Trees Gone or going. All of them! That’s what the current laws allow.
Wānaka is going through a continued growth. We all witness current bulldozer suburbia practice, removing all trees, destroying soils and building nearly boundary to boundary with token native plantings. We all experience traffic, pollution and landscape degradation. It is unsustainable, decried by locals, it ruins the natural beauty and feeling of our little town. Yet it is fostered by the Council and current laws and regulations.
Over 20 years, I have attended many community meetings or Council workshops on Wānaka future, and many korero, as part of wonderful Festivals of Colour and Aspiring Conversations, Shaping Our Future, WAO Summits, Regenerative tourism huis, Royal Society, U3A, Paradiso movies etc… I am taking notes, so I have several notebooks of minutes. They show that in every meeting I went to, the attendants clearly declared the need to stop the growth, for over-capacity reasons and lifestyle choices.
But the Council rules still allow bulldozers advance and tree windbreaks to go down. Where do the birds go? The QLDC Strategic Framework “Dawn Chorus” outcome depends on it.
In 2011, Wānaka town centre design guidelines were produced by the Council to add quality to Wānaka character, with appropriate space for the public and trees. Yet, the 66-pages report being advisory only, maximization of sqm2 is practiced by developers making the whole exercise pointless.
In 2013, Shaping our Future conducted workshops in all the villages of the district. I attended the workshops in Wānaka and remember the discussions: we were most concerned about growth and our vision described a sustainable urban community, with kids biking, people growing food together, renewable energy produced here and plenty of green space. I am currently locating these foundational results.
In 2019, the Council extensively consulted for the Wānaka Town Centre Master Plan. 55 pages later in 4 pdf documents, there are 3 more carparks, several roundabouts, hardly more nature nor bike lanes, but cars are removed from the lakefront (overloading Brownston Street).
Master Plan 2019 page 95 – Plan for 2030-50
In 2023, the locals group Heart of Wānaka worked on the traditional town centre from Wānaka Station Park to Mount Aspiring College. The proposed active transport and retained open spaces seem to happen. The increased biodiversity corridors, slow streets and community gardens are yet to manifest.
What did happen is urban intensification, after many hearings and dozens of pdf documents, buildings are now allowed to block views, all bits of grass built up: new zoning has been created to cater for developers wishes, including “greater heights and density will be enabled in locations near central and on generally greenfield land in Wānaka South, increasing current permitted heights from 8m to 11m and removing density requirements of one residential unit per 250m2 net site area.”
This urban strategy is planning for intense growth, despite the community reiterated wishes and way beyond Wānaka town centre. Let’s talk about the wider Wānaka Area.
Please share a thought for the elders who planted the trees creating these green spaces. GRATITUDE. Respect.
Beyond the Wānaka town centre
In March 2002 started a well-remembered community consultation, the Wānaka 2020. With 150 participants in the launch meeting, followed by well attended 3-days workshops, the 2020 Wānaka report recommends that “The long-term town boundary should remain inside the Clutha and Cardrona Rivers and to avoid sprawl. The 40-pages report highlights the need for better water, transport and green infrastructures.
Extract:
It also recommends “A new sustainable urban extension zone with new rules“. The Green Belt, never really connected and is now rapidly nibbled.
Location and focus of Wanaka 2020 process. Base map source: NZMS 26:F40, Crown Copyright.
In November 2019 in the Whaiora Grow Well workshop roadshow for the QLDC Spatial Plan, community members were invited to have a vision for Wānaka growth then ask to vote for their preferred option for the future: all tables voted to stop Wānaka growth to where it was then and growing satellite towns (Hawea Luggate, Cardrona) with well-connected public transports. ONE table raised their hand to grow Wānaka and they were booed! If you were there, do you remember that?
Following these clear consultations, the report mentioned for the first time, a “Wānaka South area supporting 5000 new dwellings”! That is completely the opposite of the community preference and creates unrestrained growth of Wānaka suburbia…
59 people attended in Wānaka. 8 groups were asked to evaluate 3 scenarios. Tick is “better”, O is “same”, X is “worse”. The “Dispersed/Extension category” received X from ALL groups expect one table giving them 4 “better”, 4 “worse”, 1 “same”.
In August 2023, at a Blue-Green Network workshop, all attending stakeholders expressed their concern about the growth paradigm declared by the Council. The Council anticipates and fosters growth of population, business and tourism. “All consultations reveal the community wants to STOP growth. Why does the QLDC continues to promote growth?” asks a participant. The growth is already beyond people’s desired lifestyle and the carrying capacity of the land is over the maximal load, particularly water pollutions.
All participants wished for more biodiversity and food space in the plan presented and proposed to cap growth at a sustainable post-growth level. Several times was raised the missing tool to enable the change from unsustainable business-as-usual growth.
I suggested a regenerative land zoning to create commons on private land on a voluntary basis. I followed up without answer so far. It’s such a good idea, it’s generous. It’s community building, resilient, low carbon… it’s nearly free.
the urban area is planned to be 10 km from East to West and 10 km from North to South.
Going South, there are no public park beyond opposite the Medical Centre
The area in blue is currently “Rural“, with lifestyle blocks of minimum 2 hectares, some more than 20. This zoning allows development at a density of up to one residence every 4000m².
Many blocks have substantial mature trees planted by their owners over generations.
The area is full of birds. Dawn chorus already here. And birds need vast areas of nature to thrive.
This green large tranquil area is jeopardized by the plan to change zone and allow subdivision. It concerns landowners. They bought a piece of land in a natural area many years ago, because they wanted a tranquil natural life and many planted trees. The plan, putting growth first, is disrespectful and damages the environment irreversibly. Specially if the trees are the first to go.
All the zones in orange, dark blue and within the “area of influence” are concerned by this QLDC Structure Plan.
A new QLDC initiative Smart Growth Wānaka is promising, with a planned citizen assembly. I am a strong advocate of citizen assemblies as I believe it is able to lift society beyond the current misfunctioning democracy and I should rejoice at this citizen assembly idea. However, since the community has time and time again expressed the same idea (Stop growth), it is not a case for a citizen assembly. It delays the action further.
Action is to pause growth immediately, at least until the results of the citizen assembly. It IS possible to pause growth as in Greytown in Wairarapa.
Now is the chance to create a landmark Wānaka, before all the trees are gone, before it’s all built up.
What does regenerative urban growth looks like?
To be regenerative, first be sustainable. Sustainable means not extracting from the Earth, not polluting the Earth, not damaging the Earth, and sharing within communities. Regenerating is improving above that baseline.
Research has also shown that the ideal sustainable population of a urban area is “whether a city’s population matches what its systems can handle” Associate Professor Kamruzzaman said. “That’s the key to sustainability.”
Some research shows that about 1000 inhabitants settlements is the best size for resilience and ecological responsibility. A NZ study says that people’s preference is to walk less than 15mn which is 5mn drive.
The End of Suburbia documentary describes the fossil fuel overuse and wellbeing decrease in suburbs which is the current trajectory. Green sustainable urban development is well documented, including for small towns.
In Wānaka
Wānaka development is removing all green areas and existing trees.
Only one community garden, and a few satellite food growers but most of the food is disaster dependent
Wānaka is already beyond capacity eg. waste water leaking the river.
It already takes 15mn at a quiet time to drive from boundary to boundary, not to mention the daily queues.
Solutions exist to create a beautiful healthy sustainable low-carbon equitable district.
Traditional villages 300-1000 inhabitants, green space with food production and trees
In modern denser urban sustainable environment, there is also a lot of nature and community wellbeing
Bulldozer land clearing in Wānaka-not one tree left
– immediately enforce 10% of land kept for nature. It is already on the guidelines for subdivisions. let’s make it a prerequisite for all new consents. Educate, encourage all landowners, small or large to create a 10% nature buffer.
– Plan and support (with financial and practical help) landowners to protect/restore 30% of their land by 2030. eg. Jobs for nature, support for social enterprises who provide fencing, local food growing and natural pest management…
Up until recently, the Council had some reserves between developments and some area kept as Parks with connecting pathways eg. Lismore Park. But beyond the existing centre, there are only private properties with no provision for Reserves. The absence of land available for shared green space was raised at the Blue-Green corridors meeting (August 2023). Potential solutions are to enforce reserves on all new projects and foster voluntary reserves by a Regenerative Land Zoning (see 3 below)
2- Protect all existing trees and groups of trees.
Proposal: Treat all trees as protected and strengthen existing rules about trees on public land to control how they can be removed and I am asking for an immediate moratorium on feeling trees until discussed.
I presented this tree protection policy concept and a demand for a moratorium in a QLDC public forum in February 2026. I had no feedback; since then, at least 5 windbreaks of mature poplars have been felled in the outstkirts of Wānaka. My heart breaks!
If we are serious about climate change and enhancing biodiversity then we will extend trees protection to the whole district. All trees are important and there are so few left! Trees are living beings, historical, sacred.
Native/Non-native trees… In Wānaka, most mature trees are non-native therefore viewed as “worthless” and are chopped by inconsideration or convenience. The problem is, if we remove them, we have a 20-50 years of bare land until the baby natives grow. Poplars, willows and douglas firs, cherry, dogwoods, cedars are not native but if we continue removing them all, our town will be bare. With the native-only logic, sheep, cows, and pakehas… all culled! I love natives and plant lots of them. But existing trees should never be removed to plant natives, it goes against common sense and climate science.
So we need to discuss how to protect trees effectively and learn how to love them and manage them. I realise there will be exemptions but starting by a blanket protection is the most effective easiest solutions. A moratorium right now will save many trees.
I believe Protecting trees is the cornerstone of sustainable urban development as trees need space. The space allowed for trees can be left for nature, used for bike lanes, walkways, parking, park, food growing, all things wanted by the community.
I understand it is the responsibility of the developers or the landowners to choose to protect or kill trees. So I am creating a campaign for cherishing Wanaka Trees, ALL of them. Jump on if you love trees too. I am continuing this campaign and appreciate all contributions/ideas.
3 – Create public-private partnership where the Council and the public benefits from land without the need to own it. It doesn’t matter who owns the land, 30% need to be protected.
Since 2022, I work on a new voluntary land zoning that protects a land from subdivision for perpetuity when it contributes to the community, future generations and the planet. Maybe 30% minimum of the land is kept for nature and regenerated, and maybe also shared for the greater good.
When someone planted trees, it’s not to be cut for houses next generation. It’s for the Trees, for Papatuanuku. For All.
Some landowners are already sharing part of their land as civic assets for wildlife habitat, for food growing (essential in a low carbon society), for access (bike commuting, walk, bike and horse tracks, for parks…). This creates commons that serve both the environment (so that it can continue to provide ecosystem services) and the community (recreational parks, connected bike lanes for commuters, food production areas…)
Developers can subdivide well, with keeping all the trees, regenerating 30% of the land creating shared spaces rather than stripping the land and adding as many rows of houses as possible. 30% for nature means: out of 60 sections, 20 should be reverted to a natural environment.
Loosing fertile greenfields to concrete and buildings is unsustainable, as highlighted by a government report dated April 2024. I am not radical here. Science is clear. In a climate and biodiversity crises, it’s land clearing and tree killing that is radical.
I hope the opportunity is taken by the Council, as this would foster a beautiful green low-carbon resilient and happy community. We need nature and land for food here, not 83km away where the National Park starts. That’s whaiora, with dawn chorus and other principles in the 2050 spatial plan. This new land zoning is the missing tool of the shift, allowing willing landowners to start and pave the way. Please refer to the well-research page on the powerful yet simple proposed piece of regulation here.
Bold Inspiring Vision
I urge the Council to be bold and inspiring, actually creating a beautiful future, starting now, not in 10 years when it’s all built up – when what we do have and love will be destroyed.
At the historic Regenerative Tourism Hui 3 in 2023, the Carbon Zero by 2030 goal was adopted. Solemnity rippled on the crowd after we collectively committed to it, fully understanding the why and meaning of such a bold engagement. Tyler Robinson said “Queenstown Lakes is the ideal place to show the world that decarbonization and regeneration is possible. We have an ecosystem of early adopters here“.
We all know that carbon zero goal means stopping the crave for more. More houses don’t solve the affordability crisis or cities like Auckland or London would be cheap. More money for more consumption exhausts the planet already beyond capacity. Living simply, locally, circular, without chemicals and pollutions, keeping precious remnants from the natural world and regenerating the land, that’s achievable.
But not with the current rules and the touted growth goal. Growth may be the money carrot for many, growth will benefit the developers and the tradies but growth is not the solution, it worsens all the crises. We need a paradigm change, that put people and planet first BEFORE the money and growth; and a culture where we share.
I will speak at the QLDC Council meeting in Wānaka on the 23rd July 2026 to encourage sustainable urban development with urgency and practical solutions. It’s all possible -and better. And invite Councilors to take responsibility for us and future generations. What else?
Appendix Exemples of rules that results in generous green connecting natural spaces (click on image for links)
Substantial sustainable greenways in Baton RougeThe most generous green corridor image I find online is from the gameplay Cities: SkylinesDetroit green space food production
Appendix Example of Regenerative Urban Roads
Roads become green corridors, much wider than the current plan “New street trees shall not be planted where the projected mature canopy spread is within 5 meters of any street light or overhead services.” A 5 meter canopy is reached within 10 years by many trees. Allow for 12 or 15 meter canopy, the average crown size of a medium size oak tree.
Appendix Practical rules for subdivisions and all landowners
Here are better practices, to embed in compulsory rules, as we see that discretionary recommendations do not work.
30% of nature is integrated into subdivisions as parks, surface water management, shared food production, connected pathways, beautiful and great for wellbeing
Each section keeping 30% for nature OR each subdivision keeping 30% for nature OR each group of apartments built on land with 30% for nature around them.
mandate to ensure existing trees on subdivision are protected particularly the trees surrounding the property, protected as public land trees, ban clear felling.
Limit terraforming, soil removal and compaction to maintain soil life and its sponge properties
All rainwater to be slowed down with surface planted drains, reed beds and wetlands, the local Kirimoko Park offers some of these features
compulsory roof rainwater harvest tanks, possibly subsidised like on the Kapiti Coast, also great for resilience.
Protect ridgelines, no dominant house, all ridge houses to be integrated in planting
Keep at least one viewpoint to be preserved for public access,
All new streets and access to have separate connected bike-lanes and separate footpaths
All streets and dead ends to be connected with at least foot access to adjacent streets
Appropriate junctions with existing roads paid for by the developers, not minimal intersections generating traffic congestion for both new residents and neighboring residents, as we have on North Lake or on the Ballantyne/Sir Tim Wallis intersection.
Developers to pay the costs of infrastructures needed to accommodate the new housing residents, not existing ratepayers. (eg. The Longview Hawea waste water is literally a shame)
Ban the use of herbicides and pesticides
What does it look like?
a 8-10 hectares block holds 60 household blocks. All the trees have been kept. The outer hedges trees are complemented with three layers of plantings for a generous hedge, hosting wildlife and tracks. There is access for pedestrians and bikes on all sides. The centre of the subdivision is a park featuring trees, children playgrounds, reed beds for water sanitation, shared gardens or plots for food production. The park can be borded with a couple of apartment blocks with view on the trees. The centre of the subdivision can host shared spaces, shared tools, market place, community building…
Each 1/4 acre section is well surrounded by trees, space for gardens and play, a smaller sustainable house, water harvesting, orchard, food production and nature, at least 30% or more. Imagine the wildlife and privacy here!
Or any combination of these, like here: 1 acre showing 4 households with a shared nature zone and food production to ensure wellbeing for people and nature. Sorry, the drawings are not the best! But I hope you get the idea. Lots of trees. Just make sure you plant deciduous trees on the sunny side of the house for cooling in summer and sun in winter.
Does any of this inspire you? Let us know in the comments below.
Gardening in harmony with nature is ideal to adapt to today’s crises: vegetables from the veggie patch, fruit from orchards, regenerating habitats for wildlife and carbon capture, and joy, fitness, fresh air, wellbeing from beauty and tranquility… Paradise! Local workshops, community gardens, many books and online knowledge can help start and answer any question.
Everyday goodness for lunchAutumn harvest to storeGood for the soils, good for ALL
Nature and the garden are so abundant, they provide even much more! Here we’ll share about garden goodies, tea and coffee, skin oils, medicines, lollies, fertilisers… So much goodness, mostly for free!
First in, champion dandelion!
Dandelions have flowers nearly year round, which means they brighten the yards and feed insects year round. The whole plant has therapeutic value, especially useful to cleanse the liver and heal hepatitis, therefore also good for skin, rheumatism, everything. So we consume it everyday.
Two young leaves per person in lunch sandwiches or salads;
Two bigger leaves per person as greens in dinners;
Young dandelion flowers are one of my pleasures: as I potter around, I just pick one with the milky stalk that I fold and eat like a lolly;
And my morning “coffee”:
My dandelion root coffee satisfyingly replaces imported acid-forming coffee while giving that morning kick. It also transforms weeding into root harvesting. I cut the leaves off as I harvest the roots, then soak overnight for the soil to drop. Next day, I chop the roots, and leave on a fabric to dry for several days, then roast (180°C for 10-12mn – keep an eye!), then blend in a ninja, then store. I use one spoon per cup, adding milk or not. Dandelion root coffee can also be purchased here.
SoakingCuttingDrying, then roastingBlendRich and earthy, and a little kick!
Dandelions are either loved or hated! There are many FB groups of dandelion lovers sharing beautiful photos and AI compositions of flowers, seed heads, fairies, wishes and happy gardens. There are also many metal sculptures of seed heads. For other people, dandelions are a weed, sprayed systematically (with dangerous chemicals). I often ask those people why. They have no answer! For me, dandelions hold joy and magic, they are so clever: dandelions in deep grass will grow flowers on long stems, dandelion on regularly mowed lawns grow flowers at the lawn height, I find this miraculous! But I don’t use them in our garden tea, too bitter.
Garden tea
There are many edible and medicinal plants and trees. Known ones like rosemary, sage, thyme, yarrow, nettle, St. John’s wort, plantain, chamomilla… Maybe less known plants like lady’s mantle, mallow, comfrey, eupatorium, veronica, calendula, horny goat, roses…
Even less known, tree leaves like walnut, birch, maple, mulberry, blackcurrant and raspberry, many pines, hawthorn -the heart master-, eucalyptus… Barks and roots are often useful too but it’s harming the trees so I don’t practice that. It’s worth googling the trees in your backyard for surprise health benefits.
Many NZ native plants are edible and have traditional medicinal use, hebe for stomach pain, horopito as spice and painkiller, kōwhai for skin, even some ferns for cancer. There is a lot of information here and here.
I go around my garden and harvest any of the above, in small quantities, to create a balanced mix, varying by the seasons. I dry that mix for a few days in open air, then blitz it, store in a jar, and drink our garden tea every afternoon, no packaging, free, always different, good for health, and yesss super tasty!
There are many resources for common plants medicinal knowledge. I enjoy getting to know the plants available in the garden and finding out about their health benefits. If in doubt, check with professional herbalist.
Plants can also be foraged. Always check with owners and be wary of roundup. Only harvest small quantities when there are heaps, leaving plenty for nature to regrow and share with other beings.
Pinus patula needles are edibleHerbs for the garden teaOur Garden Tea <3
Garden lollies!
As I potter around or go for a walk in the garden, and depending on the season, I enjoy:
Folding and eating a dandelion flower and its milky stalk for a rich experience!
Pinching mint, this also controls its spread;
A drop of pine cone sap, a long lasting treat;
Gleaning blackcurrant flowers, blackberries climbing on the glasshouse, a wild strawberry or the sweet base of primula and clover flowers…
Also the unvaluable delight of crunching a cherry tomato, a snow pea or a nasturtium flower as I harvest for lunch or dinner.
As a breath freshener: one leaf of each plant in the herb garden (rosemary, sage, origano etc.) and munch together, wow.
Skin oil
On a nice sunny morning, I take a glass jar and scissors and go around the garden. In the jar go cistus leaves and flowers (good for aging skin), lots of calendula leaves, stalks and flowers and one rose. I chopped these with scissors, then add oils: sunflower, grapeseed, almond or apricot kernel, a bit of jojoba for texture. The closed jar is left to marinate 2 or 3 weeks (longer, it starts to smell like manure!). Then I filter it and put in tainted jars. I add a few drops of essential oils that I like and are good for my dry skin, frankincense, rose, geranium, lavender. There are so many options, check with Auntie Google, but do NOT use citrus for day oils. No chemicals, no plastic, not quite free as the oils can be pricey, but what a satisfying pleasure every morning!
Fresh flowers in a jar on the leftFiltering the marinated flowers after 3 weeksDaily use of garden oil
Garden fertilizers
It’s well known that comfrey and nettle leaves are great fertilizers for the veggie garden. With gloves, I harvest half a bucket of leaves, weigh them down with a stone, cover with water and a lid; Leave to ferment 2-3 weeks, then dilute 1 liter per water can to feed our plants.
Both these rich plants can be used as mulch -before they are in seeds. It has been known since the mid-50’s and popularised by Henry Doubleday in Britain. Together with the compost, they are enough to feed our prolific garden, no chemicals here of course!
And much more…
Many plants are enriching biodiversity in the garden -by definition-. My favourite is the joyful calendula, I wrote a whole post about Calendula wonders!
One calendula plant in each garden bed to attract companion insects and add petals to colour salads.
Instant healer
For bites, stings, cuts, pick three leaves of different plants, hold together, tear the end to access the juice, then rub on the skin.
Favourites: plantain, yarrow, calendula (of course ), pine or cypress…
Or any greens around. Try and refine!
In fact all plants play an enriching role, clover brings nitrogen to other plants, rumex is an interesting addition to dinner greens and food for many insects, lily of the valley keep rabbits at bay, the list goes on…
Weeds are not weeds really. In our garden, weeding is CARING for our plants, making space for their roots and aerating the soil. One important message here is to always check any plant use and benefits before removing it. Spreading very fast or being prickly are good reasons for me and I do remove some plants by hand before they go to seeds. As we like to walk barefoot, we remove thistles even if they are great soil enhancers with their deep tap roots and offer a lot of food to birds. We also remove cleavers after eating young shoots in dinner greens and before they spread up trees. We do also remove a lot of grass when it competes with our plants and trees roots. But apart from that, we leave everything to grow, we welcome and manage them.
Awesome juices
Hawthorns, rosehips and elders tend to grow on their own in our climate. Great! Flowers in spring for beauty and insects, berries later for the birds and us. Every year, I make a batch of elderflower juice, then elderberry juice, hawthorn berries juice and rosehip berries juice. Healthy goodies for the winter.
Simple method
Harvest a large bowl; rinse; in a pan, cover with boiling water, bring to a boil; leave to infuse overnight; next morning, crush with potato masher or moulin, bring the juice back to a boil with a lemon juice and 1 or 2 table spoons of honey; Into jars, fill to the top, lid on and turn upside down. This keeps a year in the pantry.
Again, lots of recipes online, these preserves have been done for generations so just about every family has their own way. I choose simple.
Our “Herbes de Provence”
The “official” mix is thyme, rosemary, summer savoury, origano in equal measure, plus half that measure of basil and bayleaf.
I haven’t managed to grow summer savoury yet so I add sage and lavender to our mix, and follow the rest -approximately.
Contrarily to the garden tea where I blitz the whole branches together, here, I carefully peal the leaves off the stalks or we end up with bits of wood in dishes. Then left to dry, then mixed in the ninja and kept in glass jars. A little bit is enough to light up any dish.
No packaging, mostly free, and healthy. I can’t remember when I last bought some mixed herbs. When I use some at a friend’s place, it tastes very bland.
This harvest of herbs will last a whole year, until next season.
From wellbeing to food production, gardens are source of goodies (and home for many animals families).
Have you ever wondered where goes what you put in the toilet? In most cases, it goes to a septic tank or to the local wastewater treatment plant. The former need regular emptying, the latter is expensive and is often overflowing into rivers or the sea.
There are lots of options online for compost toilets or composting toilet or dry toilet or off-grid toilet or bio-toilet or humanure system. Some are expensive and complex, some look like “normal” toilet, most are interestingly smell free. And they save so much water! And they close the food cycle too!
Lots of system, screen capture from the first “compost toilet” Ecosia image search.
I made one.
My system is simple, in a corner of the garden : a bucket, a toilet seat and lid from Wastebusters, a toilet paper roll in a water tight container, a bag of saw dust.
I love being with the birds under the trees. I use it for number 2s. I love that I don’t use water to flush. I love that my poo becomes fertilization for the garden. Not a waste.
Behind a tree, hidden with a loose fence of cabbage tree leaves
Here it is, a bucket, a toilet seat with lid, a water tight box for a toilet roll and bags of saw dust. Simplissimo.
Like most people, we have toilets inside, so I only use it when I want. In nature.
When the bucket is full, I empty it in a compost bin, nested into straw, covered with straw. It does smell but already hardly looks like what it is.
In summer, a bucket can receive about 30 uses. In winter, only 12 or 15 as it doesn’t decompose as it goes.
I can empty the full bucket in compost bins four or five times as it reduces quickly.
In autumn, I incorporate the content of the compost bin into the hot compost. At this stage, we cannot tell what it is. I make layers of leaves, mulch, a bit of biochar, our cold compost, bokashi, straw, alternating fresh (nitrogen rich) and dry (carbon rich) layers.
The layered compost is watered, often by rain this autumn season, then covered.
Temperature will reach 70 degrees C. It smokes in the morning. All baddies are transformed in goodies by wonderful nature.
In spring, the pile is 1/3 of the initial height, all nicely decomposed, used in the garden.
For commercial use in the garden, a second turn of the compost and another season are practiced, I think. Any precision on that?
Abundant garden potager, fed yearly with our home compost
2 bags of biochar, enough for a year
Even in a small garden, it’s possible (In my previous urban garden, I had hidden it in a corner, with a few planks and a frost cloth!)
I find it rewarding to close the loop!➰🌏💧🐞💖
I hope I’ve inspired you to do your own dry toilet. Post your experience or problems in the Comments below, we may find solutions together.
We all agree with the Chinese proverb “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago” and we are now well aware of all the services trees provide (biodiversity habitat and food, cleaning and regulation of air/wind, water, climate/temperature, wellbeing/esthetics etc.);
Yet in our district, established trees are cut in great numbers, from Northlake to Riverbank Road, on road sides, public and private land. It is shocking and hurting to many people, we value trees. It is an offense to the elders who have planted these conifer windbreaks and plantations, beautiful poplar rows, or mixed planting in private land for future generations, not for us to dispose off.
If we are serious about the declared climate and biodiversity crises, then we need to protect our trees.
Our Council has a tree protection policy for public land. There is no distinction in tree value whether they grow on public or private land. So rules can be extended to all trees. It is as easy as replacing “On Council land, we“, with “On all land in QLDC, we” on the current tree policy.
Even with the Tree Policy, too many trees are felled (and planned to be felled) on public land so a better protection is needed to include native and non-native trees, shelterbelts, windbreaks, hedgerows, groups of trees and stand alone trees. Clear felling, burn offs, monoculture and poisoning practices are unsustainable and must stop (read on for details).
Trees are life and they should and CAN be protected by extending the QLDC Tree policy on public land and strengthening this policy to Protecting All the trees of the land. To adapt to today’s crises, regulations must be changed to set interdictions and consent requirements before harvesting trees on the land you’ve bought.
I am opening a conversation and welcome contributions to save trees. I will revise and present the request to the Council in a full meeting asap.
Trees are beings, they are made of carbon and water like us, they have strategies to thrive in most adverse ecosystems, they live, breathe, make babies, die. At a scale so large, in a time so long that many humans do not see them.
To the Māori, trees are sacred and revered, respected and used with gratitude. Trees are taonga (treasures) with strength, resilience and interconnectedness with all living things, mirroring humans in all their diversity.
I love trees. I feel their life force, I appreciate and admire, caress and hug trees. I am like tree, carbon and water, we are the same, we are life, we are one. Trees are to me the bridge to oneness. I believe trees are unique living intelligent beings that have a right to live.
Do you remember how you felt when you planted a tree? Do you remember the love, this connection with the land and contribution to the planet? The good deed and hope for a better future? It is a good idea to think about it when planning to cut trees planted by someone else and respect them.
Just like Jane Goodall had demonstrated that chimpanzee are intelligent beings worth of protection, just like the Project Ceti deciphers whale communication, so too has Suzanne Simard demonstrated that trees are sentient beings, they cooperate to live in harmony in forests, they communicate, help each other, nurture their children… we only begin to understand their intelligence.
One day, when human society progresses, it will give civil rights to trees, and I am asking to start by protecting them now.
We need to stop killing trees just because “we’ve always done that”.
US master arborist Basil Camu has made a daring business move – refusing to cut down trees. Instead he’s turned his focus on educating people in a bid to keep their trees. He says 90% of trees don’t need to be cut, only managed. He says people can save money, time and help develop ecosystems by not cutting down their trees.
Trees are intelligent beings and have the right to live.
No money can buy an old tree
Natives and Non-natives
I feel an intense sadness at the extend to which native forests have been removed from Aotearoa over centuries and it continues today, only protected by National Parks, just.
I understand the need to “recloak” New Zealand with native forests. I love native trees and we planted many natives over the years. I understand native areas must be weeded off non-natives in National Parks which role is to conserve the authentic original canopy.
Locally, Te Kakano is doing a formidable native tree planting effort with the community since 2013.
In human settlements however, I believe ALL trees have huge value. There is an unnecessary division between native and exotic trees. All trees are beautiful carbon-loaded and valuable resources. Fast growing and resilient maples, oaks, conifers and poplars offer splendid colours along the lakes and streets, in parks and gardens, exotic trees are precious. Existing trees, old and recently planted are all invaluable as once cut, they take 20/60/100 years to grow again, if replanted, which is a loss of time and leaves a gap between now and when they will be big again.
Particularly, existing trees should not be cut to be replaced by native trees.
An ancestor has planted douglas firs? Thank you for the shade and windbreak.
A forest of pinus radiata is growing on its own? Great! Let it grow, thank you nature, thank you tough tree. It can be interplanted with natives. When it is grown, it can be selectively harvested.
I think it is great to plant lots of natives but existing trees should never be cut to make space for them. Tony Rinaudo shows that the habitual way of removing what grows naturally (ie. cutting weeds) is depleting the land; keeping them instead hold moisture and nutrients fostering more life.
Be careful what we wish for. Cutting non-native trees could result in a bare land as many established trees are willows and poplars, conifers and oaks. Where will the bird live when they are removed?
NZ forest loss Source: EPA Environmental Protection Authority (New Zealand government agency) – click on image to open the source document
On the Fisherman track along Mata-Au, a mix of natives and non-natives grow happily together, protecting each other, feeding and protecting wildlife in complementarity. Beautiful! What’s wrong with the pine forest in the other side on Dean’s Bank? Nothing.
I will add here that non-native trees were introduced lawfully to New Zealand, they provide valuable services and are often grown in plantations. Wanting trees “here but not here” is madness, segregation. Wanting only natives is also extreme when most food in NZ is not native; pasture, sheep, kiwifruit, non native… Just like us people, most of us are not native, yet we are an asset to our chosen beloved country and we thrive to live in harmony with people who were here before. New Zealand is one country in the world where we learn to live together, enriching us all on the way. It requires effort, but it is worth it. So with the people, so with wildlife. I believe native and exotic trees can live in harmony together, in complementarity. They certainly do at our place.
“If we want a truly sustainable carbon future, we need a diversified forest portfolio — some species for quick sequestration, others for lasting stability“.
Aspen trees, cherry trees, poplar trees form clusters, clonal colonies; oaks and sycamore grow thousand of trees babies every year; all trees in forests, native trees in native forests, multiply and reproduce. Of course they reproduce, they are life. Let’s embrace this quality, not fight it.
“Ticking time bomb” I hear some say, well everything is relative… In 20 years, we have just 3 baby Pinus radiata coming from the nearby forest and we decided to keep 2 of them. I don’t call this an invasion. It is manageable.
We all like a good ground cover, don’t we? And it’s beneficial for the soil and wildlife too! So when a yellow archangel lamium, a purple ajuga, an arctostaphylos or dandelions really enjoy it and spreads, I hear people say: “Oh no! we need to remove it” and they spray.
It is similar with trees, only on a much longer time frame. Some trees enjoy an area and grow well and create a family. Great.
If a tree or a plant IS a problem, we make sure we cut it back with as much root as possible and remove all seeds before they spread. By removing 80% of it every year, we are on top of it in a few years.
When we are in harmony with nature, we welcome the vigour, manage it to keep room for other plants and ourselves. Whether a plant is a weed or welcome is political and cultural, it is a mental construct, a world view of nature.
Qualities of the so-called-invasives.
Many conifers, gorse or broom have same or better carbon values than natives.
And yes, so-called-invasive are tough! That is why they grow in the wild. Many of the so-called-invasive are ruderal, they are the first to cover the soil after scarring or poisoning. Interesting how thistles come back over and over again just on the herbicide sprayed areas, which then need spraying again.
Broom and gorse grow well on bare land and traditionally offer protection of native plant regeneration then dissolve when the natives shade them. Over the years, other plants will colonise too, native trees will pop over the protective cover and the shade they create will dim gorse which will die, nature left to her own devices usually comes back to a forest. Hinewai Nature reserve near Christchurch is a great example of this. It takes time.
The beauty is it can be greatly accelerated by inter tree planting.
Wilding pines?
The main wilding pine is Pinus radiata which is widely planted for forestry in areas previously deforested from their natives. “These trees are good here“. “These (same)trees are not good there“… This control of nature is damageable to the planet and a mindshift is required. These trees are precious long term resources and harvesting them selectively at the right time for timber and other local materials make better economic sense. Trees that grow on their own are a gift from nature and can be used as resources. We could choose to let “wilding pines” grow, then harvest them for timber and firewood, selectively like they do in Europe (no clear cut on the Swiss mountains, is there?). They are not invasive; they are growing instead of monoculture of pasture. We see many images of wilding pines colonizing bare pasture but very rarely pines growing amongst natives.
Conifers do not grow in the shade, this is why they are outcompeted worldwide by deciduous trees that grow faster when young, says conifer expert Aljos Farjon. Conifers are often seen on margins along track and roads (created by humans), in ditches and ravines where nothing else grows yet and in riverbeds where they are watered. They can be managed. In our region, I have never seen wilding pines growing in a native forest and smothering it. It is likely that with climate change, trees are now growing in places they didn’t use to. But I believe culling wilding trees is the wrong war. What needs to stop is the destruction of carbon absorbers
These trees grow on their own on our -difficult- land and they should be let to grow and harvested when grown for timber, resins and other goodies trees provide. I realize I am hurting some people with this radical view! I hope, with good intention, they will widen their views soon.
A great example of the necessary shift: the lawn! Lawns were made fashionable by rich aristocratic people showing off that they had enough to afford a useless space, at a time when all the land was forest or used for food or resource growing. Today, specially when they are kept short, watered, “weed free” or “worm-free”, lawns swallow a lot of resources: energy, water, time, poisons, they do not hold water nor carbon; in a climate, biodiversity and “cost of living” crises, they are a squander. Apart from the kids and the dog playing around, large lawns and large pastures are of little use and value. Leaving the grass to nature and mowing only footpaths is an elegant way to accommodate both nature and people.
Do we need to mow all land? Or just footpaths?
What are we doing when we cut and poison trees? We remove a free resource, use carbon heavy chemicals and pollute the planet, animals and people’s bodies. The use of chemicals brings a cancer epidemics well documented by Rachel Carson in her 1962 Silent Spring book.
Trees that grow well and fast in our climate are larches, sequoias, eucalyptus, douglas firs, walnuts, cherry and apples, all absorbing huge amounts of carbon, much more than a slow growing native. They are also providing excellent timber, firewood and food. Larches produce such a durable wood that it doesn’t need treating even used as roof tiles in European Alps.
Going deeper, I believe, the “invasive” issue is due to a mis-repartition of land. Some people have a land bigger than they can be guardians of. Meanwhile, many people can’t afford a quarter acre, which is the size of the land where you can grow some trees and some food. The iconic 1/4 acre New Zealand of the 60’s was allowing every household to live. Now, people are pushed into boundary to boundary house with no space to grow, unlivable, so as soon as they can, they move somewhere bigger, impacting the land further and creating a runaway economic growth which erodes wellbeing and is incompatible with the climate, biodiversity and inequality crisis. Adapting does require a change of culture but change we must as the crises are squeezing us.
Proposals
We are asking the Council to extend the tree protection policy for public land to all trees on private land too. We suggest replacing “On Council land, we“, with “On all land in QLDC, we” on the current tree policy.
We are asking to strengthen the tree protection policy to include native and non-native trees, shelterbelts, windbreaks, hedgerows, groups of trees and stand alone trees.
We are asking to ban clear felling, burn offs, monoculture and poisoning practices.
We are asking to protect All the trees of the land. This means for example:
Manage trees, only kill when dangerous
Manage a 20km margin around National Parks to remove self seeding trees
Welcome plants growing well naturally
Replant way before cutting, so that tree services are maintained
Practice selected harvesting
Practice coppicing
Interplant with natives as wished
Share the land -to help with the workload of managing trees
Do not poison as it pollutes the planet
What does it mean for a land owner ?
All the trees on their land are protected, even when the land is passed on or sold. It means they can plant trees knowing they will live and provide their services for perpetuity. They can manage trees as they wish as long as the tree is not critically damaged. For example, topping a tree to keep the sun on solar panels.
Trees can be removed:
if they present a risk of falling, a risk to existing building foundation
if a replacement has reached enough maturity to provide shelter, privacy and other ecosystem services of the tree cut,
when one tree out of 4? 5? 10? is removed as part of a group of trees
Trees cannot be removed around subdivisions, for any building or infrastructure construction, for power lines (power lines can go underground and lines are obsolete in a community where solar panels are providing private electricity).
Trees are recorded as part of the existing system of Land Information Memorandum report and thereby protected. Any change is recorded online in the LIM report, for example 5 years after planting trees (to make sure they are established) or if tree removing is possible along the rules 1. 2. 3. above.
Landscapers and arborists are trained to follow the rules and manage trees.
Carbon calculations can be done automatically to reward the landowners for keeping their trees and tree removing incurs a carbon tax.
These are all suggestions, ideas of how it could work and are up for discussions.
In our district, big trees are not native and they take an expensive real estate space. It has been leading to their destruction, for example Northlake, Three Parks, Orchard road etc. “They are just Douglas Firs, get rid of them” I hear. Well, they are trees. Of note here, douglas firs, along with many conifers, live for several centuries, 500 years is common. In our region, trees planted won’t be more than 150 years old so killing them is like killing a young adult with many years of good service ahead.
For many residents and visitors, Wānaka trees have huge value. There are world-known poplar and willow rows along the lake, there are still a few beautiful established trees in town, a dozen standing survivors on Orchard road, a mighty old Douglas fir across the police station, a small forest left at Eely point and Lismore park, there are patchy areas of big trees in parks, on the Golf course and on private land. They are all condemned by current rules and practices…
In Wanaka, some Wanaka Station Park trees and the start Mt Aspiring road trees are protected along with 15 others, including the three mighty McDougall sequoias.
Spectacular and much admired McDougall sequoias
In our district urban areas, most natives have been replanted recently and are still too small for wildlife habitat. We do not have tall totaras. There are established kowhais, plenty of kanuka and flaxes and small native hedges (eg. griselinia) and grasses. I observe every day that native wildlife lives and sings in tall trees, mostly non-native. Each of these existing trees are extremely valuable as they are what we (and wildlife) currently have. If we let these non native trees be cut, birds have nowhere to live, therefore disappear.
Trees need to be kept. The plan for Eely Point reserve to remove hundreds of healthy windbreak trees is inappropriate in a climate emergency; I hope the new Council and the Blue Green network step up to protect this important part of the existing (patchy and disappearing) Wānaka green belt. Natives can be planted understory, between the gaps, or on grassland further along. It is nice to read that in the Queenstown gardens (also planned to be culled), public consultation has resulted in “trial planting sites before any trees are removed, helping to demonstrate what the replacement plantings will look like ahead of future works.” Well, collections of little tree guards containing beautiful native baby trees do NOT replace mighty canopies… Not for us anyway…
Tree Protection in QLDC
QLDC has created, with public consultation, a tree policy designed to protect the trees.
It is in fact very weak as it really only protects native trees on public land. Douglas firs on public land are not protected, on the reason that they are not native. Queenstown botanic gardens, Eely point recreation area, a group of douglas firs on a public area in Peninsula bay… All cut or about to be.
This tree policy is more a process to cut trees. Not to protect them.
There are a few protected trees in Wanaka. Many trees of the Wanaka Station Park and the start of Mt Aspiring road are protected, along with less than 20 trees on private land.
I inquired in August 2024 about protected trees in QLDC. I was referred to The Upper Clutha Historic Records Society, who didn’t know much. Very little importance is given to protected trees, trees at all, I’d say!
I asked how to protect trees and was informed that the 10-year district plan is the time to apply for that.
Iconic Wanaka Lake front in autumn, lighten by poplars and willows. Beautiful! That Wanaka tree itself is a willow, a post in fact.
They grow happily and protect native planting happening around them.
Mt Aspiring road beautiful tree tunnel, many of these trees are protected. Well managed, a beautiful avenue. We could extend this to the whole place. Little group of douglas firs on the little reserve opposite the medical centre, full of birds. These trees on public land should be protected but being non-native, they could also be on the chopping board. This screenshot of protected trees from the QLDC maps system in 2023 doesn’t seem to work anymore. It speaks volume to me.
I understand that wilderness areas deserve to keep or restore their native-only status. I don’t believe native-only is good for human settlements areas. Importantly, these established trees exist -thank you- and cannot be replaced.
Trees, native or not, have high intrinsic value, ecosystem value and wellbeing value. Biodiversity value is higher if there are natives AND non natives.
The blue-green plan could include spaces for planting these essential resources for human settlements – as the draft stands, the Blue Green plan is only about natives. How are we going to build and heat houses in a zero carbon economy or in a disaster zone? The wood is no longer going to come from over the ocean, or across highways with broken bridges. It must be grown locally and the blue green plan can include that. Always in diversity (no monoculture). Which landowner has enough space for a couple of rows and allocate a part of that wood to the community ? Are you in?
What do you think of maturely rise above the native/non-native invasive viewpoints and embrace all TREES. Click here to have your say, start a conversation to save the trees.
Beyond trees, a whole district regenerative design
Protecting trees or using and disposing of them IS cultural. It IS reflecting a different world view. Yes it IS Political and the Council has the potential to fix all these crises by capping growth and planning steady state local circular economy, by protecting trees and encouraging sharing of the land, creating commons, to grow food, for recreation access or commuting, for tree growing or biodiversity restoration… I suggest Council elected members and staff go and talk with the landowners. Ask them what would they need to be on board with sharing a part of their land as commons. It doesn’t need to be money.
Many landowners I know are creating a biodiversity asset on their land (eg. they plant trees or create ponds…) and they just want the certainty that their land is not chopped up after their death. When we plant trees, it is for us to enjoy when we are alive. It is also for future generations and the birds, and the planet. It’s generous. It needs intergenerational guardianship and the current land zonings do not allow that. It is the governance responsibility to change rules to protect what we have for now and future generations. We cannot wait and squander what we have.
Carbon sequestration is calculated over many years and at the moment, trees are planted with no guarantee that they will be kept, it is wrong. We need to create a way to protect what IS. A land zoning or any form of protection of private land is an essential part of the creation of a regenerative community.
“I don’t want to die! Because then… All this gets chopped up”
Says an old gardener with an ample movement showing extensive gardens and unusual established trees 🌲 🌸🌳
Growth is too much in our district. EVERY public meeting I have attended in the last 20 years have clearly reflected that “locals”, the community does not want this uncontrolled growth. And yet the Council continues planning for growth. Instead of planning for a sustainable urban environment. I am asking the new Council to step up and provide what the community asks.
Solutions
Create citizen assemblies to define community and the planet future best outcomes and implement them
Stop growth where it is already planned now. It is essential to keep fertile greenfields close to urban areas and stop over-building.
Keep All trees, Keep 30% for nature at all levels, on a section, in a subdivision, in the urban space, in a connected way. Use these commons for planting useful and native trees fostering wildlife, connected walk and bike ways for recreation and commute, surface water reticulation, community food growing (food forest, plots, orchards, community gardens or social entreprise growing market food…) – and to be resilient, add local energy production on all roofs, with subdivisions requirements to build battery capacity. Make it part of resource consents, it is just a political will (or not?)
Encourage landowners to regenerate 30% of their land and share and join the commons network.
This is how we create and re-create biodiversity, resilience and wellbeing.
Alternatives to current practices of clear felling, burn offs, monoculture and poisoning
Alternatives toclear felling
Since 2021, NZ Farm forestry recommends replacing clear felling with a selection system to halve (or reduce tenfold) soil erosion and to retain forest ecosystem, maintaining soil nutrients, nesting sites, food sources, cover, shade and protection from climate extremes. Read the article here. Clear felling only looks cheaper, it is externalizing actually higher costs to the public. The impacts on roads during rain events is costly and detrimental to the communities. The devastation of the cyclone Gabrielle even cost death. Clear felling is also ugly and severally impact landscapes, a detriment to wellbeing and tourism. Nelson area, Golden Bay, Coromandel etc. are no longer beautiful, they have scars, it is hurting, visitors often comment on it. We don’t see clear felling in Europe where selective forestry is generalized, nor in North America where they hide clear felling behind rows of uncut trees. Clear felling is a practice for underdeveloped countries with uncontrolled illegal logging, eg. Indonesia or Brazil. Clear felling must be banned in New Zealand, starting in our district.
In our district, subdivision developments start by removing all the trees on the land. This is unnecessary and costly. Why do passer-by have to witness yellow machines moving earth etc. for years, where they used to pass a row of singing trees? Where are the birds going? The developers soon replace the once old trees with young ones, which will take decades to provide similar services that already existed! Why?
Solutions: Move away from intensive monoculture forest management into a well-practiced closer to nature or integrative multifunctional forest management with single tree selection. In resource consent conditions, keeping trees on the boundaries and keeping 30% of all other trees and natural space. Practice coppicing: by cutting one every three trees, we keep the 30% for nature ratio, keep the visual shield provided by trees on the boundaries and trees keep growing without the need to replant.
Alternatives to burnoffs
Outdoor burning is sometimes authorised on Check It’s All Right. However, many articles show elevation of air pollution and complaints in burnoff seasons. Furthermore, burnoffs are the main reason of wildfires: “In New Zealand, about 99% of all fires are caused by people. A number of fires are started as a burn-off (farmers getting rid of excess vegetation), which then escapes, becoming a wildfire“, say Scion scientists.
Solution: ban burnoffs. It is not acceptable to continue burn offs in 2025 in a climate emergency. On hills, let it grow, let regeneration in progress. For wood debris: hire a mulcher, with the right tool, landscapers will turn it to valuable fertilizing resource for cheaper than buying mulch.
Alternatives to monoculture
It is so obvious monoculture should not exist, but it does, so it needs regulation! Monoculture is by definition unsustainable. Biodiversity is essential to hold food and shelter year around. Monoculture is the opposite of biodiversity so we need a mind shift away from monoculture, in forests, in agriculture and in lawns.
Solution: Plant a minimum of 10 different trees species for example. Row of slow growing natives with rows of fast growing timber. Plant diverse hedges, small or large, it all improves biodiversity.
Alternatives to poisoning
So much is known on pesticides and herbicides, it’s a wonder people use them still. Do they realise these chemicals require huge amounts of energy for their production, packaging and transport; they pollute the environment and bodies with long lasting chemicals with myriads of more or less known consequences on life. One is sure: by intermingling with human hormones, they create infertility and various cancers. Maybe it is time to stop and instead manage when necessary, mulching, fostering biodiversity to maintain a balance…
Solution: commit to no chemical fertilizer nor pesticide use and care for the land in harmony with nature. Share the practices that work on managing self fertile trees locally.
All these things are possible. We are doing it. We plant trees. We do not pollute. We use bokashi, worm juice or comfrey tea to feed the garden. We only mow what we need, that is less than 10% of the land. We appreciate the privilege to co-create so much beauty and abundance with nature. We trust nature. We connect with nature. We love each of our trees. The land becomes a heaven for us and wildlife. We live in a bird sanctuary! The joy and privilege have unfathomable value.
This famous quote shows the importance of protecting trees planted 20 years ago. And yet…
To All the trees planted and growing, thank you.
If we are serious about the climate, biodiversity and sickness of the world (are you?), then Tree protection is the cheapest easiest essential way on the transition to a planet and people friendly society.
What do you think about this tree protection proposal? What improvement to the statement do you suggest? Any recommendation on how to go about it?
My intention is to gather feedback and revise the text accordingly, then go to a QLDC public meeting and submit the request to the Mayor with all the support received.
I talk for the trees here, With love, with peace. Because I love trees, I want to see them around forever ♡🌳
A tree protection is free. It’s political as it means industries cannot maximize their profits. But the state of the planet calls for protecting trees and nature remnants. I am committed to it myself and it’s fun, it works well, how abundant nature is!👏 So I know it can be done. I invite you to join the conversation here
I hope many embrace a culture of creating of a beautiful low carbon resilient place and society. Thank you.
At the occasion of International Peace Week, I have emailed Prime Minister Christopher Luxton and Defense Minister Judith Collins to uphold New Zealand peaceful and nuclear free iconic stance.
Then I made it a petition for anyone to add their name to it. The open letter will be presented to Mr Luxton and Mrs Collins with the signatures on the 31 July 2025.
I would be grateful if you would add your signature and share.
Mandate New Zealand to Uphold its Peaceful and Nuclear-Free Status
Our beloved country has a renowned reputation for being a peacebuilding nuclear-free nation and it’s essential we protect this identity.
As a committed resident who chose to live in New Zealand because of its staunch anti-nuclear stance and peaceful disposition, I am seriously concerned with the amping up of militarisation and war-oriented tactics that are becoming alarmingly apparent, and which directly conflict with the ethos of many New Zealanders.
We respectfully implore the New Zealand government to steer clear of AUKUS and other potential alliances that could threaten our non-nuclear and peace-oriented standing.
We will present the petition to PM Christopher Luxon and Defence Minister Judith Collins. Date TBC.
War is by definition destructive and unethical, killing people, destroying property and ecosystems.
The armament industry is using vast amounts of resources, it is responsible for 5.5% of all greenhouse gas emissions globally (source: CEOBS) and results in severe pollutions often irreversible.
We, therefore, request that our government continue to uphold these values and stand firm against military posturing and nuclear armament. We urge them to keep New Zealand untouched by nuclear weapons and prevent the involvement in any militaristic trend that veers away from our peaceful trajectory.
Please sign this petition to maintain the peace and nuclear-free nature of our beautiful country. And share to create a wave of Peace.
Thank you :)
I thank you deeply. From the heart. Love is the solution, for ourselves, for each other and for the planet.
“Almost all of us long for peace and freedom” – Aldous Huxley Island, 1962
In December 2024, Syria went through a peaceful revolution and continues building peace: the interim government is committed to people and diversity, integrating all groups in the government; rebel factions are disarming. Amazing. It starts well (despite hurdles) and I wish further peace for them. It’s a fantastic example that “Peace we can”, Peace we must. If not, war, death, suffering, destruction and waste continue.
Here is a song to align with the Peace vibration while you read on: Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om. Shanti (Peace) is said 3 times because peace is inside, between people and globally.
In the context of the NZ government increasing flirting with military and warfaring nations, I started a petition for New Zealand to Uphold its Peaceful and Nuclear-Free Status
I want peace for the world. Everyday, I look at this flag that invites me to make my own life peaceful first. I realized that I indeed had internal conflicts, voices in my head, defenses and attacks, hurt.
These wars inside us create stress, sickness and project bad energies, therefore wars outside. Anxiety, negative (self) talk, addictions or bad habits, excuse, judgments, justification… Do you recognize any of these? I do!! Inside me, in society and in international conflicts!
Instead, I choose to be relaxed, present, living consciously, creating the life I want, with love always.
Becoming aware of my inner voices, fears and ego allowed me to let them go. Letting go of trauma, identifying thoughts as thoughts, quietening the mind, loving myself; all bring calm, happiness and peace.
Healthy alkaline nutrition, meditation, reiki, 3-deep-breath, time in nature and caring for the garden, sun salutations, gratitude, practicing presence and journaling are all helping me on my journey to inner peace.
Away judgement, need to justify, to defend… Welcome love, expanding love, awareness, compassion, acceptance, openness, connection, calm, beingness and nature appreciation. Peace.
I think it is a life purpose to find peace, it’s ongoing. Peace feels great. When in peace, I shine peace, share peace, pray peace. It’s personal growth. And the flag says it brings peace to the Earth!
I wish you enjoy finding peace and look forward to the peaceful snowball effect we have together. Florence
Resources that practically help me find my Peace inside:
Love Water: I hold a cup of water with appreciation, love. Dr Emoto has shown that water “records” the environment so my water becomes love and gratitude and then I drink it, filling myself with love, becoming love. Crazy or not, it feels great and works with me!
The Serenity App with a dozen free 10 mn meditations creates an immediate feel good feeling. Within a few days of practice, I am am aware of my inner debates and can let go of unhelpful thoughts easily and choose beneficial loving ones.
Thank you dear Jane for the inspiration and wisdom, precious.
I recently did the Teal Swan Love Yourself free course and it changed my life, thank you, highly recommended.
Loving myself brings PEACE inside.
A hilarious book about finding yourself, Jane Tara introduced me to Pearl, thank you for that!
Peace between us
Relationship between people, large or small groups have the same principles. Judgment, separation, justification, comparison, blame… are all degrees of war. Instead, let’s learn to listen, acknowledge, understand, forgive, love, support. What would love do now?
Most of us are able to love our “loved-ones”. The exercise of extending this love to everyone, to every being is challenging and interesting. An enemy is a loved-one for someone else so we can open our hearts enough to love all. Consciousness and compassion are keys here. Love removes the hurt inside, love brings peace. Duh! I know it’s obvious yet worth remembering because societal norms often make us take sides and that’s counterproductive.
Whether personal, business, parenting, couples, groups, schools or states, look for the keywords “wellbeing”, “mindful”, “conscious” for all information you need. Lots of resources on the Greater Good.
I believe it’s important we build peace with nature. Everyone can do it, at their level. In our business, at work, in our household, we have reduced our footprint, by going vegetarian, choosing renewable energy, phasing out plastic packaging, divesting our money, choosing fairtrade, local or organic foods, phasing out our carbon use in travels, hobbies, tools… Everyday choices, most of them FREE or BETTER economically. It’s win-win. With the big win to avoid the climate catastrophe.
When we are in connected with nature, we feel oneness, so we love everyone on Earth too. Building peace with nature builds peace between humans.
3 minutes to understand how to be sustainable, worthwhile your time. Published 14 years ago, still relevant.
International powers
The world is not in Peace, it is over-armed and soaked in violence and huge guns on media, movies, gaming and sadly in real in many countries, cutting short real lives and devastating real landscapes.
Armament industries are financed by governments (people’s tax money) who infuse the world with fear to justify it, making the world more dangerous.
Armament industry provides jobs and huge profits to financial portfolios. Wars increase the GDP with all the business generated to make the weapons then to repair. So warfaring is an economic boost.
Yet we can realize in one instant that Growth-growth-growth is unsustainable, it is exploiting and polluting the planet, colonizing people, draining life, mental health and health. A way out is to doing / going / buying less. What we do, we do sustainably: go circular and local, low carbon, healthy, increasing resilience, aiming at having enough, within planetary boundaries. We, all of us, at our level, can foster the shift and mitigate the effects by sharing.
There is no need to continue war to keep the economy going, there is a lot to repair, from the wars and from increasing climate change disasters; There is a lot of work to relocate, innovate, plant, restore… Governments can accompany the transition into a low carbon regenerating resilient society, with subventions to foster the conversion of unsustainable industries into sustainable beneficial ventures. For example, an armaments plant starts building electric civil machinery, a farmer becomes a biodiversity steward…
Provocation, tit for tat, justification, fear culture, bullying and blackmailing, to pure cruelty… Resulting in so many death and victims.
Several leaders of the world behave like nasty kids, bullies, below-the-belt thinking. I feel compassion for all, they hold so much fear and look so hurt, by generations of wars, indoctrination and revenge.
I wish leaders soon have the realization that peace can be chosen every day, a peace that is fair, durable. Steps are taken. More effort is required.
Asking people what they need; listening; supporting; finding ways to live in harmony together… Talking to each other, sharing, realizing we are all humans who love, choosing peace over further death, creating reconciliation, this is the mission of the Israeli Palestinian Bereaved Families for Peace. It takes courage, change, vulnerability, that’s bravery. This group activities brings peace inside and between participants and hopes for wider peaceful resolutions.
I think citizens’ assemblies are great conduits for understanding and creating solutions for the highest good of all involved. They are well-suited to rise above conflicts of interest and complex issues with trade-offs and values-driven dilemmas. In New Zealand, Max Rashbrooke is fostering the practice of citizens’ jury.
So there are solutions and I continue to hope that the leaders of the world, the wealthy, the influencers, everyone really, will shift, change the way we do things and invest for the greater good, as ultimately, it benefits all.
At the occasion of the International Peace Week in September 2024, I wrote an open letter for Peace to NZ Prime Minister and Defense Minister. Then made it a petition to stay peaceful and nuclear free. (Update August 2025: The petition was sent with more than 70 signatures to Christopher Luxon, Judith Collins, Winston Peters and David Seymour on the 28th July 2025 🕊)
We are one mind shift away from peace and all it requires is love, which we all have plenty of. So I continue hoping and holding the space for peace, always. With peace, our world will be safer, better connected with one another and nature, equitable, harmonious, happier… what’s not to love?!
Does this essay on peace helps you or brings you hope? Let me know!
Love love love 🌸Shanti shanti shanti
Peace stops the destruction then regeneration begin. Divesting from military is an easy step for peace.
In New Zealand, Mindful Money helps people to direct their funds towards social and environmentally beneficial outcomes.
Peacemaking is reconciling people. Extracts from the Courage for Peace, by Louise Diamond.
These books are great for understanding and practicing Peace.
Started in 2018 by Wānaka local Monique Kelly and a small team, WAO Summit 2024 aims again to inspire and inform, setting us on a pathway to action, helping us lead with purpose, and be part of the transformation towards a thriving future.
Saturday 2 November in the morning
Guided tour of Namaste Park and Gardens, our 2.5 hectares on the outskirts of Wānaka, featuring regenerating land with a developing 600-tree arboretum, and extensive ornamental and edible gardens maintained in harmony with nature. Our carbon-positive household is the occasion to learn about renewable energy, locally sourced food, electric equipment, wise water management, circular waste management and healthy living.
At the height of spring beauty, with dogwoods, rhododendrons and many more in full bloom, join us for practical, carbon-free living and land management insights, a Tree Healing experience, morning tea and Q&A.
When: 9-11am Where: Namaste Park and Gardens (address provided after booking). No dogs allowed. $26.05(incl. $1.05 fee)− Booking here
Please note a bespoke Namaste and regeneration tour is also available on request (min 2 participants) from October to April.
Saturday 2 November in the afternoon
I will hold an informative stand at the Festival of Nature, a vibrant celebration connecting everyone to nature. We will share information about everything regenerative and tree protection in the Upper Clutha; I look forward to it!
As part of the process, I was invited to provide a short bio, an interesting reflection exercise showing I actually have a LOT of knowledge and practice for a healthier planet and resilient happy communities. I am a professional generalist which allows for holistic interconnected approach of the issues people, society and the planet face, with a positive solution focus that I am diligent to share.
Here is the bio, not to boast, but so that people can tap into these skills.
Nature advocate and regeneration practitioner, I have always loved trees and flowers!
With a Master of Economics and a graduate diploma in Sustainable practice, I developed a clear holistic vision and practical how-to for regenerating our lifestyle and district on all levels: ecosystems, water, transport, building, waste, energy, economics, health, wellbeing, community resilience and democracy. I share vision and knowledge for creating a beautiful resilient low-pollution district, region and country in practicing, submitting, emailing, speaking and opening the conversation on Regenerative Wanaka FB group.
And it all started in the garden ! As information manager for the French organic gardening magazine and visitor centre Terre Vivante, I professionally researched and spread practical ecology knowledge 30 years ago already.
20 years a Wanaka local, I was librarian at Mount Aspiring College where I facilitated the College Sustainability Club. I have been involved locally in many grassroot groups: Local Food Wanaka, Wanaka Wastebusters, Plastic Free Wanaka, Te Kakano, Wanaka Timebank etc. and organised the Wanaka Climate March in 2015.
Now owner operator of a local guided garden tour business, I continue spreading the word and love on gardening in harmony with nature, regenerating land and living sustainably.
I am fostering a district approach to enhancing biodiversity and community wellbeing in a public/private partnership (willing landowners, local groups and the Council) creating green corridors for wildlife, with commuting and leisure trails, local food growing, timber and firewood growing.
When I am not emailing and submitting locally and nationally to represent nature, trees and future generations, I am usually in the garden, hands in the earth or communing with nature.
In 2014, I demonstrated my bread recipe in a workshop in the Local Food Wanaka Great Apple Drive and shared a lot of sourdough with the community. I wonder how many people are continuing making their bread? Let me know if you do! I definitely do it all the time, we haven’t bought bread for many years. That’s less plastic, less cost, more healthy and so easy.
Over the years, I have adapted my recipe, making it easier and faster, it is now more liquid, no kneading required. So I share it again.
900gr flours (a variety of organic white and whole meal wheat, spelt, rye and/or buckwheat, or any other, just experiment! (about 7 glasses)
900ml of water (about 7 glasses too)
Seeds: I put a measure (75gr) of each linseeds, sesame, chia, sunflowers, pumpkin.
Salt (just a pinch of non-refined sea salt)
Kitchenware
2 long cake pans
Large salad bowl
Strong spoon
A jar with lid
A tray that holds two cake pans
Baking paper and tea towels
How I make our bread, ingredients, quantities and processes are to be adjusted to your preference, your bakeware size and moisture/temperature conditions.
I make our bread in the evening, during the advertisings on TV, it takes 5 ad breaks to complete the breads, cleaning included. The breads rise overnight in the hot water cupboard and I bake the batch the next morning.
Sourdough in the fridge
The day I am going to make bread, I pull the sourdough jar out of the fridge, half fill with water, keep at ambient temperature. Twice during the day, I add a spoon of flour and stir, this wakes the sourdough. In the evening, it usually looks bubbly, ready for making bread.
Ad break 1: I pull out of the pantry all ingredients and utensils and heat 2 cups of water in the kettle.
Ad break 2: Fill up the kettle with cold water (to have about a liter of lukewarm water). I put 7 glasses of different flours in the large bowl and put the flours away.
Ad break 3: I do a well in the flour and pour in the sourdough. To rinse the sourdough out of the jar, I fill it up with lukewarm water, stir and pour into the large bowl, twice. This usually covers the flour. I start stirring, slowly initially to avoid spills. I cover the mix again with lukewarm water, stir again, slowly then thoroughly. The dough is still liquid yet a bit hard to stir (see video for consistency).
Sourdough bubbles, ready to pour in the bowl of flours
Ad break 4: IMPORTANT STEP : I keep a big spoon of sourdough aside in a clean jar, put the lid on (not screwed) and store at the top, back of the fridge. (Don’t forget or you loose your sourdough starter!)
THEN, I add seeds and salt in the dough, stir well and put seeds and salt away. You can also use walnuts, hemp hearts or seeds you like. Some friends add herbs (cumin is a favourite) and oils “for the texture”, I don’t. Once again, experiment!
Ad break 5: I fold baking paper into 2 long cake pans, set on the tray. I pour the liquid to a maximum of 2/3 of the pan. That’s the most tricky bit.
I cover with a tea towel and carry the tray in the hot water cupboard where it will rise over night.
I immediately soak the bowl and spoon.
Ad break 6: I clean the bowl, just with water and my hand. I don’t use sponge or brush at is will be full of dough, hard to clean off. Don’t let the dough dry in the bowl or it will be hard to remove.
Bread covered, ready to rise
In the morning, I preheat the oven at 180 degrees. Out of the hot water cupboard, the breads have risen and now fill the pans. I place them immediately into the hot oven. Bake for 1 hour, 180 degree Celsius with fan.
I always bake during this time to benefit from the hot oven. For example, muffins can be placed in the oven 20mn before the end of the hour. When the 1 hour timer rings, I take the bread pans out of oven and let to cool down on a board. When they are not too hot, I pull the breads out of the pans for the moisture to dissipate.
Bread has risen (hopefully not overflowing), ready to bake
When cooled, I pull the bread out of the paper (if careful, I can keep the paper for next time) and into a tea towel.
With our house conditions, it works best to keep the bread in the towel on a shelf in the pantry the first day. The next day, I place the bread in its towel inside a plastic bag (used and reused again and again) and in the fridge.
This keeps for nearly two weeks!
Breads drying off on a shelf for a day.
Enjoy!
The first day, it is a bit tricky to cut the bread without breaking the slice but it improves soon and the following days, we can cut very thin slices. I usually keep the heel to protect the sliced side and store back into the towel into the plastic bag and into the fridge (from day 2).
Our bread doesn’t need to be toasted to be delicious. This saves energy (toaster are hungry appliances, like an iron). The bread is also great toasted of course.
Our bread <3
Our daily lunch is healthy, easy, and adapted to the seasons.
Sourdough
The sourdough is the start of the bread and never finishes!
Once you have it, either donated or self-started, sourdough lives on and improves forever. I keep it in the fridge, sometimes I draw a heart on the lid!
The sourdough doesn’t need feeding when it’s stored in the fridge, it is dormant and can keep a couple of month. I just need to wake it up on the day I make bread as described above. I also save a spoon of sourdough in the freezer, in case I forget to keep some while making bread!
To start a sourdough
Sourdough has a reputation to do be difficult but it’s not, it’s just flour and water! However it needs the right conditions to start, it took me two attempts. Here is what worked:
1- Put half a glass of organic white flour in a bowl and fill with lukewarm water. 2- Stir well. Cover with fabric. 3- Leave for 3 days without stirring, at fairly constant warm temperature; I did mine in summer at 22-24 degrees. 4- It will ferment and start bubbling (if it stinks, it’s rotten and failed, try again!) 5- It is ready to be used in a bread, and start the cycle of keeping some for the next bread. The first bread will not be fantastic but will improve each time.
It may be easier to get sourdough starter from a friend or ask me ;)
What do we want? CLIMATE ACTION! When do we want it? NOW!
Following and chanting in the Wanaka Climate March on Friday 5 April behind my ex-students (feeling very proud of them!), I reflected on MY climate actions. Here they are, small steps in all aspects of life…
These are actions one person can do at home in their lives. I share these ideas to inspire. I would love to know what you already do to mitigate climate change and enhance biodiversity. Let’s save the planet together, because “We have to“, says Janet Goodall in her Book of Hope.
“Halve our emissions by 2030…”
“…And halve that again by 2040“, says local climate scientist Carly Green. For a long time, I have been looking at my emissions and phasing out fossil fuels and embedded carbon, in plastics, transport, chemicals, consumption, energy, land management, food…
Solar panels, gardens, lots of trees, beautiful and relaxing
So here is a list of changes I and we have done over time, in no particular order.
Plastic and waste
For years, I stopped single use plastic, always carrying bags and cups. If I forget my cup, I don’t get a single use cup: I either sit and have my drink there, or I don’t have any. Then I don’t forget anymore. When shopping, we are phasing out plastic items, always choosing the non-packaged, wood, bamboo, hemp or cardboard option and this is still ongoing. We refill the same plastic pockets for bulk nuts, lentils, etc. No gladwrap here! Instead we have a bunch of beeswax food wraps, reused and reused. We are not zero waste, yet: Our rubbish bin goes out every two months, our recycling once a month approximately. I make our crackers, bread, etc, to avoid plastic but we still have plant milk cartons. I separate and recycle soft plastics and tetra packs.
I have campaigned the Council for years so they use a chip in the wheelie bins to count people’s waste and practice the Polluter Pays Principle rather than a blanket rate for waste that enables, therefore encourages people to fill a whole wheelie bin of rubbish every week.
I have lived in Wanaka for 20 years, raising my family. I have been involved in several local community groups and initiatives. Green drinks, Transition Towns, Kapa Haka, Mac Team Green, 2015 Climate March, Local Food Wanaka, Plastic Free Wanaka, Friends of Wanaka Wastebusters, Te Kakano, a lot of fun really. I have now retired from all these community involvements but I continue nature advocacy at the local Council level and wholeheartedly admire WAO, WAI and Grow Wanaka work for nature and community education.
Transport
In 2015, I swapped my car to a Prius and had hybrid vehicles since. It means, I have halved my fuel consumption all this time and I halved my fuel bills too. Now with an ebike, all local trips are solar and muscle powered. And I love it, smiling away like a teenager on their moped, just silent and more careful! We make sure our activities and hobbies are not carbon intensive. We have decided to halved our travels, nationally and overseas. This hurts a bit but ethically, I had to! Now, we plan ahead and will stay “there” a bit longer. Many people tell us the planes fly anyway. Of course, until many people also halve their travels and there will be twice less planes. Electric planes are coming up so that will ease emissions of national transports.
With panniers for shopping and mirror for safety
Chemical free
Chemicals are made from fossil fuels, they are polluting and bad for health. So I have always chosen chemical free soaps, creams, cleaning products… Skin Deep database has been helpful to identify the risks of cosmetics. Reading the labels and googling it is helpful too. Making my own oils and cleaning products (easy) is even better. Likewise, we don’t use synthetic chemicals in the garden, fertilisers nor pest/weed sprays, instead we use natural soil enhancers, a lot generated on the land, compost, comfrey tea, etc. To support agriculture without chemicals, I am buying organic as often as possible.
Energy
We are nearly off the grid. This is important because 20% of NZ electricity still comes from fossil fuels. We initially installed 10 solar panels, then a few years later, another 10 panels and a year later, a battery. Over the years, we have swapped all our tools to electric versions. As powerful, lighter, not smelly, not noisy. Our latest car drives 55km on a charge, which is sufficient for most of our trips. It feels good to be powered by the sun and our electricity company owes us money! We have also reduced our own energy use. There are lots of ways to do that: short showers, lights and standby off, replacing bulbs with led, heating the oven for all the baking at once, putting on a jumper instead of a heater, just being mindful of energy, we are energy too, we can tune in…
The solar panels return on investment is immediate! If you have $10K in the bank and put them on the roof, the next bill is $100 cheaper, that’s equivalent of a 12% interest rate! Oh! and it’s so easy to install with local solar pioneer Wanaka Solar and it feels so good to cook, shower, travel, work with the sun!
Several NZ banks now offer a zero% interest loan on solar panels so you can reimburse with the gains.
Rewiring NZ reports that households can save money and also significantly reduce their emissions by electrifying their appliances and vehicles. Let’s ride the ‘electrification tipping point’ together!
In gratitude and awe with the Sun and nature, thank you.
Consume less
For years, I have reduced my consumption, asking myself if I really need it before I buy it, always looking at Wastebusters first and we repair stuff. It’s fun and also cheaper! I am content with what I have, I don’t want more, I prefer simplicity. Granted it doesn’t contribute to the “economy”, it is about degrowth, but degrow we must to come back within the Planetary Boundaries.
A simple way to stop contributing to climate change is to divest my own money from being invested in the fossil fuel industries. I checked the MindFul Money comparison tool and made sure my money is in a bank 100% not invested in fossil fuel, and divested my kiwisaver too. The returns are excellent and it feels good.
Clearly GDP is not a good indicator of progress: disasters creates reconstruction jobs, sickness creates a medical industry, crime creates lots of security devices, war is fostering weapon industry, all tallying up in the GDP. When the economy contracts (0.3% in the last month in NZ), economists, businesses and people freak out, they fear of lacking so they accumulate as much as they can, in case of a rainy day. Thereby creating a rainy day! In fact, it is best for the climate and the planet if we are buying less stuff, making less stuff, working less, needing less. The best policy the government could do is to accompany recession to soften the impacts. A universal salary is a good start, then people would no longer fear lacking. I personally feel I have enough and it is not luck, it is a conscious choice. To me, having “enough” is better than wanting “more”. Another way to look at economics is the Doughnut concept (really good presentation of the Doughnut in NZ here): putting people and the planet first, decoupling economic growth from carbon use, investing in clean technologies, putting the economy back in its role as a tool not an end. Dunedin Council started in 2020 and is going for it (see ODT article here). The Happiness Index seems more holistic, fair, relevant and climate-friendly too. Maybe Confucius said: “Live simply and happy“. No he didn’t! But it is true.
Land management
Here is how we manage our land in harmony with nature to enhance biodiversity, on our 2.5 hectares just on the outskirts of a growing town:
planting hundreds of different trees, creating an arboretum. No monoculture here!
the park is not mowed, lawns are only cut around the house and on footpaths. The uncut uneaten grass grows and dies back every year, absorbing carbon, becoming a sponge, regenerating the land and now a home to insects, birds and skinks.
the whole property is cared for without chemicals and without fossil fuels (electric tools, incl. the lawn mower are charged with solar panels)
we share the land: the park is open to the public as part of guided garden tours and the land is shared with another household in a tiny house. And we share the story and how-to as part of the garden tours and Regenerative Lifestyle classes.
Good for the bees, and beautiful too
Food
Food has one of the biggest impact on the climate. In the Drawdown, Solution 3 is “reduced food waste”, solution 4 is “plant based diet”, silvopasture and regenerative agriculture are close behind. Reducing consumption of meat, milk, cheese, and butter are a critical way to reduce our carbon footprint.
I have never been a big meat eater and became vegetarian since my pledge at the first Wanaka school strike for climate March in 2019. And I love it, I feel more healthy. Now, meat production looks unnatural and unethical to me. Fish? Oceans are in crisis so I let the fish replenish. No loss there.
Climate friendly food is a variety of cereal, with lots of vegetables and fruit everyday, a dose of beans or other protein, with a dollop of seeds, a handful of nuts. Simple, healthy, delicious, affordable and allegedly better for the planet too. Planet friendly food is also:
seasonal (cheaper too),
as local and organic as possible (less transport km, no chemicals which embed a lot of carbon and pollute),
not processed, as most processes require energy, degrades the food wholesomeness and comes with packaging. So I make our bread, muffins, juices, etc.
not peeled for all the goodness and fiber (only if organic),
not cooked long (also saves energy),
without fat (easier to wash the dishes, using less water and hardly no dishwashing liquid),
hardly any salt nor sugar (better for health too)
leftovers are reused or frozen.
all the peelings goes to bokashi or compost, without the fruit sticker!
It is important to read the ingredients to avoid chemicals and ban palm oil.
Lots of vegetables, many from the garden
A report published in 2010 by Ella Lawton and R. Vale concluded that in remote areas like Wanaka, the biggest difference we can make is to grow our own food. So we do. Not all of it, but more and more and it is fun. Grow Wanaka Community gardens is a great place to start and learn, as well as the Wanaka Vegetable Growers club.
Action to hope
Do these little things make a difference? Yes they do! All the plastic I haven’t bought and discarded, all the petrol I haven’t consumed, for years… I adds up. I have calculated our household carbon footprint with this tool https://www.futurefit.nz/ and it turns out, we are emitting less than the “target”!
We are nonetheless continuing to reduce our waste, energy, consumption, travel and planting more trees, because we love it.
I act to keep hope, I feel the need to share my vision of the world and climate friendly practices. So I am advocating online (Twitter, Regenerative Wanaka and in this blog), in submissions, in climate marches, in community speeches… I love to share solutions, positive actions, no grumble, no judgement, we are together in these crises on one planet. It’s my hobby! I continuously learn more about nature (trees are incredible!!)
Most importantly, we spend a lot of time in the garden, not only to grow our own food, plant a lot of trees and plants adding diversity and beauty, but also to enjoy nature. Connecting with nature, trees, peace, calm, simplicity, I think this is the key, nature changes us.
Relax, do and eat less, be and love more.
Many things that many people can do, if they choose to. It’s no hardship, it’s caring, it’s loving. Because I love nature, because I love children. It is a little effort, a focus, like we attend to our children. I hope I gave you some ideas and inspiration. I believe all these little actions make a difference for the climate and the planet, therefore young people and future generations.
What do you think? What are your climate actions? What are you ready to change ?
We love Calendula, the English Marigold. Orange beauty, it brightens the veggie patch, flower gardens and other corners. The Calendula name comes from the word Calendar and I think it is because it flowers every month of the year! Easy to cultivate, we use it as companion plant, in salad, tea and skin ointments.
Culture
Calendula is an annual, rustic plant, forming 40 to 60cm compact plants. Large yellow to orange flowers will bloom all year round and massively from October to frosts.
Seed in autumn or spring in full sun or partially shadowed. They grow anywhere, even in poor soil, even in our dry and frosty climate. After flowering, the heads become seed heads, easy to snap off for esthetics or keep for seeds.
They self seeds easily and can be replanted where wanted. They are also very easy to pull out when we need the space, they won’t come back from the roots.
Companion plant
Calendula attracts and feeds insects when no other flowers are available thereby enhancing biodiversity. They attracts natural predators to aphids (ladybirds, hoverflies…); Their roots hold good nematodes for a healthy soil.
We cultivate calendula in the veggie garden, one plant in each raised bed to attract favourable insects.
They also grow everywhere in our flower beds, filling in the gaps and adding their joyful colours.
How we use it
Comestible plant, we add petals to salads to brighten them up. I add some petals in the “garden tea” but not leaves as I find them quite bitter.
I make a beauty oil: I harvest nice fresh parts of the plant, leaves, flowers and stalks, cut roughly and macerate for several weeks in a variety of oils (sweet almond, grapeseed, avocado, apricot kernel…). Then it is simply strained and funneled into a glass jar with a dropper lid. I used to make a cream with beeswax but it was longer and quite messy so I simplified to oil. Of course we can add essential oils to perfume and help our skin, lavender, geranium or rose. I sometimes mix cistus leaves and flowers into the oil maceration, cistus is good for aging skin!
Medicinal uses
Its Latin name is calendula officinalis and for good reason. My Maria Treben’s Cures book (Steyr: Ennsthaler, 2000) has 2 pages on it. Here is a summary:
Depurative, blood-cleansing, purifying, stimulating for blood, antiseptic. Also the plant of the skin, wonderful for wound healing.
Drink two cups per day of calendula herbal tea to help cure jaundice, wounds, digestive illnesses, intestine or liver or stomach pain, colitis, dropsy, and hematuria. Calendula herbal tea is ideal to help with all viral and bacterial infections. Also effective vermifuge and laxative. Calendula herbal tea applied on eyes helps vision.
Some recent study show good results with cancer, skin cancer, breast cancer, stomach and ulcers. In this case, fresh plant juice is more effective.
In cream or oil ointment, calendula is wonderful for skin. From post-chirurgical wounds to fungus, blues, strains, scars, piles and varicose veins, sunburns, dryness, age pigmentation, also purulent or swelling wounds.
Calendula TM is a powerful antiseptic and helps skin recovery. It can be used on any wounds and post-natal or postoperative situations: infant umbilicus, lesions, sore…
Regenerative Livestyle Blog 