Malika Costar

Kia ora! Nō Okinawa me Ingarangi ōku tupuna. I tipu ake au ki Hapani. Engari kei Tamakimakaurau taku kainga. Nō reira, ka mihi ki te maunga Te Aroha me te moana Tīkapa. Ko Costar taku whanau ingoa. Ko Malika taku ingoa.

Kia ora! My name is Malika, and I work as an environmental educator at BLAKE. I have been passionate about the ocean and protecting papatūāuku since I was little. I knew that I wanted to be a Biologist since I was 5 years old and spent much of my childhood in the ocean or exploring beaches.

My background is in Marine Biology and I have been based in Tāmaki makaurau for much of my life. I was born in Japan and come from a mix of ethicities, including Ryukuan indigenous to Okinawa and also English.

I am also a passionate freediver and artist. My time spent in the water inspires much of my marine watercolour paintings. I am also inspired by time spent in the forest watching native birds jump around in the trees.

After graduating with my MSc in marine biology and conservation biology I had a couple years off work to fight the biggest fight I’ve ever faced, cancer. At age 25 questioning my mortality, I learnt many valuable lessions. One of them being, not to sweat the small stuff.

My experience reinforced my calling to protect the natural world, and I’ve found deep fulfillment in educating and inspiring the next generation through my work at BLAKE.