Ms PH Earth Gold Coast, Australia: Jennifer Hunt

NAME: Jennifer Hunt

REGION: Gold Coast, Australia

AGE: 25

Career or Occupation: Bachelor of Public Health majoring in Health Promotion, Class of 2012, Masters in International and Community Development – 1^st year

Hobbies: Charity, studying, gym, modelling, singing

How she describes her childhood: I grew up in a small country town. I had an ideal childhood as the eldest of two children, in a typical nuclear family. I spent the majority of my childhood playing sports. I did athletics, netball, soccer, tennis, squash and badminton.

Although my parents struggled financially, they always provided me with the tools to do well in all my hobbies and schooling. I attended a public primary school and was vice captain and sports house captain. I took piano lessons from a young age, competed in Eisteddfods and attended art classes. I attended 2 public high schools and 1 private high school. I represented my schools at state level in athletics, netball, basketball and touch football. I also played soccer and volleyball.

Environmental advocacy: I would like to evaluate the practicum project I started in five high schools in the province of Isabella and introduce a new environmental campaign to more developing communities and schools in the Philippines. This environmental campaign will include the previous waste management program. This would be extended to include natural disaster environment management, waste management and links to environment and public health and more community engagement.

I chose this environmental advocacy because I was deeply concerned about the environmental health impacts and issues affecting my mother’s home province and my relatives who still reside there. I would like to continue my work to help spread awareness and health education to help sustain the environment in Isabella. I would like to do this by creating a program that is applicable to any community in the Philippines and worldwide. The aim of this project will hopefully help influence a change in attitude and behaviors in regards to waste management and public and environmental health.

I believe every person should have access to clean renewable resources, opportunity to be a part of development and sustainability planning in their community. So that it can result in healthy and teachable behavioural  practices for healthy living environments and a sustainable future. That’s how I picture the perfect place I want to live. And this advocacy is my way of starting.

Tips to promote Eco-tourism: Implement a program that:

• Creates community programs that include all members of the community in the development and planning stages.
• Identifies objectives the community wants to prevent/sustain, how to obtain them and simple ways of implementing them.
• Develop and implement policy to ensure that it supports the program
• Have a role model/spokesperson that has the ability to deliver the program and engage with the community.

The main concept is including all community members, to encourage ownership of the development of sustainable eco-tourism in that community. – Rappler.com