Shining World Compassion Award Recipient: Anika Beren – Supporting Animal-people Welfare with Native Trees

What kind of businesses can help animal-individuals, support ecology, and stimulate local markets all at once? Anika Beren, a ten-year-old tree and animal-people lover from Kerikeri, New Zealand, found the answer by creating an eco-seedling business that generates gifts to animal-people welfare.

With the help of her grandpa, Anika collected the seeds of native trees from her family property and grew them into seedlings. Caring for people of the animal kingdom, Anika planned to sell her seedlings at $10 each on market day to support Bay of Islands Animal Rescue, a volunteer group that re-homes lots of mistreated and abandoned animal-individuals.

“This is my Grandad, Koko, and he has really helped me a lot with this project, kept me on top of watering, fertilizing, re-potting, and it’s just really helped. And he’s the best.” “I did suggest that we plant trees that would be tremendously helpful for our native birds, our wood pigeons, our tuis, and all the other birds that fly around our home. Without our trees we’re not going to have rainfall, without our trees, our birds will die. Virtually all the trees that we have grown are either designed to help with the rainfall, hence the kahikatea; these other plants will enhance our bird life and hopefully quadruple their population within the next 5 to 10 years.”

Last December, our Beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai: “Joyfully present the Shining World Compassion Award to Anika Beren, plus a US$10,000 loving contribution to support this noble cause, with thanks and love.”

“Dear Anika, It is with great admiration and gratitude that we present to you the ‘Shining World Compassion Award’ for making a difference in the lives of animal-people by raising money for a rescue charity. This Award is presented in recognition of your pure-hearted love for our furry friends, wanting the best for them and setting a moral example in the community of how important it is to respect and care for innocent people of the animal kingdom. May you be graced with Heaven’s light and protection, always. In God’s Loving Embrace Supreme Master Ching Hai”