Fo Guang Shan New Zealand
November 15, 2023

The Buddha’s Light International Association’s (BLIA) North and South Island Chapter responded to the Global VEGRUN Campaign initiative promoted by the BLIA Headquarters. The Temple collaborated with local schools, promising that for every 10 km run by participating students, BLIA NZ would donate a tree to support New Zealand’s tree planting project. The VEGRUN program aims to encourage nationwide participation in Earth care.

Abbess Manshin introduced the Global VEGRUN Campaign initiative. photo／FGS NZ

On November 10th, a donation of 500 trees was held at the Fo Guang Shan Temple in Auckland. On behalf of the Temple and BLIA NZ, Abbess Manshin presented the funds to Trees That Count, a national tree-planting organization in New Zealand. The organization’s efforts are aligned with the government’s goal of planting one billion trees to save the Earth. Ms Melanie Seyfort, the Head of Marketing and Partnerships at Trees That Count, accepted the donation. The event was witnessed by Heath McNeil, Principal of Ormiston Primary School; Yulin Ku, President of BLIA North Island Chapter; Advisor Sally Wong and BLIA committees.

In 2023, 800 students from Ormiston Primary School, 550 from Howick Intermediate School in Auckland, 230 from Hornby High School, and 100 from St Thomas College in Christchurch actively participated in this initiative. Principal McNeil expressed gratitude for the invitation to join the VEGRUN program. Besides having the students running for trees, he also made an additional donation of 100 trees on behalf of Ormiston Primary School, bringing the total to 200 trees to support the cause. He also committed to involving other schools in the Flat Bush area in this Earth-saving activity. Head Seyfort was deeply moved by the global tree-planting initiative and the 3G4G Festival of Cultural Sharing education program, which works with local schools to promote good values. She was also impressed by the annual Art Salon exhibition that supports local artists and by the dedication of BLIA Team to societal concerns.

Ms Melanie Seyfort expressed that she gained much from the visit. photo／FGS NZ

On behalf of the Temple, Abbess presented Head Seyfort with a book 366 Days With Wisdom by the Founding Master of Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order, along with a 2023 BLIA NZ Activity Report. Seyfort expressed that she gained much from the visit and was excited to share the information with her team. She would love to bring the CEO of Trees That Count on her next visit.