Education

Every year we deliver sustainable living workshops, events and experiences open to everyone. The new fit-for-purpose EcoHub enables us to continue our education for sustainability, strengthen our connection with people and build communities as we strive to foster a sense of stewardship for our living planet.

Our modes of learning are shifting to online spaces to complement our face-to-face interactive courses and workshops. 

Involving schools to help solve their local environmental challenges

We continually look for opportunities to support youth to achieve their environmental goals. In addition to the stream care project, we engaged with several local schools to contribute to their project-based learning, support them in their environmental initiatives or taught students a particular skill.

It has been rewarding working alongside these young people. These student-led projects provide an opportunity for them to connect and collaborate on active projects in the community, while achieving learning goals. These projects varied from working with the Design and Visual Communication class to working on environmental hub building design to work with a science class where a group of students from Hobsonville Point Secondary School worked in sync with wider community groups on pest monitoring lines and pest control through established trap lines in Hobsonville Point. Such projects are important for giving our biodiversity the best chance of survival.  

Raranga workshops

Our connection to harakeke has been strengthened through Takutai Moana Watts.  As a practitioner of indigenous weaving, we have been fortunate with our opportunities for Takutai to teach and share her rich knowledge.

In addition to running raranga activities with our volunteers, we also deliver a series of raranga harakeke workshops schools, such as Birkenhead College working with students taking up the Tikanga Māori classes as part of their curriculum. Covering karakia and fundamental protocol, there is a basic importance to understand that we begin with caring for the plants. Students are taught how the blades of harakeke are cut on an angle to prevent water build up and the amount that can be appropriately harvested from a stand of harakeke. When all blades have been harvested, the careful processing begins with trimming, sizing and softening of harakeke.

The creation of the kete was extremely successful for the students attaining their NCEA credits. The opportunities to provide for the transmission of traditional knowledge is incredibly enriching for our community and strengthens our whole systems approach in our work.

Igniting the desire to make a difference in local businesses

We regularly welcome Corporate Volunteering groups, with enthusiastic and passionate employees who recognise that every bit counts and how their bush regeneration activity contributes to restoring nature. Express your interest in Corporate Volunteering here.