When a six-year-old Parrys Raines questioned the need for sunscreen, she never expected her mother's answer to change the course of her life.
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The curious primary student was fascinated to learn about the hole in our ozone layer and the impact humans can have on the environment.
It sparked an immediate passion in the Mount Ousley girl, who continued to learn about environmental sustainability until age 14, when she launched her own educational website, Climate Girl.
At 19, the young entrepreneur and environmental law student is hoping to join 117 of Australia's top entrepreneurs heading to Antarctica in January for an 11-day conference, focusing on economic, social and global environmental issues.
"Antarctica is such a unique ecosystem ... so I hope to go there and a) learn from all these amazing entrepreneurs and build Climate Girl, and b) see the amazing ecosystem for myself, take photos and film to bring it back and share with other people," Ms Raines said.
The teen has already raised $3675 towards the journey, and is hoping to secure sponsors for her remaining gold ($5000) and platinum ($7000) packages.
If successful, Ms Raines, who earlier this year completed Climate Reality Leadership training with former US vice-president Al Gore, will be the youngest person to attend the Unstoppables expedition.
On Monday, she is re-launching her Climate Girl website, as a place where young people from around the world can share stories of environmental activism and collaborate on projects.
All generations must play a part in caring for the earth, she said. "On the boat, inter-generation communication is such a key factor, which is why I hope I can be there to influence these amazing business people."
