Kaiwaka

Background | Sub-groups | Latest Update

 

Background on Kaiwaka Initiatives

Kaiwaka is on SH1 between Wellsford and Whangarei, just south of the SH 12 turning to Dargaville and of the Brnderwyn Hills. Holiday visitors often know our Dutch Cheese Shop and the very funky Cafe Eutopia (which also sells organic food) and make it one of their regular breaks in their journey.

We are lucky in Kaiwaka as the town seems to attract alternative people. We have two Eco-Villages, Otamatea and Kohatu Toa but also many local people on life-style blocks are already trying to be less dependent on the main-stream economy. We have several inter-connecting networks which have been passing round videos (in one format or another) of movies such as "The End of Suburbia" for several years. The Koanga Gardens Shop, situated on the land of the Kohatu Toa Eco-Village, runs sustainable living workshops and the Koanga Institute is saving seeds suitable for our bio-region. We have an established Green $ Scheme here which is based at Kohatu Toa Eco-Village but which has many members from the broader community. The Green $ scheme has been operating for over 5 years and is a fantastic networking resource as well as supporting us to trade and exchange skills and time.

For information about Transition Town Kaiwaka please e-mail Sabine: pukahu@slingshot.co.nz or phone 09 431 2231

Our events are usually advertised in our local free paper The Bugle.

We now have a number of active subgroups but also continue to have regular Public meetings to continue to raise awareness.

 

SUBGROUPS

GARDENING / FOOD GROUP Our aim is to increase self-reliance in our local area in terms of food production and distribution. Current activities include working bees at different properties to help each other out, learn & share skills, network & build community links.

ORCHARD GROUP aims to find cheap or free sources of fruit trees and offer them to local schools leading to inspiration of families and adding to food security.

TRANSPORT GROUP Looking at opportunities around the local railway (currently a completely under-utilised resource with only a couple of goods trains through per day. For info contact m.tschirky@slingshot.co.nz

SEWING / CRAFT GROUP Meets regularly to share skills. Twelve people attended our most recent group session with people working on a range of projects including knitting, crochet, sewing, quilting and hooked rag rug making. A great way to network and learn. Contact pippa.andrews@hotmail.com

HEART & SOUL GROUP To offer & receive support for our inner transitions Contact pukahu@slingshot.co.nz

ALTERNATIVE ECONOMICS GROUPOur aim is to put in place a local economy that secures our future. Contact Helen: hgmarsh@xtra.co.nz

ECOMEDITATION: This group is currently in recess. Ecomeditation is one way to bring about inner change. It begins by connecting with Nature and the Earth. It branches out in many directions: 1) dealing with sadness and other difficult emotions around Climate Change, Peak Oil, and the changing times we live in. 2) creating love and community, and finding practical ways to live which support and nourish us. 3) guided meditations for healing the Earth, and ourselves, and for connecting with Nature.

 

 

UPCOMING DATES - 2010

 

Heart & Soul Group Next meeting Sunday 21 February 2-4pm place to be confirmed. Meeting after that Sunday 7 March.

Garden Working Bee possibly in February, but definitely again in March.

Notices We are repeating  our workshops Solar Energy in the first Positive Energy House of New Zealand. Since December 2008 this house delivers 3 times more electricity to the grid than needed and is monthly paid by the Energy Provider for its electricity production .

What : Workshop Solar Energy – REPOWER NZ plan

Why : lack of professional education and too much sceptism towards SOLAR ENERGY .

When :  open door workshop  monthly in our Positive Energy House ...

Next workshop : Saturday 27 th February at 10 am

Where : Positive Energy House at 114 Vista Lane - Kaiwaka;

Who should attend : builders-architects-developers- home-owners – students etc.

Our goals :

· To inform every ‘visitor’ on state-of-the-art Solar technology

· To promote renewable ‘technologies’ for all knowledge levels

· To educate and inform the basic working principles on solar energy

· To provide valuable , practical and correct information

· To provide logical and factual argument for the benefits of solar energy

· To educate the public on the benefits of sustainable energy

· To increase the interest for Solar Energy of all the possible users

Entrance Fee : $ 20 Looking forward to positive reactions , many regards

eric jansseune,  Solar Engineer,  Environmental engineering,  www.ewa-tec.com;  cell 021 022 31 700,landline 09 431 24 08

‘WORTHY WEEDBUSTERS’ SOUGHT FOR REGIONAL AWARDS

Weedbusters NZ is calling for groups, organisations, schools and individuals tackling weed issues in their communities to be nominated for the 2010 Regional Weedbusters Awards being run throughout New Zealand.

The awards recognise the efforts of those who get stuck in and deal with weed issues in their communities in a voluntary capacity.   The awards were launched nationwide in 2006, and were run again in 2008, with over 60 nominations each time.

Anyone can put forward nominations for these awards, even the weedbusters themselves.  Nominations are open until 31 March 2010, and nomination forms can be downloaded at www.weedbusters.org.nz.

“Every time we have run these awards, we have been amazed at the number  of ‘worthy weedbusters’ who are nominated,” says National Weedbusters Coordinator Carolyn Lewis.

“It’s wonderful seeing how many people are volunteering their own time in their own communities tackling weed issues and protecting natural areas that mean something special to them.” 

Weeds – invasive plant species that are damaging the environment – are a major issue in New Zealand, with most weed species having been ornamental garden species that ‘jumped the fence’ and established in natural areas, crowding out native species and destroying habitats. 

“Weedbusting is often part of a bigger restoration project being undertaken in areas such as bushland, sand dunes or wetlands, and it is often viewed as the least glamorous part of the work,” Ms Lewis says.

“The irony is that this ‘least glamorous’ work often is the key to the success of the restoration programme overall.”

Weedbusting efforts around New Zealand over the last few years have ranged from individuals working on their own properties to remove weedy species, to groups adopting natural areas such as bush remnants or wetlands and removing all weed species in that area. 

Joint efforts are often the most successful, with community volunteers working with schools, businesses, local and regional councils, and DOC to tackle weed issues.

There are five categories for the Weedbusters awards, all recognising weedbusting efforts:  public land, private land, industry/organisation, education, and overall excellence chosen from the previous four categories.

Weedbusters is an interagency programme supported by the Department of Conservation, Biosecurity New Zealand, Federated Farmers, Biodiversity New Zealand, NZ Landcare Trust, Nursery and Garden Industry Association, NZ Biosecurity Institute, NZ Plant Protection Society, and all unitary and regional councils in New Zealand. More information about Weedbusters is available on www.weedbusters.org.nz

Subgroups all meet regularly - please use contacts given in introduction for more info  or if dates are not shown here