Terri-Ann Berry

For Terri-Ann Berry, sustainability is a dandelion - bright, positive, and ever present. Something so ordinary you almost don't notice it, nurtured by space, freedom, and the sound of birds and rain. It's an apt metaphor for someone whose approach to change is less about grand gestures and more about the quiet, consistent work of bringing people together.

As Director of the Environmental Innovation Centre, Terri-Ann has spent her career at the intersection of engineering, community, and sustainability - driven by a conviction that the best ideas often come from the people least likely to be in the room. Her advice to rising change-makers reflects this: learn to make others feel comfortable and relaxed, listen to the quiet achievers, and never be intimidated by the loudest expert. "You can facilitate change this way without having to have all of the answers yourself," she says.

One relationship above all others has shaped her path. Working alongside Leonie Metcalfe - a nurse who developed mesothelioma after workplace asbestos exposure - Terri-Ann helped establish the Mesothelioma Support and Asbestos Awareness Trust. Leonie personally called every person who contacted the trust after their own diagnosis, despite her own prognosis, so that no one faced it alone. She passed away this year as New Zealand's longest surviving patient. The experience deepened Terri-Ann's belief that sustainability must encompass communities, not just the environment.

Her approach to stakeholders is warm and disarming - leading with enthusiasm, admitting freely what she doesn't know, and never underestimating the power of genuine human connection. The two biggest obstacles she faces are justifying the costs of sustainable outcomes and dispelling the perception that sustainability advocates are somehow impractical. It's partly why the Environmental Innovation Centre deliberately avoided green in its branding.

Terri-Ann sees Aotearoa's superpower in two things: the sheer beauty of the country - and the way communities rally together when things go wrong. All hands on deck, no questions asked.

If she could plant one seed of change, it would be simple and cumulative: consider using a little bit less of everything. From the shampoo in the shower to the food bought just in case, small reductions across millions of people add up to something significant.

Read Terri-Ann's answers to Blooming Sustainability to explore how human connection, community resilience, and a dandelion's quiet persistence can drive meaningful environmental change.

BLOOMING  Sustainability Questionnaire

Name: Terri-Ann Berry

Company & Title: Environmental Innovation Centre, Director

Website & LinkedIn Profile: https://www.environmental-innovation.nz, https://www.linkedin.com/in/terri-ann-berry-2890b6106/

* Guiding Values | Kaupapa

If sustainability were a flower blooming in your life, what would it look like? What nurtures it?

A dandelion – bright, positive and ever present – such a simple everyday thing that you don’t even really notice it. Nurtured by space, freedom and the sound of the birds and the rain.

A quote, personal motto or whakataukī that reflects your vision:

“I would advise young artists to paint as they can, as long as they can, without being afraid of painting poorly” – Claude Monet. In otherwords -it’s ok to make mistakes but never, ever give up.

If you could mentor a rising change-maker in Aotearoa, what advice would you share?  
Learn how to communicate properly with everyone and treat everyone equally. I think it is easily to be overwhelmed by an “expert” and they are just human like the rest of us. Likewise, it is easy to ignore many of the quiet achievers, who have the best ideas but are too afraid to share. Learn to make others feel comfortable and relaxed with you and you will find that you enjoy many rich conversations with lots of different people. You can facilitate change this way without having to have all of the answers yourself.

* Leading Change | Arataki

A key moment in your journey that shaped your path:

Meeting and working with Leonie Metcalfe. Leonie was a nurse who developed a terminal disease called mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos in the workplace. We worked together to create the Mesothelioma Support and Asbestos Awareness Trust to help people who were suffering from asbestos-related diseases (and silicosis) and to prevent further exposure to our community.

Leonie sadly passed away this year after being NZ’s longest surviving patient (close to 5 years). She was incredibly strong yet kind, funny and empathetic. Leonie personally called every individual who contacted the trust after their own diagnosis so that they weren’t alone, despite her own prognosis. She was an inspiration to me (and many others) to keep on supporting each other. For me, sustainability should encompass our communities too

What’s the main challenge you face in driving sustainability within your sector?

Can I have two ? firstly trying to justify costs associated with better sustainable outcomes (even if there is a clear long-term payback) and secondly dispelling the myths that those who push for sustainability are a little bit flakey ! For this reason (and the fact that I don’t really the colour)– We chose colours that avoided the green cliche from our company branding palette.

An area you need more support with:

My terrible memory (which only gets worse) and also not taking things so personally ! I definitely need a bigger and stronger backbone and it really frustrates me. I am easily crushed but I always spring back – partly because of the brilliant people I work with at EIC, I am so lucky – they are the best !

An Indigenous perspective you admire and want people to be mindful of:

Romani people – for their incredible resourcefulness and resilience as well as their storytelling capabilities

Your best approach for engaging stakeholders in meaningful dialogue about ESG:

I always approach everything with enthusiasm and energy and I think that this is infectious. I am not afraid to admit that I don’t know everything and I am always first to buy the drinks (my late father insisted that the latter point was a non-negotiable !).

What do you think is Aotearoa’s superpower in creating a sustainable future?  
This beautiful country – who wouldn’t want to sustain that ? but also the ability of the communities to get along and work together, especially when a catastrophe occurs – it’s all hands-on deck and I love that.

 * Surfing the Green Wave | Kakariki

Books, podcasts, courses or other resources that profoundly shaped your approach to sustainability:

The book “Feral” by George Monbiot about rewilding the land, sea and human life was such an eye-opener to me and I learnt a huge amount that I had never learnt anywhere else.

The documentary “Trashed” by Jeremy Irons which I used to watch with my engineering students every year. It is heartbreaking and so I used to bring bags of popcorn to watch it with. At the end – we discussed how we could change things for the better. The ideas and ingenuity of the students never ceased to amaze me.

And, of course, anything with David Attenborough in but especially the story of the Café marron plant – this plant had adapted to avoid predation by the giant tortoise. Then it was all but wiped out by human activity but brought back to life at Kew Gardens, London. I love adaptable other species can be - we can learn a lot from this

Events in Aotearoa or globally that you think are must-attend:

I am not a very keen or willing flyer so I tend to stay within NZ if possible but I like to indulge in the arts as much as I can, as an antidote to pushing the huge sustainability boulder up a hill for most of the time! I cannot walk past an art gallery and I also like to visit theatres, listen to live music and go to the movies. One specific thing I love to do every year is the Big Bike Film Night which is a fantastic compilation of cycling short films. The scenery, the stories, the struggles and the successes – its brilliant ! (and you don’t have to love bikes to love this).

A sustainable initiative or project in Aotearoa that deserves more attention:

Its really hard to name one but to all of those volunteers who spend their free time caring for our natural reserves and making sure that they are there for future generations. It can be hard work but so important to maintain open spaces for everyone. One example of this is the community who look after Centennial Park, North Shore, Auckland. I am not sure if they ever get thanked but I appreciate all that they do and all the others out there doing the same thing across the country.

If your work could plant one seed of change for the future, what would it be?

Consider using a bit less of everything ! from the shampoo you use in the shower, to the food you buy (“just in case”), clothes you didn’t really need etc. If everyone used a little bit less – we are on our way to sustaining the next generations.

The leader(s) you endorse for a future edition of Blooming Sustainability:

• Karen Gadomski, Dunedin City Council

• Ben Redwood, Mutu

• Jean-Luc, WasteX

• Jethro Drum, Good Wrap

• Anne Pezaro, Winstone Wallboard

 * One actionable takeaway for our readers to make a change today for a brighter tomorrow:
Consider using a bit less of everything

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