Every year, many of us make new year promises of self-improvement and charity. In 2020, many of those resolutions revolve around pledging allegiance to the environment, or are very personal, writes
On Thursday, Miriam Freeman-Plume gently lowered a small rimu tree into the cool earth and packed the dirt in around it, thus marking the launch of a family project.
They had spent New Year’s Eve in Rotorua, under an eerie, orange sun – a long-distance reminder of the bushfires across the Tasman. ‘‘It was really, really hard to ignore that something big was going on,’’ she said.
As the destruction caused by the Australian bushfires escalated at the end of last year, ‘‘there was the feeling of, ‘Oh gosh, what can we do’?’’
She and her husband and their two children, aged 4 and 9, resolved to plant 365 trees – one for every day of the year – as a way to take action. ‘‘It felt like a goal that was achievable, but also ambitious, but not so ambitious that we would never do it."
They couldn’t afford to buy 365 established trees, so would be starting with baby seedlings and nurturing them until they could be planted.
She didn’t know yet where that would be, but was considering a disused grazing paddock nearby – they live in Porirua – available for planting.
Angus Webster, 25, is trying to strike a balance between his ethics and meat consumption.
The crunch of foliage in a cool forest, and the deafening crack of a rifle, are a far cry from the harsh lights and incessant digital beeps at
Zealanders in 2020.
It was the third most popular resolution, behind exercising more and eating a better balanced diet, and ranked ahead of smoking or drinking less and seeing loved ones more often.
Pelle Kulsvehagen Himmelmoe will turn 28 on February 29, a special day that for him only comes around every four years. It’ll be special for another reason too – it’s the date he’s set for himself to fully come out to his friends and family that he is transgender.
A letter he has written to his Norway-based mum informing her of his transition is winging its way overseas now.
‘‘I don’t think she’ll be very surprised,’’ Himmelmoe said. ‘‘A part of me thinks she already knew.
‘‘She used to send me articles about people transitioning because she thought I’d find them interesting. I don’t know if she did that intentionally.’’
Sending the letter was a ‘‘huge relief’’.
‘‘More than anything I just want to not have that secret anymore.’’
Himmelmoe has known since he was 4 that although he was born female, he identified as male.
Two years ago, he came out to his husband, who has been supportive.
Himmelmoe was already in discussions with his doctor about the next step. ‘‘It’s like a refresh button. I have moments where I’m like ‘argh!’ but mostly I’m just really at peace. It felt like a necessary thing to do.’’