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Editor’s Comment
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One sunny afternoon last week I met up with Debs Martin, New Zealand’s Wild Rivers Campaign Coordinator. We lounged on the grass at the Queens Gardens, here in Nelson, and brain stormed some ways that a positive news website and an environmental organisation on a mission could work together. We decided we were facing some exciting possibilities. Next year Happyzine will partner up with Forest and Bird and the Wild Rivers Campaign to launch a design competition with the intent of highlighting some of the many energy generation and usage ideas that we as a unique little nation on the ‘edge of the world’ face. We will show that there are so many options out there – which are either already happening, or could be actioned – that it’s most definitely possible to leave our rivers and valleys intact. We look forward to seeing our beautiful rivers – our ‘taonga’ (treasure) continue to run, in their natural, pristine states, into future generations.

Charlotte

Good News Roundup

Jews, Christains and Muslims are launching a Charter for Compassion in New Zealand – this is yet another example of Kiwis leading by example, it’s the best way to inspire positive change.

Blogger Marty Mars comments here on his approval of the fact that Pita Sharples, co-leader of the NZ Maori party, is focussing on a positive Maori initiative – providing pregnant Maori women with the support of their kuia (Maori women elders).

Continuing with the parenting theme – Happyzine’s first-time Dad Theron Burgess has a few observations to share about his daughters journey towards speech and the strange but significant language she’s developing.

This week we welcome the delightful Caroline Webster to Happyzine.  In this blog she’s encouraging us to teach our kids to not only enjoy the outdoors, but to revel in the magic of the natural world, and to develop a sense of confidence in our ability to remain safe and well while we’re out there.

Also delightful is chocolate, Charlotte Squire pays homage to a 35.79 metre chocolate log which was recently constructed in Whakatane.

Another exciting change for Happyzine is the arrival of Glenn Edley’s weekly and daily motivational pieces.  Glenn’s been sending these out to his followers for over seven years and they’re brilliant.  Check out today’s MondayMotivator here and tune into Happyzine each day for his ‘minimotivators’.

Onto positive matters of the environment, on Auckland Ngati Whatua and young business leaders have banded together to create a project where homeless to grow food for city missions.

Permaculture is a strange name for something really exciting. This article from permaculture.org.nz discusses a world where all aspects of life – cities, buildings, the ‘burbs, transport, waste, travel, culture – are designed within a sustainable model.  Check it out.

This article takes us on a good meander around the well-used concept of ‘sustainabilty’, and shares a fresh understanding of the term. Interestingly it covers the issue of how sustainable living applies to us on personal and social levels, as well as environmental.

Kaikoura’s Whale Watch has achieved major international recognition as an enviornmetally and community consicious tourism initiative.

Are you interested in learning about Earth Building? There’s a course happening from the 9^th to the 16^th of January, 2009 at the Quarry Arts Centre in Whangarei.

It’s the next hot and sexy thing: Bee Keeping. Aleena La’Alu from Permaculture.org.nz provides us with a basic article on managing bees, covering topics such as where to put your bees, providing the right environment, strategies to minmise pest and disease damange and more

Finally, Forest and Bird have named a kakapo chick ‘Hou’ in celebration of a “bumper crop”of chicks last season, which helped bring the bird back from extinction.

Wanted: Roving Good News Reporters – for all the towns of New Zealand.  Would you like to report on your town’s good news? Tell kind tales about your community while honing your reporting and research skills. Contact us today for more information.