When Skye Bortoli speaks, the world listens. At just 16-years-old Skye has a list of achievements that any diplomat would be proud to claim. At the age of eleven she had already decided on her primary goal; the total protection of whales. Dedicated and determined, Skye is an effervescent realist and conservationist with a passionate interest in positively shaping the world around her.
Skye Bortoli is a great role model for young girls and she has the same attitude as the new Moxie Girlz – she saw a problem that needed to be fixed and she’s doing everything she can to fix it! Money raised from Moxie Girlz doll sales will allow Skye to continue her fight and will assist in the development of new Teens Against Whaling campaigns, to build awareness for her cause. Together Skye and Moxie Girlz are sure to inspire young girls, so they believe that they too can achieve their goals.
B&L: What made you decide you wanted to make a difference in the world?
Skye: There are so many problems in the world as it is; our earth is becoming broken beyond repair. I hope by making a small difference I can improve the future for our kids.
B&L: Tell us about your work so far…
Skye: So far, I’ve presented 40,000 signatures to the head of the IWC in Alaska, 132,000 to the democratic party of Japan (the party who have recently gone into power) and had countless meeting with politicians around the world.
I started my own organisation called Teens Against Whaling, published a book with the ABC called Eco-Warrior and just recently Teens Against Whaling has launched it latest campaign called Postcards for Preservation, we are hoping to give a million signatures to Barrack Obama next June!
B&L: What efforts have you made to save the whales?
Skye: Anything and everything I possibly can.
B&L: What is it about whales that you love the most?
Skye: They are just the most beautiful, peaceful creatures in the world. They’re almost like the closet thing we have to humans, in the way they communicate and interact with each other.
B&L: Do you have any advice for other teens who want to get behind a good cause?
Skye: Every little bit helps. The simplest way to help is to head online and find all the information you can about a cause and then share it with a friend, then hopefully they’ll share it with another friend.
Word of mouth is the most effective way of getting the message out there. If you want to do something a little more serious, just remember to believe in yourself and never lose sight of what you’re fighting for.
B&L: What is it like to be involved with new girl doll brand, Moxie Girlz?
Skye: Moxie Girlz dolls are so much fun to work with! Plus they are generous enough to be donating $1 from every doll purchased to my organisation, Teens Against Whaling throughout the months of September and October, with the hope of raising $30,000. It’s an absolute honour to be working with dolls that that have a positive message and aim to inspire creativity and passion.
In today’s society it’s so important for companies like Moxie Girlz to get behind great causes. I’m honoured that they think myself and Teens Against Whaling are making a difference and I hope that by working together, we can inspire other young girls to live their dreams.
B&L: Do you consider yourself to be a regular teenager, and how do you like to spend your spare time?
Skye: Yes, I’m definitely just your average teenager, or perhaps the average year 11 student - I sleep, eat and study. But when I do get free time I love heading to the beach, snowboarding, hanging out with friends and anything that’s fun and exciting.
B&L: Have you had a good reaction from your friends about your conservation efforts?
Skye: My friends are really supportive and it’s always great to be able to go back to school after a crazy trip over the other side of the world, as they’re often completely oblivious to the crazy stuff that happens in my world - they keep me sane!
B&L: What has it been like winning so many awards?
Skye: I really don’t think I’ve done that much to deserve them, but it’s amazing to be recognised for doing the things you love.
B&L: What’s next for Skye Bortoli?
Skye: Watch out Barrack Obama, Skye Bortoli’s coming to Washington! Hopefully we can get a meeting with the president and present him with a million signed postcards and hopefully he can finally put an end to the needless slaughter of whales forever - which would ultimately make my life a very boring, normal one. I think I’ll save the polar bears next, or take up knitting!
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