At Mazda, we believe in the importance of two simple words: Zoom-Zoom. From the way our cars look, to the way they drive, these two words encapsulate everything we strive for. They represent excitement. They represent connection and the thrill of the drive.
They represent us, and they’re in everything we do.
The Mazda Foundation was established in 2005 as a way for Mazda New Zealand to give back to the community and is based on the philosophy that a little goes a long way to making a difference.
The Foundation is funded through a contribution from the sale of every new Mazda in New Zealand, support from Mazda Dealers and via special fund raising activities as well as seed capital from Mazda Motor Corporation in Japan.
Each year, the Mazda Foundation runs three funding rounds with a particular focus on supporting causes related to education, the environment, and the arts. To date, more than $4.3 million has been gifted back to the community via groups and individuals across the country who have applied for funding.
Learn more about the Mazda Foundation or apply for funding here.
The Mazda Foundation was established in 2005 as a way for Mazda New Zealand to give back to the community and is based on the philosophy that a little goes a long way to making a difference.
The Foundation is funded through a contribution from the sale of every new Mazda in New Zealand, support from Mazda Dealers and via special fund raising activities as well as seed capital from Mazda Motor Corporation in Japan. Each year, the Mazda Foundation runs three funding rounds with a particular focus on supporting causes related to education, the environment, and the arts. To date, more than $4.3 million has been gifted back to the community via groups and individuals across the country who have applied for funding.
Learn more about the Mazda Foundation or apply for funding here.
The TREEmendous Education Programme, led by Ruud ‘the Bugman’ Kleinpaste, fosters environmental literacy – teaching children and the wider community about the importance of caring for the environment through hands on learning.
Each year, five winning schools receive a visit from Kleinpaste and Shark Scientist Dr Riley Elliott who educate students about the importance of caring for the environment. Kleinpaste spends an additional day with teachers to discuss their individual school environments, identifying ways to use their outdoor areas as teaching tools, and provides guidance on a specific environmental project of their choice. Each of the five winning schools will also receive a $1,000 cash grant as well as 200 native trees from TREES THAT COUNT.
Learn more here >
We’re thrilled to team up with some great inspirational Kiwis who share the same goals and vision as the Mazda Team to do good in the community.
Adventurer and Shark Scientist, Dr Riley Elliott is an avid surfer, scuba diver and spear fisherman as well as a passionate shark conservationist.
He was not always a fan of sharks – originally studying dolphins for his degree. While doing research in Fiordland’s Doubtful Sound he had his first shark encounter which sent him panicking to the surface – only to discover that it was a harmless one-metre School Shark!
He literally turned his fear to fascination. Dedicating more than a decade to academic research of these apex predators for their conservation. He was instrumental in the banning of shark finning in New Zealand and shark culling in WA and free-dives without a cage with some of the most dangerous shark species. Most recently Riley has taken his passion for shark conservation to the world through the Discovery Channel, hosting his own Shark Academy series along with a multitude of Shark Week specials.
Riley has been an integral part of the Mazda TREEmendous team, helping to plant over 40,000 native trees and plants at schools as well as being an inspiration to students and teaching them the importance of caring for our environment and the important role our oceans play.
Like Mazda, he is driven to conservation of our environment for future generations.
Photo: Riley and Mako Shark
Photo Credit: Shawn Heinrichs
Affectionately known as “the Bugman”, Dr Ruud Kleinpaste (MNZM) is passionate about promoting environmentally friendly agricultural techniques, protection of endangered NZ birds, and most famously, the understanding and appreciation of insects, spiders and other terrestrial arthropods.
Since the ‘80s he has advocated the plight of creepy crawlies on radio as well as TV shows in NZ and worldwide through Discovery Channel and Animal Planet. In 2018 he was awarded an Honorary New Zealand Order of Merit for services to entomology, conservation and entertainment.
His enthusiasm for Environmental Education is boundless – so it was a natural fit for him to be the Mazda Ambassador and driving force for TREEmendous Education Programme. He would love nothing more than our younger generation to all be Science and Nature-literate and his strategic aim is to inspire teachers into Nature-Literacy.
Championing biodiversity, he shares his knowledge in a fun and easy manner so that everyone can learn in nature – using the environment as a context for education.
We are delighted to have Ruud on our team spreading his passion for the environment with teachers and students alike so that future generations and the wider community will all care and look after our environment.
Mazda are proud to have multi-talented singer, songwriter and jewellery designer, Boh Runga as a Mazda Foundation Trustee and Ambassador. With her band Stellar she has won numerous New Zealand Music Awards.
Her artistic flair and compassion make her a perfect fit for the Foundation. She is particularly passionate about initiatives that support the environment and children and has relished the opportunity to work with the Mazda Foundation in establishing numerous outdoor learning areas at schools throughout New Zealand as part of TREEmendous.
She shares the Mazda Foundation philosophy that a little goes a long way and is delighted to be part of the team lending a helping hand to kiwis making a difference in their communities.
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