Read the stories of Happyzine’s extra special sponsors

Social Innovation is a small, hardworking community engagement agency based in Christchurch. They work with leading non-profits, changemakers, progressive companies and government to mobilise everyday New Zealanders. Their expertise in this area comes from grassroots …

Revolution in Building Makes Exceptional Home Performance Affordable – Introducing Little Greenie

Little Greenie – Media Release – 21 April 2011 – Page 1 – Contact 0274 539 099
Media Release | For Immediate Release | 21 April 2011
REVOLUTION IN BUILDING MAKES EXCEPTIONAL HOME PERFORMANCE AFFORDABLE, NEW REPORT …

Geothermal power to the people!

NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate release: 9 MAY 2012
Artist taps steamy issue of Geothermal power in Taupo
As part of Taupo’s Erupt Festival, opening this week, artist Tim Barlow is erecting a temporary Public Fountain using geothermal power …

Phenomenal support for Unpackit Awards fundraising opportunity

Schools and not-for-profit community groups and sporting organisations are leaping on an opportunity to raise money while helping to raise awareness of packaging waste.
Unpackit Awards spokesperson Gina Dempster said the response so far had been …

Being kinder to yourself – here’s how

Imagine that you just forgot your mum’s birthday, or some other equally horrifying social faux pas. Or perhaps imagine that you just send that draft email containing some inappropriate choice language to a colleague at …

Pay Fairtrade Forward! This Friday, May 18th

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Pay Fairtrade Forward – May 18th  
Wellington, New Zealand, 14th May 2012 – 
 
On 18 May 2012, cafés all over New Zealand are joining forces to Pay Fairtrade Forward. At the beginning of the …

It’s business time for Bret McKenzie with Fair Trade and Oxfam

IT’S BUSINESS TIME FOR BRET MCKENZIE WITH FAIR TRADE AND OXFAM
Oxfam has extended this year’s Fair Trade Me celebrity auctions for a very special one-off auction with one half of New Zealand’s fourth most popular …

Three Easy Steps to becoming a voluntary paying member of Happyzine!

1.  Take one Happyzine account number: 38-9006-0747456-00.
2.  Set up a regular (weekly/monthly/annual) payment of what-ever-amount-you-can-afford to Happyzine – using the internet/phone/or old fashioned face to face method.
3.  Email charlotte@happyzine.co.nz and tell her you’re now a …

Whangarei: For the love of cities by Claire Chateau

I must have been ten. I remember my parents getting outrageously dressed-up for a party on the theme of “we don’t have fuel but we have ideas”. The slogan, that was made popular in France …

Urban Pantry Bring Garden DIY to the ‘Burbs of Auckland

We’re launching an ‘Urban Garden DIY’ workshop series
This is a quick extra Urban Pantry update to let you know that Urban Pantry, in collaboration with Tangleball, is launching an ‘Urban Garden DIY’ workshop series, to …

Hemp, Wool and Eco-friendly Fabrics, Plus Recycled Materials Feature at the Starfish NZ Fashion Show

Happyzine writer Claire Chateau Checks Out the Starfish NZ Fashion show
A month ago, I dragged my four kids to Auckland for some cultural time and a bit of a city splurge.  My children, used to …

The Greatest Gift – by Paul Smetana

Paul Smetana runs the blog Be Touched By Life.  He draws upon thirty years work experience with people as a community carer in Aged Care to share the insight into the keys of happiness.
In life, …

NZ Cafes in bidding war to host world-record ‘Carrotmob’

Media Release
Thursday 26 April 2012
For immediate release
Conscious Consumers
NZ CAFES IN BIDDING WAR TO HOST WORLD-RECORD ‘CARROTMOB’
 
Cafes in Auckland, Hamilton and Wellington have started bidding for the right to be mobbed by hundreds of …

Victory for the Mokihinui River!

22 May 2012 – Wellington
Forest & Bird media release for immediate use
 
Forest & Bird welcomes victory for Mokihinui River
 
Forest & Bird welcomes Meridian Energy’s announcement that it will abandon its plan to dam the …

Mental Health Foundation Invites All New Zealanders to Celebrate Pink Shirt Day

Mental Health Foundation
**Campaign raises awareness about bullying prevention by encouraging safety, inclusion and respect**
The Mental Health Foundation encourages all New Zealanders to wear pink on Pink Shirt Day Aotearoa – this Friday, 18 May 2012.
Pink …

Check out: the big swell.com

 
At the big swell, we say healthy Mothers grow healthy families.
We say that Mothers are the change agents for a better world.
We say less synthetics, less chemicals, less consumerism, less political correctness and less judgment!
We …

Breaking the Fast – Raw Style – by Sarah Lea

I wake every day to a magical state of consciousness. Still dark, with a babe in arms, I’m followed to the kitchen by two frisky girls. Flinging them fruit like fish with seals, they clap …

Breaking the Fast – Raw Style – by Sarah Lea

I wake every day to a magical state of consciousness. Still dark, with a babe in arms, I’m followed to the kitchen by two frisky girls. Flinging them fruit like fish with seals, they clap …

The Final Blog – Would You Like the Good News, or the Good News?

Oh my goodness.  365 days of blogging (I forgot two days, and may have in fact repeated a few days, but hey, here’s to being human).  And so here I am on the final day.
Let’s …

Urban community gardening – how a group of friends made it their success story

Grace Deathridge writes for Happyzine (having discovered it when she lived in New Zealand) as an Intern, and lives in the UK. In this article Grace and her new-found friends transport a neglected urban plot …

Free ‘Best Fish Guide’ app for your iPhone

May 9 2012 – Wellington
 
Forest & Bird media release – for immediate use
 
 
Free ‘Best Fish Guide’ app for your iPhone
___________________________________________________________________
 
 
Forest & Bird’s new iPhone application makes choosing eco-friendly seafood as easy as (fish) pie. The …

New research shows how to increase mental wellbeing and feel happy

Victoria University
News Stories
Research shows how to increase mental wellbeing and feel happy
Published 17 May 2012
Why is it that some people seem to waltz through life in a bubble of happiness, when for others each …

Golden Bay’s Ceiros Begg hits the road with sustainable fashion

Local Good News/Golden Bay
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 …

Life-changing trip to Nepal – by Tracey Adamson

“I have been interested in developing countries since I started my physiotherapy degree. I don’t want to wait until I have graduated and worked for a few years before I can start making a difference. …

Wellington CANSURVIVE Dragon-boat team continue to thrive both on and off the water

Wellington CANSURVIVE Dragon-boat Team
Joyce Elwood-Smith
Team banners flutter in the warm light breeze, it’s a beautiful sunny Wellington day and on the harbour dragon-boaters are out in force paddling for dear life putting their all into …

Last Minute Green Christmas Shopping – Clean Earth Soap Gift Box

The perfect gift for friends and family.
Our luxurious olive oil soap gift box contains the following
- 3 different soap bars from our range
- A hand felted soap bar
- A hand made wooden soap dish made …

Rotorua Historical Site Receives Waahi Tapu Status

ROTORUA, Thursday 8th March 2012: The Government Gardens at Rotorua have just been registered by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust and the Māori Heritage Council as a Waahi Tapu area.
The Waahi Tapu area, known …

Music Review: Sarah Brown ‘The Great Heart Robbery’

By Charlotte Squire
If you’re after a bluesy, sultry, heart-felt album with beautiful female vocals and continued references to love in all its forms, one that you can listen to while you relax on a rainy …

Book review: The Great Kiwi Motorhome Guide

The Great Kiwi Motorhome Guide – Exploring New Zealand by Campervan or Motorhome - By Jill Malcolm and Bill Savidon
Review by Charlotte Squire
Ok, this book isn’t exactly ‘green’, and I usually review books and other products …

The World is Your Canvas – Karamea’s Rongo Backpackers Where Self-Sufficiency Meets Creativity

Article by By Kathleen Anderson Freelance Writer
Paul Murray is a self-realized artist.  He has invested his whole life and soul in his current work: The LivinginPeace Project, which aims to combine the …

Golden Bay group launch world equal-gender Government petition and ‘Walk into the Street and Wave’

Currently there are four men to every woman in Parliaments world-wide.  It’s time to change this.
Check out the petition Equal Gender Government here.
We are a group of people from Takaka, New Zealand promoting 50/50 male/female …

Two Youthwork Job Opportunities in New Brighton, Christchurch

TWO Job Opportunities
 
We’re happy to confirm we have been granted funding for two new full time roles to support ongoing Post EQ needs in the New Brighton Community.  They will be 2 year contract initially, …

Your Conscious Life – Part Two – You Always Have a Choice.

What does living consciously mean to you? If I asked 20 different people what it means to live a conscious life, I’m sure I’d get twenty different answers.
One person might say living consciously is living …

Victory for Akaroa community as Conservation Minister ordered by High Court to rethink marine reserve proposal

WWF
Victory for Akaroa community as Conservation Minister ordered by High Court to rethink marine reserve proposal
Wellington, New Zealand – After over 17 years of advocating for an Akaroa Harbour marine reserve, a community conservation group has …

Bike the Trail returns this Sunday in Hutt Valley

Bike the Trail returns this Sunday
After having to postpone the original event during March’s “weather bomb”, Hutt Valley’s largest cycling event, Bike the Trail, will be making a return this Sunday.
The event, which takes place …

Engage, Envision, Empower – One Day Workshop for 14 – 24 Yr Olds – Lower Hutt, NZ

Talofa,

Check out this awesome opportunity for your young people – its free, its in Lower Hutt and there will be food.

Wanting to develop your young person, mentee, school leader further, by up skilling them?

Do you …

Tune into the lighter side

By Dr Sarb Johal
Lots of things happen in our lives that we take pretty seriously. And sometimes, that is totally appropriate. But taking every little setback to heart can seriously deplete your energy.
A problem-solving state …

Wind Power, Zero Energy Homes, Power Conservation and Local Production Hailed As A Great Mix in New Zealand Green Energy Challenge

Rather than choosing one answer to New Zealand’s increasing demand for power, a group of energy experts on the judges panel for the green energy design challenge ‘Wild Energy’ have ruled that a cluster of …

Smartpackaging workshop for Auckland businesses

Smartpackaging workshop for Auckland businesses – Wanaka Wastebusters
Wanaka Wastebusters will be running a Smart Packaging Business Workshop in Auckland on Thursday 17th May, in partnership with the Sustainable Business Network.
The workshop will help businesses add …

Youthtown Launches National Youth Survey

Media Release
Youthtown                                                        23 May 2012
Youthtown Launches National Youth Survey
National youth charity Youthtown is going to the streets to find out how young people really feel about themselves and their future.
Youthtown has commissioned Point Research …