By Charlotte Squire

When Ceiros Begg was a little girl, she and her mother spent hours walking the streets of Christchurch to visit thrift shops. No shop was too far away and mother and daughter didn’t let the lack of a driver’s licence hinder their hunt for some seriously good bargains. It wasn’t that they couldn’t afford new clothes, no, their pilgrimages were due to a deep passion for creating a unique sense of style, from recycled clothing.

Fast forward thirty years. Ceiros Begg is now the mother of three, living with her family in Golden Bay and she hasn’t forgotten her love of recycled clothing. In fact she’s turned her passion into Hit the Road Vintage, a New Zealand retro fashion shopping experience that just went live online.

Yes, Ceiros (who I’ve gotta say would look deeply stylish wearing an old sack) leads groups of women away to distant cities to tour vintage clothes shops so that they can “awaken their unique sense of style”. Where ever they go, Ceiros will find best recycled-clothing shops to visit, and she personally supports her ladies to cultivate their fashion expression by shopping alongside them.

Guided by a “strong sustainability ethic” Ceiros takes great delight in helping women develop and re-discover their personal sense of style, by investing in recycled clothes.

For Ceiros it’s not about the latest season’s fashion, or the most expensive label, for her it comes down to personal expression. In fact fact she’s big on helping us girls tap into our inner fashion gurus.

“It’s an amazing feeling knowing that you’re the only one on the entire planet with the look you’ve created,” she enthuses.

“We rummage through shops to find treasures and gems, clothes you don’t necessarily find in the mass produced sections of mainstream clothing.”

“We discover clothes that are nearly new, not worn or over stretched, and I make sure shoppers pay good prices, sometimes I even negotiate on their behalf for the price.”

In the fashion department, Ceiros manages to thoroughly lead by example. She appears to not merely dress, but decorate her body with vintage clothing in such a way that comes across as deeply stylish, and almost scarily glamorous.

She tells me this utterly unique form of style doesn’t come easy; a good day of op-shopping can equate to a decent physical work-out.

“It’s actually quite hard work. You do build up mussels in your arms and you strengthen your wrists, as you pull the coat-hangers past,” she says to my laughter.

And then there’s the feel good factor:

“You get a massive dopamine rush when you’re op-shopping, you get right into it, finding one treasure after another and you know that only you are going to have this look you’re creating”

So how can you jump on board the Hit the Road Vintage steam train? You can join a group of happy vintage shop-a-holics on a trip to check out the Love Vintage Show when it visits Hamilton from Sydney, this September on the 9^th and 10^th.

“Fifty plus vintage stalls travel with the Love Vintage Show, we’re lucky it’s coming to Hamilton. I’ll include a local op-shop tour as well”.

Finally, I hit Ceiros with a tall poppy question by asking her to describe the extra special edge she brings to Hit the Road Vintage.

“I would like to think I can re-ignite the fashion flair that everyone has. A lot of people are too scared to release it, I’m there to awaken that side of people, and I love creating outfits from vintage clothing.”

Check out the new Hit the Road Vintage website at: www.hittheroadvintage.com

Read the inspiring stories of our sponsors:

Billy Kerrisk, Ray White Real Estate New Zealand, Golden Bay branch

TIDY AS – AND OH THE SERENITY!

The picturesque Aorere Valley has so much to offer and this 7.7 hectare lifestyle block with a barn conversion style dwelling is a real gem. Everything is done; tight and tidy fencing; clean pastures; good water; established fruit trees and productive vege garden.

The large hangar shaped barn has been converted at the northern end into a comfortable home with some great features – my favourite is the scullery, a wet area currently set up for sausage making, meat packing and beer brewing. If… Read more.

Billy Kerrisk,

027 608 5606

billy.kerrisk@raywhite.com

Golden Bay office 03 525 7219

Sonaz Realty Ltd Licensed (REAA 2008)

Tui Balms is a worker-owned cooperative that began 27 years ago in Golden Bay with Tui Bee Balm, a remarkable healing balm made of beeswax and other natural ingredients.  An effective skin healer, Bee Balm has since become a New Zealand icon, the country’s favourite baby balm and the flagship of our popular range of natural skincare and healing balms. Our range of massage Balms with aromatherapy essential oils is the supreme medium for massage.  Tui Balms donates to charitable trusts in New Zealand. Last year, we donated over $30,000 to New Zealand charities! Find Tui Balms at your local health store or organic shop.

www.tuibalms.co.nz
contact@tuibalms.co.nz
ph 03 525 9654.

HealthPost is New Zealand’s favourite online retailer of natural health supplements, proudly based in Golden Bay. Established more than 20 years ago, HealthPost is still in ‘The Bay’ because, basically,we like living here! Our rural location poses logistical challenges from time-to-time (flooded rivers and road wash-outs!) but the dedication and ingenuity of our 38-strong team always gets us through. We’re committed to balancing profits and principles, donating more than $60,000 to charity in the past two years through our ‘doing WELL’ programme. We’re passionate about the products that

we sell and proud to be able to help people live WELL.

SPONSOR A GOOD NEWS COLUMN FOR YOUR COMMUNITY.

The (happy) end.

By Christine Reitze, organiser of Container Love

Christchurch residents have created a giant ‘Container Cosy’ to brighten up the shipping containers they found in their neighbourhoods after the Christchurch quakes.  Pieces of the Cosy were donated from people all over the world.

I am originally from Frankfurt in Germany and always wanted to live by the sea.  That’s why Sumner has been my home for about 10 years now and I love it!
I work in a beautiful clothing and design shop in Sumner and also have a wee business creating bags and accessories out of upcycled materials called retreasured.

The shipping containers came to live with us after June’s 2011 aftershock and I thought right away how daunting and unpleasant they look and that we have to “decorate” them. I had a few ideas but in the end decided on the Container Cosy because I wanted the art to be a community project so that people can contribute and feel they can make a change to people’s lives after the earthquake (cheer them up).

I also felt it is about time for people to make use of public space. And of course my motivation was to make people smile once they saw the cosy. Many Christchurch knitters and crocheters also told me that making the square (doing craft) helped them to stay more grounded in these stressful times.

I started the Container Love project in late August by setting up a Facebook page and distributing Posters all over Christchurch (mainly libraries craft and wool shops) I asked people to knit or crochet a 30cm by 30cm square out of there left over wool (because crafty people always have some bits and pieces of wool left) and send it to me. People also donated scrap wool and a wool company gave me a big bag with wool they could not sell.

I also got asked to do two radio interviews and had an article in a local paper, which really helped to get the project moving, because I needed 840 squares!  Just to connect people a bit, I also organised two knit ins which were real fun.

People from mainly New Zealand but also Germany (big parcel with 100 squares), Sweden, Canada, Australia, Iceland and the UK had sent me their beautiful squares (not always 30cm by 30cm though) Once I reached the required amount I let people on Facebook know and started to lay them out in panels on the floor to get a nice design and then sew them together on my sewing machine. First the individual panels and then the whole lot!

Image: Lilith Crawford (used with permission)

The Container Cosy needed a wooden construction made out of slats underneath it for which a organised a small donation campaign to collect $ 500 to use for material cost and installation (had 2 builders helping me).  So the whole project started in end of August and the Cosy was up on the 8th of May for the Sumner Street Party.

I saw so many male, female of all ages and of course children at the party going up to the Cosy to touch it, looking at the individual squares and smile, so I am happy that
with the help of so many people we have achieved what we wanted to do.

I have a few ideas for the future (and about 50 squares left) but definitely not as big and time intense as the cosy because that was like a part time job!  Also in the future I would like to see the Container Cosy in a museum together with other earthquake related art like in the Canterbury museum or Te Papa.

Container Love on facebook.

Wanaka Wastebusters will be running  two free Smart Packaging Business Workshops in Wellington on Thursday 10th May.

The workshops will help businesses add value to their brand by choosing smart packaging which has less impact on the environment.

“In New Zealand, we create 172kg of packaging waste per person every year, and throw 72kg of packaging per person into the rubbish,” said workshop leader Sophie Ward.

“We are encouraging businesses to choose minimal packaging which can be recycled or composted,  but we know it’s not going to happen overnight. The workshop will give businesses balanced information which will save them time and money, and help strengthen their brands.”

Ms Ward said the workshop will include practical tips and the latest research on
•    Packaging materials and end-of-life solutions
•    Which materials are most likely to be recycled
•    Myth-busting and green claims
•    What consumers want from packaging.

The guest speaker at the workshop will be Nick Fry, from Celcius Coffee, who will talk about the challenges he faces in his business and his journey towards implementing sustainable practice.

The Smart Packaging workshops are being run in four cities as part of the Unpackit Packaging Awards project. The Awards were set up in 2010 to find the Best and Worst packaging sold in New Zealand. Voting for the Awards is open until 1st June at www.unpackit.org

“Many of the nominations for Unpackit’s Worst Packaging Award this year were for “green” businesses whose packaging did not live up to their product,” said Ms Ward. “Consumers are getting more and more savvy when it comes to environmental claims. They expect to see consistency through the whole production process, including packaging.”

Ms Ward said last week’s Campbell Live programme on the Honest Water Eco-Bottle and the Fair Go programme on degradable bags had shown that companies need to understand the full life cycle of the packaging materials they choose to use.

“It’s a real challenge for businesses, because it can get quite technical. We’re aiming to give businesses a good grounding in the issues, to help them make smart packaging choices.”

Businesses can register for the Smartpackaging workshop at www.smartpackaging.org.nz

Wellington Workshop Details
9:30-11:00am (Chamber of Commerce members only)
Amora Hotel
170 Wakefield Street

2:00 – 3:30pm (open to all)
ASB Sports Centre
72 Kemp St, Kilbirnie

ENDS Photo shows Sophie Ward with a reusable Ideal Cup and a disposable coffee cup.

About Smartpackaging and the Unpackit Awards
The Unpackit Packaging Awards 2012 and Smartpackaging are run by Wanaka Wastebusters to encourage New Zealanders to choose smart packaging and raise awareness about the issue of packaging.

www.smartpackaging.org.nz
www.unpackit.org

The project has received financial support from the Waste Minimisation Fund, administered by the Ministry for the Environment. The Ministry for the Environment does not necessarily endorse or support the content of this press release.

About Wanaka Wastebusters
Wanaka Wastebusters is a community enterprise based in Wanaka, which employs 20 people. Our mission is to increase resource recovery by providing innovative solutions and Education for Sustainability.

Sophie Ward with good and bad packaging

Advice service targets packaging waste – Wanaka Wastebusters

Packaging waste figures released this week by the Packaging Council show that a new Smartpackaging Advice service for businesses launched today is timely and needed.

Each New Zealander throws out 125kg of packaging waste and paper every year, and recycles 161kg, according to the figures from 2010*.

“We can do better than that,” said Smartpackaging spokesperson Sophie Ward. “Businesses have a vested interest in safeguarding New Zealand’s clean green reputation, and part of that is tackling the amount of waste we’re sending to landfill.”

Ms Ward said Smartpackaging Advice will help businesses access the information they need to make smart packaging choices.

“Smart packaging means choosing minimal packaging,” she said. “Businesses should be choosing packaging which can easily be reused, composted or recycled at the end of its life.  Smart packaging reduces waste and doesn’t harm the environment or frustrate people.”

Smartpackaging Advice has been set up by the Wanaka Wastebusters team, with funding from the Waste Minimisation Fund, and will be run in conjunction with the Unpackit Packaging Awards.

The Smartpackaging website www.smartpackaging.org.nz  launched today is designed to be a first port of call for businesses looking to improve their packaging.

Free Smartpackaging workshops will be offered to businesses in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Wanaka during April and May.  Businesses can also contact the team to ask specific questions about packaging.

Ms Ward said the Wanaka Wastebusters team can offer a different perspective on packaging because they deal with packaging at the end of its life every day.

“We know that consumers are frustrated by over-packaging and want packaging which can be recycled or composted. We want to make it easier for businesses to choose smart packaging, by giving them open, transparent information about packaging materials and their end-of-life options.”

*2010 Packaging waste stats were released on the NZ Packaging Council website on Monday, http://www.packaging.org.nz/packaging_info/packaging_consum.phpAbout Smartpackaging and the Unpackit Awards
The Unpackit Packaging Awards 2012 and Smartpackaging are run by Wanaka Wastebusters to encourage New Zealanders to choose smart packaging and raise awareness about the issue of packaging. The project has received financial support from the Waste Minimisation Fund, administered by the Ministry for the Environment. The Ministry for the Environment does not necessarily endorse or support the content of this press release.

About Wanaka Wastebusters
Wanaka Wastebusters is a community enterprise based in Wanaka, with a turnover of $1 million last year. Our mission is to increase resource recovery by providing innovative solutions and Education for Sustainability.

Media release from

21 March 2012

Sinbad Gully sponsorship hugely rewarding

An award-winning environmental conservation project in a World Heritage Area is continuing to demonstrate “uplifting and positive” results half-way through the first stage of work.

Two-and-a-half years ago Southern Discoveries, one of New Zealand’s premier tourism companies, committed sponsorship funds to the Sinbad Sanctuary Project at the base of Milford Sound’s Mitre Peak, New Zealand’s most photographed mountain.

Southern Discoveries is halfway through a five-year sponsorship of the project, working in conjunction with the Department of Conservation (DOC) and the Fiordland Conservation Trust with a view to Sinbad Valley becoming a sanctuary for native species.

The project aims to enable threatened bird, lizard and invertebrate species to increase in number with particular focus on the rejuvenation of the Sinbad Skink population – a skink known only to that area in Fiordland.

Last year Southern Discoveries won a prestigious Southland Environment Award for the Sinbad Sanctuary Project and a recent visit to Sinbad Gully to determine the growth of the Sinbad Skink population revealed the species has taken up a previously uninhabited new location on a vertical rock wall.

DOC rangers and professional climbers helicoptered into the area and abseiled down rock walls up to 300m high to monitor the skink, and were delighted to discover that the Sinbad Skink population was more widespread than previously thought.

They estimate the population may have doubled from less than 500 to around the 1000 mark since monitoring and pest control began.

Southern Discoveries General Manager John Robson said it was “great news” and reaffirmed the importance of the company’s commitment to the project.

“Fiordland is one of the last true areas of remote wilderness in the world, and it’s important to us to help preserve Milford Sound and in particular Sinbad Gully as a spectacular and unique conservation area,” he said.

“Over the past two-and-a-half years, Southern Discoveries has donated hundreds of man-hours to the project, and will continue its commitment to the preservation of this magical area.

“We’re privileged to be working alongside likeminded organisations like DOC and the Trust to preserve this land, and news of skink population growth is hugely rewarding and reassuring that we’re really helping to make a difference.”

Department of Conservation Ranger Hannah Edmonds, who heads up the Sinbad Skink monitoring programme, described the news as “fantastic” and said working with the Southern Discoveries team was “awesome”.

“To work with a company that is as passionate about conservation and the preservation of our natural surrounds as we are, is fantastic and unique,” she said.

“The Southern Discoveries team has stuck by us and I’m looking forward to sharing more great results like this with them.

“While our recent visit to Sinbad Gully tells us the security of the species in on the rise, and that’s hugely encouraging, the Sinbad Skink is still vulnerable as we are yet to discover them elsewhere in Fiordland.

“We’ve still got our work cut out for us.”

Sinbad Gully background information

The Sinbad Gully is located close to the head of Milford Sound within Fiordland National Park and the Te Wāhipounamu – South West New Zealand world heritage area.

In 1974 Sinbad Gully was set apart as a “Special Area” because of the presence of kakapo and the largely unmodified state of the vegetation.  This status was lifted in 1992.  At this stage deer had become established in Sinbad Gully and kakapo were thought to be no longer present, therefore it was considered no longer necessary to restrict public access under the special area status.  Sinbad Gully is now classified as part of the “Eastern Remote Zone” under the Fiordland National Park Management Plan (2007).

The Sinbad Gully has a natural barrier of steep terrain, combined with a cold, wet climate which has limited the invasion of mammalian predators. These attributes have contributed to making it a safer refuge for the rare lizard species such as the Sinbad and Mahogany skinks and the Cascade gecko.  All three were only recently discovered in the Sinbad Gully and the Sinbad skink is known only to the Sinbad Gully. Other species present include rock wren, kea, whio, kiwi, weka, large weta and other large colourful invertebrates.  The valley was also one of the last refuges of kakapo in Fiordland.

The animal pests that DOC proposes to control have a serious impact on native wildlife through direct predation and competition for food.  Control of both possums and stoats will be the key focus for the project.  In time if funding allows rodent and deer control may also become a focus in the Sinbad.

Once the initial knockdown of possums and stoats has been achieved, ongoing control work will be required to maintain low predator densities.  Maintenance control will be achieved through regular servicing of stoat traps and by monitoring possum densities and controlling as required.  The valley walls surrounding the Sinbad Gully form a natural barrier that will limit the re-invasion of introduced predators.

Charlotte Squire speaking with great enthusiasm at the Auckland Changemakers Convention Feb 2012

Happyzine founder and Editor Charlotte Squire shares the vision, and puts forward the request for volunteer help to set up local systems for the Happyzine Kiwi Local Good News project.

Ok, it’s time to front up.

Again.

There’s some stuff I’m good at, and there’s some stuff I am un-excellent at.

Let’s start with the former.  I am highly creative and I have many ideas.  Give me a challenge and I’ll give you five potential solutions.  I like to talk to people, the more the merrier. I love to network.  I adore a juicy, inspiring story or project, especially if I can ‘Happyzine it’.  When called for, I can persist.  I can write. I can hold a tune.  I’m a passionate parent. I do optimism because I have too – the alternative is bewildering.

Now let’s move to the latter.  I am un-excellent at selling stuff.  Namely, in this case, selling Happyzine sponsorship, no matter how amazing the project.  I am un-excellent at calling people out of the blue in the hope of inspiring them to ‘get’ Happyzine’s ethos within the first thirty seconds.  And just between you and I, I’m just stumpted at how to take this project forward.

You get the picture.  A girl can only do so much.  So I thought I’d tell you about a dream of mine in the hope of it finding the right people to help move it from concept to a gorgeously local yet helpfully national, reality.

What project!?   Well now, let us delve into my vision for the Happyzine Local Good News project:

* The Local Good News project is a system where locally based Good News Reporters feed news about positive environmental and social change happening in their communities, to Happyzine, where it’s published every Friday and shared at a national (and international) level;

*  Good News Reporters are part of local networks and are increasingly known as the right person to call when good news needs to be shared;

*  Communities are enjoying a renewed sense of pride as a result seeing some of their more inspiring news, stories that might have otherwise either never been told, or remained hidden within the pages of small community papers, being enjoyed by a wider audience;

*  Leaders from other communities are learning from and being inspired by the Local Good News stories (actually this is already happening), and occasionally replicating the ideas, adapting them to the unique needs of their communities;

*  Tourism and business is growing in some communities, due to increased positive publicity on Happyzine;

*  Environmentally and socially responsible business sponsors are gaining from reaching their target audiences … who happen to be environmentally and socially responsible readers, under the highly feel-good umbrella of a positive news website

*  New Zealand’s environmentally and socially responsible online media platform and movement continues to develop, strengthen and grow, influencing a new generation of readers who are hungry for intelligent, optimistic media.

I want to see this happen, so let’s cut to the chase.  Here’s my number one request:  I need people with the skills (namely those complementary to mine) and perhaps the resources, to make this dream happen.  So if you can do stuff that I can’t, if you have the nouse to help me take this idea to the place of service I’d like it to sit, I’d love to  hear from you.

I’d ideally like to set up Local Good News Reporters in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Nelson, Dunedin and oh yeah that other super important community: Takaka, initially.  Having said that if the support is there in other communities for this service, then let’s make it happen.

I already have writers in Christchurch, Wellington and Golden Bay.  This is because it’s easy to find positive writers.  For me.  Because I run a good news website.  You see.

So there you have it.

If you have the experience, contacts, nouse, capacity and time to help make a Local Good News project happen for your community, and if you can see the benefits to making this happen, email me: charlotte@happyzine.co.nz anytime so that we can set up a phone or skype chat.

Thanks for tuning in and thanks for being alive,  I truly, deeply appreciate it.

Charlotte Squire

Happyzine.

iD reveals 2012 Emerging Designer finalists

Fashion history will be created and careers launched when the world’s hot new fashion talent show their collections at the 8^th annual iD International Emerging Designer Awards in Dunedin, New Zealand.

Twenty eight finalists from seven countries have been selected to show at this year’s prestigious event to be held on Thursday 29 March 2012, at the Lion Foundation Arena, Edgar Stadium, Dunedin.

Victoria Muir, iD’s event co-ordinator says the iD Awards are continuing to attract international talent who travel from around the globe (including Switzerland, Israel and Croatia) for the opportunity to show at this must-see fashion event.

“For the first time since this international fashion competition was launched in 2005, we have a finalist from Canada, with an even stronger representation from New Zealand and Australia. Every year I’m amazed at the quality of the entries we receive, and this year is no different. I’ve collated over 100 entries from 11 different countries, representing some of the most prestigious fashion schools in the world.”

 Tanya Carlson, fashion designer and selection panellist, says it is exciting to see more menswear collections in this year’s entries, alongside many applicants showing sustainable processes and a greater awareness of the environment.

“It’s great to see an increase in the number of Australian finalists embracing the opportunities the iD Awards offer – including having their collections seen by one of the industry’s best, Hilary Alexander, who I’m looking forward to meeting again!”

This year’s finalists are:

• From New Zealand:
  • Auckland University of Technology: Vihanga Mahesh Sontam.
  • Massey University: Luka Mues; Samantha Murray; Andie Ye Ji.
  • Otago Polytechnic: Grace Averis; Phillip Hawkins; Jojo Ross.
  • Whitecliffe College of Art and Design: Sally Huang; Yun Shin Do.

• From Australia:
  • Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology: Carolina Barua; Allison Bell; Jon Cordiano; Katie Dickinson; Christina Exie; Jane Fuge; Chris Ran Lin.
  • University of Technology, Sydney: Penny Allen; Ben Bala; Kacey Devlin; Natalia Grzybowski; Patricia Kapeleris; Caitlin Murray; Keira Paradice.

• From Austria:
  • University of Applied Arts, Vienna: Tanja Bradaric & Taro Ohmae.

• From Canada:
  • Ryerson University: Yvonne Lin.

• From Croatia:
  • University of Zagreb: Verdrana Mastela.

• From Israel:
  • Shenkar College of Engineering and Design: Renana Krebs.

• From Switzerland:
  • University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW): Julia Klein-Klute.

The selection panel comprised of renowned New Zealand fashion designers Tanya Carlson (Carlson), Sara Aspinall (Company of Strangers) and Anjali Stewart (twenty-seven names).

Prizes include NZ$5,000 for first place winner, $3,000 for second place, $1000 for third place, with other special prizes yet to be announced.

Winners from the 2012 iD International Emerging Designer Awards will show their collections at the iD Dunedin Fashion Show on Friday 30 and Saturday 31 March 2012.

For more information and event details visit www.idfashion.co.nz

My name is David Visser, and I’m from Tawa, Wellington, New Zealand. My elder brother Wilf is living with a rare and fatal motor neurone disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).  In his earlier years, Wilf was a top athlete in both cycling and running, representing South Africa twice at the Commonwealth games. At his peak, he completed the half marathon in 1hr 7min. He started showing symptoms of ALS in 2008. He is only 51 years old, with a wife and a young son, who are doing their best to keep things together in the face of this terrible disease.

My elder brother Wilf and I are very close. He’s my brother in the truest sense of the word. As I think about the losses he suffers on so many levels, like missing out on teaching his son great running and cycling techniques, or playing games with his family and friends, I feel a deep sense of grief. My heart breaks as I pour myself out before God but my brother is so strong. He has always been inspiring, but since his diagnosis, he has turned to God, who’s been knocking at his door for a long time. Now my brother is more inspirational than ever, a living testament to overcoming tragedy. He inspires everyone he meets. What more can I say, he’s so cool, he’s my brother.

What is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis [ALS]?
ALS is a disease of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement. In ALS patients, nerve cells waste away and die, and can no longer send messages to muscles. This leads to muscle weakening, twitching, and eventually an inability to move the arms, legs and body. The condition slowly worsens until, when the muscles in the chest area stop working, it becomes hard or impossible to breathe on one’s own. ALS affects five out of every 100,000 people worldwide and in New Zealand, there are about 300 ALS sufferers. There is more information on the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association of New Zealand’s website, http://mnda.org.nz.

The fundraising project:
I’m blessed to be able-bodied, and feel compelled to do something to raise awareness and support for those suffering this terrible disease here in New Zealand, and in the process, help my brother too. He can no longer work, has a young family, and has had to make several modifications to his home to accommodate his ever-increasing disability.

I’m passionate about riding my motorcycle, so I’m planning to ride the length of New Zealand, from Bluff to Cape Reinga, in three days, to raise both money in support of my brother, his family and the Motor Neurone Disease Association of New Zealand. All funds raised goes directly to my Brother and his family (65%) and to MND NZ (30%) who have shown strong support of this idea. The remaining 5% goes to the http://www.givealittle.co.nz/cause/fortheloveofmyBrotherWilf website administration.

I have a fundamental belief that we can make a difference in the world.

I have planned the ride for the 4th, 5th and 6th Feb 2012 (Waitangi Weekend).
Friday 14 October 2011
Saturday 4th, Bluff to Picton.
Sunday 5th, Wellington to Tauranga.
Sunday 6th, Tauranga to Cape Reinga.

To ensure the full distance is being covered on my ride, I’ll ask the local police to officially see me off in Bluff and again in Picton, with the same when leaving Wellington and arriving in Cape Reinga.

How to donate to my Project,

1. Online using this link http://www.givealittle.co.nz/cause/fortheloveofmyBrotherWilf
2. By direct credit to the following dedicated Bank account for this project
National Bank
06-0565-0829326-00
3. By cheque made out to: Motor Neurone Disease Association
NOTE: on the back of the Cheque the project name “for the love of my brother, Wilf’
• Mail the cheque to
o Motor Neurone Disease Association
o PO Box 2176
o Wellington
I’d be happy to take any questions
Regards
David Visser
david.visser@paradise.net.nz
0297724545

Click here to view the embedded video.

Forest and Bird

A Vote for Nature is a vote for the New Zealand we love and want to pass on to our children

In the lead up to the election, we need to remind political parties that the environment and conservation should be at the centre of planning our country’s future.

We can make a difference if we carefully consider the parties’ positions on these important issues and keep them in mind when we vote.

Political parties and their candidates will respond if they know the weight of public opinion supports a sustainable future where we invest in our natural capital rather than spend it recklessly until nothing of value is left.

Politicians had to listen last year when New Zealanders told them they didn’t want mining in national parks and other precious conservation areas. They will listen again if New Zealanders speak loudly enough during the campaign and at the ballot box.

Most of the talk ahead of November’s election has been of the downturn in the economy and the rebuilding of Christchurch. Some candidates talk as if the environment and conservation are luxuries we cannot afford in hard times.

But the economic slowdown and the tragic earthquakes in Christchurch are an opportunity to take a fresh look at how we do things in New Zealand and to place the environment at the centre of a secure future and sustainable economy.

Agriculture is the basis of our most valuable goods exports but rapid intensification, especially the dairy boom, is threatening to choke our waterways with pollution and to change the natural character of places like the Mackenzie Country. Our clean, green “100% Pure” image is crucial as a marketing edge for our tourism and agricultural exports but it is at risk of being seen as a sham.

There is a limit to how many cows we can sustainably support in New Zealand and our future prosperity will need to be based on being more than a supplier of agricultural commodities. In a world trying to get to grips with climate change, exporting coal and other fossil fuels is no answer either.

The destruction of Christchurch offers the opportunity to rebuild a sustainable city with open spaces, room for native plants and animals and good public transport. Christchurch has the opportunity to become a model for the rest of New Zealand and for the world too.

Our native animals and plants and our landscapes are unique. They are what makes us New Zealanders and we must protect them for our sake and because they have as much right to their place here as we do.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Forest & Bird has drawn up a list of the policy goals we think are important for the future of New Zealand here.

Some of these reflect our major campaigns – such as saving the wild beauty of the Mokihinui River from a hydro dam, protecting the unique Denniston Plateau from open-cast mining and the stopping the large scale conversion of the Mackenzie Country tussocklands into irrigated and fertilised pasture. These places are special and irreplaceable.

The policy goals also reflects the pressing need to reverse the rapid decline of freshwater quality, expand protection for our marine environment, and save our endangered species on land and in the water.

Forest & Bird has asked the political parties to commit themselves to these objectives. You can see their responses here.

We can ensure Nature’s voice is heard in the election by asking our local candidates to support these commitments and to state their position.

We should tell them we want them to work towards a sustainable future which protects our environment and secures our future. On November 26, we should weigh up their responses and Vote for Nature when we vote.

Mount Eden Village People

It is nearly the end of the year and the 27th of November is our yearly community get-together, celebrating our path to a sustainable Mt Eden. This year we are inviting the old McDonald farm with ducks, chickens, goats, a pony and a kitten to join our celebration at the community garden.

If there is anything you can contribute such as creating activities and/or games for kids and adults where they can learn about sustainability, recycling, gardening etc… please let us know.  It would be great if you can join us at our community celebration preparation meeting on the 25th of October from7-8pm at the Mt Eden Village Centre, Methodist church building across Circus Circus.

Activities we had last year included face painting, seedling planting, raffle tickets and the sales of gardening tools to raise money for more community fruit trees, a compost game for the kids and a community exercise to get to know each other and talk about your sustainable vision of your neighbourhood.

White roofs have worked for thousands of years in the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cities. (Photo: www.obviousmag.org in Architecture)

Progress report from ian Montangees – Founder of the NZ White Roofs Project

I am preparing to begin Stage 2 of the project to start towards the end of September, which will get much more serious, directly approaching and giving presentations to businesses, councils, and other organisations, not just homeowners, about playing a role in this global warming solution.

I intend to start slowly so as to not overload my time, and build up from there with a two-pronged approach. Firstly, of building credibility step by step by having groups and businesses endorse the idea, starting with the easier ones and working off their endorsement to the bigger ones until there are mainstream businesses endorsing it and also some city councils.

I’ll go to the media once some momentum has been built up. At the same time, out of the many contacts that will be made my wish is that there will be funding developed to allow me more time to work on this project, so that I can spend more time on this project instead of needing to earn money doing other things, as I wish this to be my primary focus over the next year or two, as long as it takes to reach stage 3 where the idea becomes integrated into local and national administrations who then propagate it.

So far I have funded this project through my own funds (except for two donations that were much appreciated) and my time, a service as my way of making a contribution to the betterment of the greater good while also it being personally satisfying for me to do. It’s a matter of going forward with a good plan and seeing what happens.

We welcome collaboration and opportunities to spread the word, and welcome initiatives that lead to donations or funding towards the sustainability of implementing stage 2. If you have suggestions on groups or businesses (perhaps your own) that can play a role by endorsing the project or the white roofs idea, this would be very useful especially in these early stages. I am happy to come and give presentations either one-to-one or to large audiences, to help spread this idea.

If you wish to communicate the white roofs idea to people, it helps them “get it” if you mention three things in your opening statement, otherwise there is often an initial silence while people are thinking the idea sounds “crazy”. If they hear these three points they usually realise it’s a seriously good idea and like it.

(1) White roofs is a fast and low-cost way of helping reduce global warming

(2) It works by mimicking the way the polar icecaps cool the planet by reflecting sunlight back into space

(3) It’s being taken seriously and implemented by the Obama Administration

Sign to the White Roofs newsletter.

Contact: Ian.Montanjees@whiteroofs.org.nz

Thanks to the  following environmentally responsible businesses for supporting Happyzine:

ECOtanka

• Eco-friendly –  Reusable for years upon years
• Safe & non-leaching – BPA free (bisphenol-A)
• Solid food-grade stainless steel – Super hygienic & clean

www.ecotanka.com

This baffles me.

Apparently ‘altruistic concerns over the environment have been forced into a backseat role.’  This is due to recent economic down-turn.  As if our economy isn’t just a teeny bit reliant on our environment.

And here I was thinking we were a bright, savvy bunch of entrepreneurs here in New Zealand.  You know, number eight wire and all that.  But perhaps the number eight wire thing is not so much about making the most of what we’ve got, but forcing a pliable piece of mineral into something foreign and bent.

We’re in a bloody good position here in this relatively under-populated island nation where our kids can swim down at the river, and we can eat the food from our soils, and where many of us still know some good places to gather good kai moana.  Do you think it’s just going to stay this way, if we don’t place any value on ‘saving the planet’?

Well?  Do you?

I’ll tell you something interesting.  There are no sacrifices to be made in running an environmentally sustainable businesses.  You may have to change a brand or two, or go to a bit more effort here or there, perhaps reduce the use of a few products and wisen up about ways to get from A to Z.  But the cost of these changes can be offset with the marketing.  Haven’t you heard?  The LOHAS market is one of the fastest growing on the planet?  So’s the organics market.

Sure, it’s easy for me to make that last remark.  I said it so flippantly.  “Why don’t they just sort their s**t out those Kiwi businesses, it’s simple really”.  I mean, what would I know?  I’ll tell you one thing: if we don’t sort it out now, these days of environmental peace will appear pink and rosy in hindsight for centuries to come.  Really, they will.  If we don’t wisen up, if we don’t sensitize now, if we don’t re-connect now – our babies, and their babies will not be very pleased with us.  To put it nicely.

I mean, what are we waiting for? Environmental catastrophe? Or are we waiting for America to say ‘Oh Kiwis!  We love your quaint, clean, green country and you’d better keep it that way, that is if you want to remain friends with us!’

Here’s an interesting suggestion: why don’t we combine a wee bit of foresight, with just a teeny bit of innovation and savvy marketing and commit to becoming a world-leader in sustainability.  I refuse to put a question mark at the end of that sentence.  Why don’t we ride our green edge, just as a model rides on the god given benefits of youth, and build an economy around it?  Let’s commit to casting aside our reliance upon fossil fuels in favour of some very clever, locally produced sources of energy – it’s being done elsewhere right now!  Let’s go carbon neutral.  Let’s go 100% organic and make food treated with chemicals ‘abnormal’ again.  Let’s compost human waste and use it as a resource.  Let’s create living streets bursting with free food all year round!  No this is not utopia.  This is U better wake up and take control now.  Because this is it!

Or perhaps we’d rather wait until things begin to look just a little bit too shabby, and we can’t quite get away with that 100% Pure thing we keep raving about.  And just a few too many tourists go home to their countries and shake their heads about our not so green anymore landscape, business practices, food sources and attitudes.

Why is it that Europe is twenty years ahead of New Zealand in terms of implementation of sustainable living? How come they have whole cities weaned off fossil fuels while over two thirds of our businesses don’t even regard ‘saving the planet’ as worthy of their concern?  I bet there are some really simple changes the owners or shareholders of those Kiwi businesses could make.  If they truly cared.

I liken it to one of those kiwi women who sunbathes every day of summer for forty years and then wonders why her skin went all thin and wrinkly so fast.  She wasn’t protecting it.  And neither are we.

It’s about time we did.

We are a country of the blessed.  We were born lucky.  We have water coming out of every orifice.  Unlike some Chinese people.  Most of us can inhale deeply and feel wonderful because our lungs are full of nourishing, clean oxygen, er … unlike some Chinese people … in China.

It’s already happening you know … the good green stuff.

Whether or not we feel like it right now, we are all being pulled into the green economy.  Why? Not because middle class people are demanding more and more organic bread (which they are).  Nope.  Not because the UK love our organic beef (which they do).  Nope.  Because Eco-Store’s made it big in America.  No, we’re moving into it out of necessity.  Mark my words you young’ns (said the cranky 34 year old who ran the good news site) life will pull is deeper and deeper into a green economy because it will come down to survival.  The survival of our food sources, our animals, our water, our oceans and sea-life, of our children.  So we can either fall into it reluctantly and rate shockingly low on these international surveys, or we can wake up, see the potential, get excited and strive to become a nation of innovative, green: designers, office workers, factory staff, entrepreneurs, writers, parents, teachers, artists and the list goes on.  It’s time to get imaginative and creative.  It’s time to step up, take this economy by the horns and fill it up with common sense.  It’s time to fall back into line with the most efficient operation you’ll ever discover: our natural environment.

Because, in the words of Fred Dagg:

Click here to view the embedded video.

New Zealand has a drinking culture that glorifies alcoholism and justifies behaviours that would otherwise be unacceptable.

New Zealand has inequality that eats at the very core of our communities; isolating the poor and hiding the rich from the reality.

New Zealand has such an entrenched culture of violence that we still find it acceptable to raise children with violence as a form of discipline and remain silent when vulnerable people are being harmed.

New Zealand is riddled with depression and mental health issues that we endorse and promote with our “she’ll be right” and “get over it” attitude.

New Zealand is driving down a road of economic disaster as we continue to rely on the very things that landed us in the mess we are in today.

New Zealand has such a disconnection from our democracy that only half our residents vote in local elections and mainstream political conversations typically revolve around “those bastards” in reference to our politicians.

New Zealand continues to exploit our environment for pathetic economic gain at the sacrifice of the very thing that once made us unique.

We acknowledge our roots by carving entrance ways, singing before an event and enjoying the odd hangi but never truly embrace or place value on our indigenous culture.

And the list continues

All of which bring us to what I believe is a scary identity crisis.

Aotearoa needs to heal.

We don’t experience our problems in isolation but I love this country and I want to focus on our issues here first.

Healing begins with forgiveness but forgiveness can only be obtained by addressing the core of an issue and for want of better words “righting the wrongs”.

Around all of our issues there is a deep and real sense of urgency to address them but we are still relying on the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff.

That is where I believe youth engagement brings such great value and opportunity to the table.

In my eyes youth engagement is not a nice addition or a bonus initiative. It’s an urgent and pressing opportunity that needs to be embraced with open arms in a genuine and meaningful manner.

As my good friend Yvonne Godfrey often reminds me “there is no other succession plan” and there are no second chances.

In saying that, I’d like to add my contribution to the “young people are tomorrow’s leaders” notion with this statement- young people have every right, desire and ability to be the leaders of today as well.

That statement was met with a round of applause during my recent presentation to the Global Summit on Ending Corporal Punishment and I hope it is met with equal enthusiasm here in Aotearoa.

New Zealand must embark on a journey to heal our pains and deal with our grievances. New Zealand must embrace and empower young people to take leadership on this process.

Youth engagement is not about pushing from behind or pulling from in front. It’s about walking alongside young people on a journey that we all need to walk.

Our issues don’t paint a nice picture of Aotearoa but with our hurt and pain will only make us stronger in the long term.

To end on a relevant and positive note here is one of my favourite songs by Ruia, it’s a Maori version of Bob Marleys “One Love”

Click here to view the embedded video.

I write this on the last day of my trip to America where I have been since last Wednesday, I travelled over here to speak to the Global Summit on Ending Corporal Punishment and Promoting Positive Discipline- a some what moving event that brought delegates from across the world together in the uniting belief that children worldwide should not be raised on violence as a form of discipline.

I’m going to be regularly blogging on Happyzine and my website johnyodonnell.com from now on, I’m really excited about this because it’s giving me an opportunity to share my passion for youth engagement.

Youth engagement brings huge opportunities but also huge risks, my passion is working with organizations to walk alongside them in co-creating an environment where young people and adults can have a meaningful relationship that is built on genuine motivations and endures positive outcomes.

There has certainly never been a greater desire or need for youth engagement, young people make up a large proportion of our overall population and we are failing to engage them in a meaningful way- this presents a huge opportunity for us to turn that picture around and bring young people to the forefront of our work.

Being 17 myself I have a good grip on what it’s like to be a young person in todays challenging word but equally so I have plenty of experience working with other young people and trying to engage them in various efforts of social change.

You can read more about my past experiences and beliefs on my website johnyodonnell.com

It’s my hope that we can build lots of momentum amongst our communities to really value the practice of youth engagement which is really about honouring young people and all they can offer our communities.

Always in hope and excitement for the potential this movement holds

Mauri Ora

Johny O’Donnell

Happyzine

Sunday 6th June, 2011

Fresh FM Teams Up With Positive Green Writer to Encourage Community to ‘Chillax and Have Fun’ As They Go Green.

Nelson’s community radio station Fresh Fm is partnering up with Golden Bay writer and editor Charlotte Squire to share the positive green message of her new ebook ‘Ten Ways to Chillax and Have Fun As You Live Your Green Dreams’. The new electronic book is available to buy on the Fresh FM website, as a fundraiser for the radio station.

The ebook features interviews with a number of successful environmentalists world-wide, offers tips about maintaining a positive attitude as an environmentalist, shares useful tools for people are serious about creating green projects, businesses or careers, and encourages people to call upon their unique strengths to make a difference for the planet.

Charlotte, who founded and edits the good news website www.happyzine.co.nz, says she’d had the ebook brewing inside for ten years before she finally got around to writing it.

“Once upon a time I thought all environmentalists had to either grow organic food and live off the land, or sail the seas angrily saving whales. I wanted to help out too, but as neither idea appealed to me, I had no idea how,” she said.

“I’m not much of a gardener, I’m happier eating the organic food! But I love to communicate and I’m an enthusiastic person by nature. Eventually, after much trial and error, I realised that I represent one of the millions of people with the perfect personality for green change-making! So I put my writing skills to work!”

Mike Williams, Manager of Fresh FM is excited about the ebook and the opportunity to share such a positive green message with listeners around the top of the South Island.

“This is a brilliant Ebook from long-time friend of Fresh FM, Charlotte Squire. It’s inspiring, challenging and uplifting. This Ebook will inspire and invigorate you – get you thinking about how easy it could be to achieve all the above and have a ball doing it!”

Mike aims to sell 1000 ebooks via the Fresh Fm website, earning Fresh FM ten thousand dollars. This funding will put towards the relocation of their Nelson studio from Collingwood Street to Founders Park, which Mike describes as “a very expensive necessity”.

To down-load the ebook from the Fresh FM website now head to www.freshfm.net and click on the links.

The very first Green Living Show & Organic Expo 2011 where industry experts from all green areas meet to share their knowledge and showcase their products.

With only a few weeks before the big weekend, our team is busy at work to ensure that this event is a success for all involved, and in future years will be the most important show of its kind in New Zealand.

Here comes a little taste of what you can expect:

Taste certified organics and gluten free foods and produce from Matakana Superfooods, Living Foods Lifestyle, Kiwi Organics and many more, be dazzled by the New Zealand made Eco-fashion and be pampered with local, overseas organic and natural cosmetics.

Does increasing cost of living concern you? Slash your power bills and minimise your carbon footprint with Insulation and Solar Technology suppliers at the Show.

And who could give you a better energy, water and material related advice than The Eco Design Advisors? Meet them at the show!

You will learn more about how sustainable performance is great for you, your business and our planet. In a series of seminars and workshops you will find answers to most of your questions.

Plus you will be the first to hear where the mayor of Auckland, Len Brown, places sustainability in his efforts to make our largest city the most liveable global metropolis.

Remember the admission is FREE – why not tell your friends! Head to our facebook page facebook.com/thegreenlivingshow and share the great news or forward this email to everyone you know.

This show is proudly brought to you by Green Living Network and BNZ, with support from EnviroSpec, Soar Printing and New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development and The Green Living Magazine.

On May 13 we are hosting an Open Day at the NZ Clean Energy Centre in Taupo to give you an opportunity to visit the Centre and take a tour. There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10am, following which tours will be offered every 30 minutes through till 4pm. Our MP, Louise Upston will be in attendance from 12:30 – 1:30pm. You may arrive at any time between 10 and 3:30 and be taken on a tour. (Please note that this is not our formal grand opening – this event will take place in late June.)

The invitation is below. As you will see, there’s also an inaugural evening concert at the Centre featuring ex Mutton Birds frontman Don McGlashan. Bookings for the concert are essential and may be made through www.41above.co.nz

If you’re coming from out of town, why not enjoy a relaxing weekend in Taupo? The Hilton Lake Taupo – just 700 metres from the Clean Energy Centre on the Napier-Taupo Highway – is offering luxury accommodation to our guests for the nights of May 13 and 14 from just $185.00 per night. The hotel features sweeping views over Lake Taupo and Tongariro National Park. To book your accommodation or find out more about this offer, please click here.

If you are interested in the NZ Clean Energy Centre but are unable to make the open day, please call me on 021 728 875 or email me. Opportunities available include:

• Tenancy – limited spaces are still available in Stage 1
• Technology demonstration
• Representation of your solutions
• Exhibiting at the NZ Clean Energy Expo to be held October 14-16. This event is supported by NZ2011 – the government office responsible for showcasing NZ during the Rugby World Cup.
• Participating in an Investor Forum to be held during the Clean Energy Expo

By Marcia Meehan.

My honey bees Apis mellifera, are precious in more ways than one. . . Some people understand that without our food plants being pollinated, except for the likes of rice and some cereals, we humans will be existing on a very bland diet indeed, others don`t understand at all ! What most don`t understand, is the tiny honey bee, which was imported to our shores in the 1830`s, is the main contributor to this vital job, one which it is finding harder and harder to accomplish.  But hey, there have always been enough bees haven`t there ? Once there were, but now there is a huge decline in their numbers due to many issues,  I do believe it has been mainly brought on by mans selfishness, his idea that the bee is here for our use and of course, don`t forget, the mighty dollar. Varroa arrived on our shores around 2000, decimating many hives and putting beekeepers out of business. Many hobbyist beekeepers just gave up, not wanting to bother treating their bees twice a year, but our numbers are on the rise again, thanks to many younger and not so young bee enthusiasts learning about bees, planting gardens and orchards, realising they need bees for pollination !

Honey bees have long been part of human life, providing much needed sweetness, light from candle wax, and most importantly, the pollination of over 40% of what we eat. Up until Rev Langstroth discovered removable frames, humans lived with bees in a fair relationship, each providing the other with what they needed ie habitat, flowering plants, honey and wax.

With products from the hive including honey, pollen, wax and propolis earning beekeepers a tidy sum, things changed rapidly, leaving the bees stranded in a place of disease and illness. . their numbers declining, their health declining, with their ability to fight.. slowly declining ..

We will loose our bees unless attitudes change, food as we know it will change considerably, life as we know it will change beyond our comprehension – sounds abit over the top? I don`t think so, and neither do many other worried bee keepers. I feel very strongly that until many of the established ways of beekeeping, here in NZ and world-wide, change from how much money can be made from keeping bees, to how can we care wisely, working with these insects in a way that will benefit both parties, with the bees being the major beneficiary of our kindness and knowledge we now have regarding the use of pesticides and other chemical nasties.

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Honey bees evolved with Angiosperms, flowering plants, millions of years ago – each supplying the other with the exact life sustaining substance it needs. During this time, bees along with other pollinating insects and birds dealt with many life threatening changes, over time adjusting and continuing to pollinate, plants providing the proteins and sugars needed to keep the insects healthy, the bees transferring pollen from flower to flower, thus continuing the cycle of life . .

So, my plea to all who care for our planet and its inhabitants, next time you see honey bees, bumble bees, other insects in your garden or wild places, think of what you can do to make their short lives free of starvation (plant bee food), free of contamination ( don`t use chemicals of any kind), free of homelessness ( keep a hive, maybe a TopBar hive, in your garden)  – it does not take much effort at all . . .trust me

Marcia Meehan

For immediate release March 31st 2011

Wellington Office Building Becomes a Work of Art

The Market Testament Colin Hodson,  11-25 April 2011

139 The Terrace, (formerly Asteron House,) Wellington

A Letting Space public art project

An entire office building on Wellington City’s The Terrace is to be turned into a work of art, public art programme Letting Space reveals today.

The vacant floors of a central office building will be occupied with its lighting controlled via a live data feed from the stock market. The work will operate at night for two weeks from Monday 11 April.

Colin Hodson’s artwork The Market Testament at 139 The Terrace, highlights, Hodson says, “the degree to which our lives are highly determined by a complex of economic systems that, to a large part, are running beyond our comprehension and control.” The work also includes a live webcam feed.

Public art programme Letting Space (www.lettingspace.org.nz) brings artists and property owners together to explore creative ideas for urban renewal and growth. It commissions temporary art works from leading New Zealand contemporary artists for vacant commercial CBD spaces. The programme was responsible for four public art projects in Wellington in 2010, including Kim Paton’s Free Store and Tao Wells’ The Beneficiary’s Office, which both caused significant national media interest and debate.

As has been reported, Wgtn CBD office vacancy rates are set to keep rising to 15% by 2013.  “We need to engage in creative solutions for the future mixed use of these buildings to ensure a vibrant future for the city. Colin Hodson’s work could act as a conversation starter,” says curator Mark Amery.

Artist Colin Hodson sees such buildings as symbols of an economic system increasingly run independently of human intervention and concerns.

“Many of us look from the outside at these buildings – monuments to the banking and finance industries – and feel excluded from the capitalist project that we were told heralded growth. Within their architecture we still see the echo of that optimism, carrying on without us, regardless. There may be no physical agencies on the unoccupied floors of these buildings, but in the flickering sequence of lights that mark occupation and utilities there’s a code still generating itself.”

Letting Space public art projects see partnerships made between artists and property developers and managers, and The Market Testament is no exception. The property partner for this project is Prime Property.

About Colin Hodson

Colin Hodson’s previous work includes the direction of two feature films, Shifter and .ON., and he is currently developing more film projects. He has exhibited video in various shows in New Zealand, Australia and The Netherlands, as well as live performance projects. He most recently produced a video recording of Richard Gage’s Blueprint For Truth Lecture recorded at Te Papa last year.

About Letting Space.

*  The current Letting Space programme is funded by Creative New Zealand
*  Letting Space commissions leading artists to work in vacant commercial properties, interacting with a wider community, and with the intention of transforming relationships between artists, property owners and their city.
*  Coming up in May and June in Wellington is a Letting Space project by artist Bronwyn Holloway-Smith. Pioneer-city.com will see a real estate showroom established to sell apartment dwellings in a city on Mars.
*  2010 projects in Wellington with Creative New Zealand (and in some cases Wellington City Council) support included Tao Wells’ controversial project The Beneficiary’s Office, in which Wells’ set up a PR company to promote the benefits of unemployment, and Kim Paton’s Free Store, in which Paton set up an independent grocery store giving away food for free to explore systems of food distribution. Versions of the Free Store as community projects have opened since in Waitakere and Wellington. Other major projects were completed in 2010 by artists Eve Armstrong (in Featherston Street Street) and Dugal McKinnon (Willis Street).
*  In 2010 Letting Space also organised a capacity event at City Gallery Wellington:Urban Dream Brokerage, which saw artists and property developers alike pitching ideas for the creative use of vacant space in Wellington city. A number of temporary public art projects were staged in 2010 independently of Letting Space out of this process.
*  In March Letting Space staged a major new work in Newmarket Auckland, as part of the Auckland Arts festival. Shopfront was described by the artists The Suburban Floral Association as an “alternative gardening event”, bringing the established plants and flowers of Auckland suburbs’ into a  new inner city residential area in the form of video screenings, installations, workshops and talks.
*  More information on all these projects and Letting Space can be found at www.lettingspace.org.nz

For more information and photographs please contact

Letting Space (Sophie Jerram and Mark Amery)

sophiejerramandmarkamery@gmail.com

tel 029 934 9749 or  027 3566 128

or Gabrielle McKone 021-373-873

Charlotte Squire talks with www.HomeGrownMarket.co.nz Founder Laurie Mitchell

1. What is Home grown market?

HomeGrown Market is a website that helps communities buy, swap and sell locally produced stuff.

www.HomeGrownMarket.co.nz – the “Community TradeMe” – A Free Place for Kiwis to Trade Their Locally Produced ‘Stuff’

2. What inspired you to start it?
The idea for this type of initiative bubbled around for about five years. It started when we rented a house with a very large orchard, and I would agonize about the fruit rotting on the ground. It astounded me that nobody would take any fruit, and not only did it rot, but it attracted wasps which stung. I saw similar instances where families could not cope with the amount of fruit (and the height of summer – veggies) being produced, which would just be “given to the pigs” or left to rot. Eventually, these thoughts bubbled into “Wouldn’t it be great if there was a way for people to swap, trade or even give away surplus homegrown produce to other locals in their community”.

The seed for the website was planted. But it was only when petrol prices increased and grocery shopping became more expensive two years ago, that I spoke to my husband about the idea. He is in the internet field, thought it was a great idea, and promptly built the HomeGrownMarket website.

3. How do you run it?
The website has been set up in the spirit of community projects and as such is 100% free for users and advertisers alike.

Admittedly, the website is a lot more than just a place to sell or swap veggies. Locals in a region are able to use the website to advertise any of their locally made or produced products, such as arts and crafts, handmade goods, plants and seedlings and more. Basically all the great things you normally see at a local craft or farmers market.

Once enough people in an area are using the website, it could be a fantastic mechanism to help build up the local community. The site has achieved much of this, as it has put people in contact with each other.

4. How’s it been starting this site up?
The site has been running for just over two years (it started 1st April 2008), and to be truthful, it grew quite slowly. I haven’t advertised it much as I had a one-year old when I started it, so most of my energies were elsewhere plus I work, so it gets “squeezed in”.
Most of the growth (in terms of listings) came from supportive people in the Eastern Bay and from there it spread to the rest of the Bay of Plenty area, and elsewhere.

Also, there are difficulties associated with listings e.g. winter is very quiet for surplus produce but busy for seeds

Home grown's founder Laurie Mitchell

5. How many people are contributing to your community?
In the case of HomeGrown Market, there are nearly 1,000 registered users using the site to list items.

6. How can people become a part of this community?
People can become part of the HomeGrown Market community by registering. Once they have registered, they will be able to upload their items. We encourage anyone and everyone to use the site, either to view what’s on offer within their community, or to list items they have to offer. People wanting to view the site – or add their items for free can do so at http://www.homegrownmarket.co.nz

7. What’s your ultimate goal for this site?
My ultimate goals for this site are:

* to get people within the local community trading, swapping and
selling locally produced items
* that community groups use it to advertise their meetings and
events e.g. plantings or harvestings at community gardens, thereby
reinforcing the community-building component of the site
* that, longer term, there is a pool of experienced people to ask
questions and obtain advice (e.g. advice on organic pesticides,
recipes for bottling, etc.)

8.What are some examples of listings on HomeGrownMarket?
Examples of listings include someone looking for surplus fruit to make jam, free peking ducklings, someone selling daffodil bulbs, another listing for sale Wood Ear, Tree Fungi for use in Chinese and Thai cooking, Chi Massage and Reiki, someone looking to swap woven torsos for fruit trees/seedlings and someone looking for pea straw. There are nearly 300 more listings, these are just a snapshot.

9. Can you share some interesting statistics about the site?

* We’ve had close to 1,000 emails generated off the site (in terms of
requests sent to and from people)
* In the last three months, there have been about 100 click-outs to
other peoples’ websites, helping to promote their sites
* We are unable to note the number of telephone calls generated from
the listings, but estimate there are many
* On average, there are over 30 visits per day, and of those 30
visits, 10 are returning or repeat visits.
* We have almost 1,000 registered users
* In total, we’ve had on average 1 listing a day over the last 2 years

www.homegrownmarket.co.nz