From deckhand to executive director

Bunny (1956) is the only native New Zealander among the group. She grew up in a big family with five sisters. She met Henk in South America, when she was travelling around the world, and they have been a couple since. In the seventies they boarded the peace ship Fri, a sailing vessel that worked on social justice and environmental issues with local groups all around the world.

In 1984 Bunny was involved in the wonderful enterprise to turn the Rainbow Warrior into a sailing vessel. For six months they joined forces to rebuild the ship, in an isolated dock in Florida. They stitched huge sails, put a mast on deck and painted the ship from bow to stern.

From Florida they set off for one of the most important missions of the Rainbow Warrior: the Nuclear Free Pacific tour. Part of this mission was the evacuation of the whole population of Rongelap Island. Life on this heavenly island became impossible after the American nuclear tests in the fifties. Fish, shellfish and fruit became radio active and non edible. People got sick and women gave birth to ‘jelly fish babies’, children without bones. The Rainbow Warrior crew helped to dismantle their houses and brought the population to another island about 100 miles away, Mejatto. Bunny and Henk went back to Mejatto several times for the next 10 years to stay in touch with how the community was doing and see what kind of assistance they wanted from Greenpeace.

During the stop in Auckland in 1985 Bunny and Henk happen to be on shore when the bombs exploded. They received a phone call in the middle of the night with the dreadful news that their friend Fernando Pereira did not survive the attack. After this shocking event, and the loss of their boat and home, they decided to stay in Auckland and start working for Greenpeace New Zealand. Their daughter Ruby was born there.

Bunny developed herself in the fast growing organisation. She started off as a deckhand on board of the ships, became campaign leader developing the Pacific campaign work in 1987 and is now executive director of Greenpeace New Zealand. For her job during the week she lives in her apartment in Auckland, but on Friday she takes the ferry to Waiheke where she lives with Henk in Awaawaroa Eco-Village, in a house they built themselves from sustainable materials.

Over the years Bunny did not lose her ideals or her fighting spirit. She is still very much involved in changing the world. The biggest challenge Greenpeace is facing now is to stop climate change. All attention is focused on the Copenhagen Climate Conference in December 2009.