, Te Kaiārahi Rangatahi o te Taiao Youth Award receipient 2025. Image supplied
Jessica Lamb of Ōtautahi Christchurch has been awarded Forest & Bird’s Te Kaiārahi Rangatahi o te Taiao Youth Award for her leadership in Forest & Bird Youth and dedicated service to conservation and the environment.
Jess has made a big impact on Forest & Bird Youth since setting up a Youth Hub in her home town of Rotorua with her twin sister Kaitlyn in 2019.
“I think Forest & Bird Youth has really helped me grow. I've been so grateful for everything I've learnt and for all the people I've met throughout my journey at Forest & Bird,” Jess says.
“That's also why I'm so passionate to get other rangatahi involved because I know how inspired and empowered they can become.”
In Rotorua Jess led clean-up projects, plantings, trapping and composting projects, brought in new members, and worked closely with the Rotorua branch of Forest & Bird on predator control at their Tikitapu project.
Later as a University of Canterbury student, Jess went on to become a youth leader and coordinator of the Ōtautahi Christchurch Youth Hub in 2022 and national Youth Director in September 2023.
Jess says she and Kaitlyn have worked on environmental projects together since setting up the Rotorua hub and both were at Canterbury University until Jess finished her geography and environmental science degree last year.
“We’ve been on this journey together and we inspired each other throughout the whole time,” she says.
Shreshaa Guhan, Jess’s successor as the national Youth Director, says Jess has inspired other young people to join forest & Bird Youth.
“She has inspired others to become leaders to carry on her positive legacy,” Shreshaa says. “Jess’s strength lies in her ability to connect people and organisations, and bring multiple perspectives to the table.”
As leader of the Ōtautahi Christchurch hub, Jess was “incredibly passionate” about fighting the Fast-track Approvals Act as well as leading restoration work, tramping trips and other events, Shreshaa says.
After taking over as national Youth Director, Jess organised events including an online youth hui in February 2024 and a youth advocacy workshop during Forest & Bird’s centennial celebrations. She formed official partnerships with other organisations such as School Strike 4 Climate, Gen Z Aotearoa, and Generation Zero.
This year Jess started work at Without Waste, a business that aims to help businesses and events eliminate or reduce waste. Minimising waste and food sustainability is an interest Jess and Kaitlyn have shared since their Rotorua Youth Hub days.
Jess stepped down as Youth Director in October last year, but she is still involved in mentoring Youth Hub leaders as Youth Advisor to Forest & Bird Youth.
This year, she also started a local hub for Athletes in Nature, a group of outdoor enthusiasts acting to protect the environment and educate others about environmental issues.
For the future, Jess said she continues to have a strong interest in waste minimisation, food sustainability, and restoring our connection to nature.
“Growing up in Rotorua, I had a strong love for the forests so forest regeneration is something I would love to do more mahi in,” she says.