EcoMatters Environment Trust

Waste Free Kitchen: Being Creative with Leftovers
2025-05-17 10:00 - 12:00 (Pacific/Auckland) | Albany Community Hub, 575a Albany Highway, Albany, Auckland
Come along to Pip’s Love Food Hate Waste workshop and get tips and tricks for what to do with leftovers and odd bits of food you might find hiding at the back of your fridge. Pip will show you how to make some delicious meals and tasty nibbles using leftovers, that you will be able to try.
You’ll also get great advice about how to store your fresh food and leftovers, to help them last longer. Making the most of the food we have helps save money and is better for the environment.
Hosted by Love Food Hate Waste tutor Pip, and proudly brought to you by EcoMatters, thanks to Auckland Council.

Sow, Grow and Eat: Mastering Microgreens - Pukekohe
2025-05-17 13:00 - 14:30 | Pukekohe Library, 12 Massey Avenue, Pukekohe, Auckland, 2120
Come along to this Love Food Hate Waste workshop, and learn all about microgreens, sprouts, and salad greens, from planting to eating.

Mix and match flavours and textures to create delicious salads and dressings. From spicy arugula to crunchy sprouts, you’ll go home with a small library of ideas and recipes to jazz up your salads. Whether you’re a gardening newbie or a kitchen pro, come join us for this fun and creative workshop.

Hosted by Love Food Hate Waste tutor Sue, and proudly brought to you by EcoMatters, thanks to Auckland Council.

Avondale Stream Clean Up
2025-05-17 14:00 - 16:00, 2025-06-14 14:00 - 16:00 | Corner of Wingate Street and Pecan Place, Avondale, 73 Wingate St, Avondale, Auckland, New Zealand
Nau mai, haere mai! Come and help save the Whau Stream from rubbish and invasive weeds at this community stream clean up. Together, we’ll transform this stream into a thriving awa that flows well to the sea, and provides a safe habitat for native birds and fish.
Sturdy closed-toe shoes are essential. Kids welcome but must be supervised. Hosted by Pecan Power and supported by EcoMatters and Auckland Council Healthy Waters.

Glen Eden Community Stream Planting
2025-05-24 10:00 - 12:30 | 100 Albionvale Rd, Glen Eden, Auckland 0602, 100 Albionvale Road, Glen Eden, Auckland, 0602, New Zealand
Nau mai, haere mai! Join us to plant natives along this Waikūmete Stream tributary in Glen Eden, and be part of a transformation that will be enjoyed for generations to come.
The plants we put into the ground will stabilise the stream banks and reduce erosion, help filter pollutants before they reach the awa and flow to the sea, and provide shelter and safety for native birds, fish and critters. No experience required.
Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes, boots or gumboots and clothing suitable for gardening in, and bring your gardening gloves if you have any (some will be provided). We will provide the tools required. Kids welcome but must be accompanied by a supervising adult. We’ll celebrate with a BBQ to finish.
This event is brought to you by EcoMatters and supported by Alliance Française Auckland.

Regenerative planting design for urban spaces
2025-05-24 10:30 - 12:30 | EcoMatters, 1 Olympic Place, New Lynn, Auckland, 0600, New Zealand
Join Landscape Architect and author, Nick Robinson, in this landscape and planting design workshop.
Hear about functional and beautiful urban gardens and greenspaces, where the designers are on a mission: to regenerate urban ecosystems to enhance our living environment.
This workshop will cover how groupings of plants can work together to boost biodiversity. We’ll look at examples of regenerative plantings in residential and public spaces that are designed to provide safe and supportive habitats for flora and fauna.
“Pressure for development in urban and rural areas is eroding their ability to support healthy ecosystems, and reducing space for plants and wildlife. We can make much better use of the gardens and green spaces we still have, multiplying their ecological value many times.
This workshop will explore innovations in regenerative planting design. We will look at natural models for planting design and the work of some of New Zealand’s most ecologically minded and adventurous planting designers”.
Nick Robinson

Photo, above: Street frontage mixed planting, West Lynn. Designer: Philip Smith, O2 Landscapes.
Main photo: This stream through La Rosa Park, previously culverted and hidden below ground, now restored.
ABOUT
Landscape Architect Nick Robinson has twenty five years experience of landscape architecture professional practice in New Zealand and Britain. He has worked on award winning landscapes of industry as well as urban regeneration, parks and private gardens.
In addition to professional practice, Nick has taught landscape architecture at universities in the UK, USA , New Zealand and Germany, specialising in planting design and has a range of publications to his credit including the Planting Design Handbook.
Nick recently spent two years working with international experts on urban ecology, green roofs and green walls at the Department of Landscape, University of Sheffield, UK, with a focus on current thinking on ecological approaches to urban design and innovations in planting design for biodiversity.

Arbor Day Planting in New Lynn
2025-06-07 10:00 - 12:00 | Clark St Common, Wolverton St, New Lynn, Wolverton Street, Auckland
We’re celebrating Arbor Day by getting trees into the ground and we’d love to for you to join us there. Come along to plant native plants on the banks of the Waitahurangi Awa in New Lynn, and bring it one step closer to becoming a thriving habitat for native birds and fish.
It’s a challenging site, so a reasonable standard of fitness is required. You’ll need to wear gumboots or sturdy closed shoes. Please bring a rain jacket and gardening gloves if you have any.
This event is a collaboration between EcoMatters, the Tree Council, the New Zealand Arboricultural Association (NZ ARB) and supported by the Whau Local Board and Auckland Council Parks.

Te Henga Weed Bin Weekend
2025-06-14 08:00 - 2025-06-15 17:00 | Pae o Te Rangi Regional Park, 114 Te Henga Road, Waitākere, Auckland, 0781, New Zealand
Got invasive weeds? Live close to the Waitākere Ranges? Get rid of them at your local community weed bin.
Bins will be onsite from Saturday 8am, and an EcoMatters team member will be there to provide weed advice Saturday 9am-3pm.
To find out is and isn’t accepted, and when and where to find the bins, visit ecomatters.org.nz/weedbins
Funded by the Waitākere Ranges Local Board and supported by Auckland Council.

Swanson Weed Bin Weekend
2025-06-14 09:00 - 2025-06-15 16:00 | Central Landscape Supplies Swanson, 598 Swanson Road, Swanson, Auckland, Auckland, 0612, New Zealand
Got invasive weeds? Live close to the Waitākere Ranges? Get rid of them at your local community weed bin.
The Swanson weed bin is accessible during Central Landscape & Garden Supplies open hours, 9am-4pm.
Bins will be onsite from Saturday 9am, and an EcoMatters team member will be there to provide weed advice Saturday 9am-3pm.
To find out is and isn’t accepted, and when and where to find the bins, visit ecomatters.org.nz/weedbins
Funded by the Waitākere Ranges Local Board and supported by Auckland Council.

Sunnyvale Stream Spruce Up
2025-06-14 10:00 - 12:30 | 18 Sunnyside Rd, Sunnyvale, 18 Sunnyside Road, Sunnyvale, Auckland, 0612
Nau mai, haere mai! Come along and show some love to the Sunnyside Stream in Sunnyvale. We’ll remove some gnarly invasive weeds and, to celebrate Matariki, plant 170 native plants in the ground.
Be a part of transforming this stream into a thriving awa that flows well in changeable weather, is more resilient in heavy rain and drought, and helps move water quickly to the sea.
We’ll finish with refreshments at the end – feel free to bring a plate to share if you like (optional).
Please bring sunscreen, a hat and rain jacket if you have one, and wear sturdy closed-toe shoes or boots. Kids must be accompanied by supervising adults.
Questions? Email alanah@ecomatters.org.nz or text 021 308 268.
This event is hosted by Sunnyvale neighbours and EcoMatters, and supported by the Henderson-Massey Local Board and Auckland Council Healthy Waters.

Sow, Grow and Eat: Mastering Microgreens - Botany
2025-06-14 15:00 - 17:00 | Botany Library, Level 1, Botany Town Centre, Sunset Terrace, Chapel Road, East Tamaki, Auckland, New Zealand

Winter Working Bee at Hope Teaching Garden
2025-06-21 09:30 - 12:30 | Hope Teaching Garden, 8 Riverbank Road, New Lynn, New Zealand
Join us for a winter working bee, to help with fruit tree planting, mulching, prepartory work for a future Rongoā garden and plantings to support the health of the Whau River.
Hope Teaching Garden is one of two teaching gardens overseen by EcoMatters. It’s a space dedicated to growing food and providing opportunities to learn and share skills.
Please bring your own garden gloves and wear closed toe shoes or boots. Children are welcome but must be supervised.
At noon, we’ll share fresh vegetable soup and bread together.
For more information or to RSVP contact amanda@ecomatters.org.nz

Matariki Planting on the Waitahurangi Awa
2025-06-28 10:00 - 12:30 | EcoMatters, 1 Olympic Place, New Lynn, Auckland, 0600, New Zealand
Come along for a community planting along the Waitahurangi Awa at Olympic Park, New Lynn. We’re celebrating Matariki with an emphasis on the whetū Waitī, the star representing the freshwater environment and all our plants and animals that live in and around this Waitahurangi streamside area.
The native plants we put into the ground will add stability to the stream banks, slow water flow during heavy rain, reducing flash flood impact and helping manage stormwater. These plants also stabilize stream banks and provide habitat for native wildlife.
All ages welcome; however, children must be supported by an adult. Participants are asked to wear sturdy closed toe footwear, ideally gumboots.
Meet at EcoMatters Environment Trust, 1 Olympic Place, New Lynn.
Hosted by EcoMatters Environment Trust. For further info, contact pamela@ecomatters.org.nz
Ngā mihi to Whau Local Board, Auckland Council Parks, and Auckland Council Healthy Waters for supporting the restoration of this public land.

Mai FM Matariki Community Day
2025-07-02 10:00 - 14:00 | EcoMatters, 1 Olympic Place, New Lynn, Auckland, 0600, New Zealand
Celebrate Matariki with Mai FM, Auckland Zoo, and EcoMatters at our Mai Matariki Community Day.
Please note this event has been postphoned from the orginal date due to the weather.
Groups will be starting from the EcoHub at 10am, 11am, 12pm and 1pm for a full stream restoration experience – planting, mulching, water quality testing and a rongoā Māori (Māori plant medicine) guided walk. Limited to 50 people per group – first in, first served.
There’ll be heaps going down on the day to get the whole whānau involved – from Auckland Zoo giveaways, to harakeke (flax) weaving, and free kai from a food truck.
Gumboots or sturdy closed-toe shoes are essential. Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty, and bring a rain jacket and water bottle.
Parking is limited – please bike, walk, or catch public transport (only an 8-minute walk from New Lynn Transport Hub).
Kids are welcome but must be accompanied by a supervising adult.
This event has been made possible with tautoko and awhi from Auckland Council Parks, Auckland Museum, Rongoā Mauri and Whau Local Board.

Titirangi Golf Club Planting and Stream Care
2025-07-04 09:00 - 12:30 | Bridge on Portage Road, opposite Suburbs Rugby Club, 130 Portage Road, New Lynn, Auckland
Come along to celebrate Matariki by putting native plants in the ground along the Waitahurangi Awa, and removing pest plants.
The native plants will help to add stability to the stream banks, provide a healthy habitat for our native birds and critters, and help the stream function better in drought or heavy rain.
We’ll be meeting at the bridge opposite Suburbs Rugby Club, 130 Portage Road, New Lynn.
Gumboots or closed-toe, sturdy footwear is essential. Please wear old clothes (long sleeves and pants), and bring gardening gloves if you have any (some will be provided).
Supported by EcoMatters and Auckland Council Healthy Waters.
Questions? Email pamela@ecomatters.org.nz.

Planting by the Bike Path
2025-07-05 10:00 - 12:30 | Access through Daily Bread, 35D Portage Road, 35 Portage Rd, New Lynn, Auckland, 0600, New Zealand
Come along to plant native plants along the Whau Awa! Put on your gumboots and let’s turn this area into thriving stream habitat.
The place we’re planting is located just past where the Waitahurangi Stream meets the Whau Stream, and they come together to form the Whau Awa.
The plants you put in the ground will be enjoyed by native birds and critters, as well as bike-riders and walkers passing through the New Lynn to Avondale shared path each day.
We’ll finish with a BBQ together from 12pm.
Kids welcome but must be supervised. Wear gumboots or sturdy closed-toe shoes, and bring your rain jacket and gardening gloves if you have any.
Access through the back gate of the Daily Bread site – a 2-minute bike ride or 12-minute walk from New Lynn Transport Centre. Bike parking will available.
Supported by Whau Local Board and Auckland Council Parks.

Kete Waikawa Weaving for Matariki with Heather Steadman
2025-07-05 10:00 - 14:00 | Green Bay Community House, 1 Barron Drive, Green Bay, Auckland, 0604
Come and celebrate Matariki with us and learn to harvest harakeke with appropriate tikanga.
Then we will be making ‘kete waikawa’ with Heather and Jacque.
Please bring a plate of kai for a shared lunch.
ABOUT
Heather Steadman studied raranga (harakeke weaving) at Waikato Institute of Technology, and at marae from Kawhia to Rotorua. She is involved with the Waitaha Executive Grandmothers Council which focuses on water issues down south (38 rivers), conservation organisations near home and rongoa rakau (tree medicine).
This is an intermediate level weaving class, but no prior experience necessary.
The workshop will be taking place at the Green Bay Community House as making these larger baskets requires more space.
Workshop max 10
Thanks to the Creative Community Scheme for supporting this workshop.

Sunnyvale Stream Planting
2025-07-12 10:00 - 12:30 | Corner of Awaroa Road and Nirmal Place, Sunnyvale, Auckland, New Zealand, Sunnyvale, Auckland
Nau mai, haere mai! Join us to put native plants in the ground along the Waari Stream and extend this backyard stream restoration project.
The plants will provide food and shelter for native birds and critters, and stabilise stream banks and mitigate erosion.
Be a part of transforming this stream into a thriving awa that flows well in changeable weather, is more resilient in heavy rain and drought, and helps move water quickly to the sea.
We’ll finish with a hearty soup at the end.
Gumboots or sturdy closed-toe shoes are essential. Please bring a rain jacket and gardening gloves if you have any. Kids are welcome but must be accompanied by supervising adults.
Questions? Email alanah@ecomatters.org.nz or text 021 308 268.
This event is hosted by Sunnyvale neighbours and EcoMatters, and supported by the Henderson-Massey Local Board and Auckland Council Healthy Waters.

Rongoā Māori with Joanne Hakaraia-Olson
2025-07-19 10:00 - 14:00 | EcoMatters, 1 Olympic Place, New Lynn, Auckland, 0600, New Zealand
Join Joanne Hakaraia-Olson for a one-day rongoā Māori workshop, and learn to harvest and prepare rongoā (remedies) that carry the mauri (life force) of the ngahere (forest).
You will learn tikanga, customs and rites observed, rongoā of specific plants, how to enter the ngahere with guidance and care, and how to make wairākau (tonics), hinu (oils) and poultices. This workshop is suitable for beginners, and participants will get to take away their balms.
Please bring a plate of kai for a shared lunch.
This free workshop will have a waitlist activated, so if you have booked a ticket and are unable to make it, please cancel your order so your spot can be allocated to the next person on the waitlist.
Supported by the Whau Wildlink and Whau Local Board.
About Joanne Hakaraia-Olson, Rongoā Mauri Studio
Joanne Hakaraia-Olson (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Whakaue and Ngai te Rangi) is a Rongoā Māori healer who carries the legacy of her tūpuna as kairongoā. She was born and raised in Ōtaki, Aotearoa, and was nurtured by the Tararua Ranges and the waters of the Ōtaki and Waitohu rivers. Since moving to Tāmaki Makaurau in 2010, she has considered Te Wao Nui a Tirawa, the Waitākere Ranges, her greatest teacher. This connection is woven through her whakapapa to the Tainui waka. She works alongside her husband Nick Olson in running the Rongoā Mauri Studio in West Auckland, through which she offers Rongoā Māori services.

Healthy Homes Workshop - Glen Eden
2025-07-25 12:00 - 14:00 | Glen Eden Community House, 13 Pisces Road, Glen Eden, New Zealand
Come along to our free, fun and interactive Healthy Homes workshop. We’ll give you heaps of great ideas and inspiration to help you save money and help the environment by learning how to:
Save water and energy
Reduce damp and mould

Keep your home warm and healthy

All of our tips are super easy to put in place in your own home, and will not only help you save money (and the environment!), but also improve your whānau’s health. There’s something for everyone, whether you are flatting, renting or a homeowner.

Brought to you by EcoMatters Environment Trust, and supported by the Waitakere Ranges Local Board.

Three Regenerative Gardens
2025-07-26 10:30 - 12:30 | EcoMatters, 1 Olympic Place, New Lynn, Auckland, 0600, New Zealand
Join Landscape Architect and author, Nick Robinson, in this workshop where attendees will learn the steps needed to achieve a regenerative urban ecosystem design.
In this workshop, we are following on from Nick’s previous workshop on regenerative planting design*. Nick will discuss three of his Auckland garden projects to demonstrate how this approach can be put into action at your place.
The workshop will walk us through the detail of the design process for each of three different gardens.
Nick will start with the existing degraded site and show a variety of design ideas. He will next discuss the finished design (construction and planting), and finally, the implementation and establishment of the garden.
These designs will demonstrate the potential for garden sites to provide not only rich visual and sensory qualities, but also enhanced urban ecosystem services.
Examples will include three sites.
– a bush edge ‘woodland garden’ with troublesome drainage flowpaths
– a small sunny East Bays courtyard in to which a swimming pool was to be constructed
– and a riverside garden bush restoration project in a Significant Ecological Area
There will be time for attendees to discuss their own projects in the last half hour of this workshop.
* NB. To attend, it is not essential to have previously come to Nick’s Regenerative Planting Design for Urban Spaces workshop.
ABOUT
Landscape Architect Nick Robinson has twenty five years experience of landscape architecture professional practice in New Zealand and Britain. He has worked on award winning landscapes of industry as well as urban regeneration, parks and private gardens.
In addition to professional practice, Nick has taught landscape architecture at universities in the UK, USA , New Zealand and Germany, specialising in planting design and has a range of publications to his credit including the Planting Design Handbook.
Nick recently spent two years working with international experts on urban ecology, green roofs and green walls at the Department of Landscape, University of Sheffield, UK, with a focus on current thinking on ecological approaches to urban design and innovations in planting design for biodiversity.

Green Bay Stream Care Session
2025-08-01 09:30 - 12:00 | Bridge on Portage Road, opposite Suburbs Rugby Club, 130 Portage Road, New Lynn, Auckland
Come along to save the Waitahurangi Awa from pest plants, and to help this stream that flows through Titirangi Golf Club to thrive. We’ll be meeting at the bridge opposite Suburbs Rugby Club, 130 Portage Road, New Lynn.
Gumboots or closed-toe, sturdy footwear is essential. Please bring a rain jacket and gardening gloves if you have any (some gloves will be provided). Kids welcome but must be accompanied by a supervising adult.
Supported by EcoMatters and Auckland Council Healthy Waters.
Questions? Email pamela@ecomatters.org.nz.

Creative Clay Kitchen Series: Make a Herb Stripper
2025-08-03 10:30 - 14:00 | EcoMatters, 1 Olympic Place, New Lynn, Auckland, 0600, New Zealand
Join potter Jackie Muller and make a special item for your kitchen in workshop 1 of our kitchen series. In this workshop we will explore the making of a herb stripper and/or herb markers.
CREATIVE CLAY KITCHEN SERIES
Workshop 1. Herb stripper and/or herb markers – 3 Aug
Workshop 2. Garlic grater and/or lemon squeezer – 19 Oct
Workshop 3. Small colander or berry bowl – 9 Nov
Join us for these fun, hands-on beginners pottery workshops. These items are lovely plastic-free additions to the sustainable home.
ABOUT
Ceramic artist Jackie Muller creates industrially inspired sculptures from her studio in Laingholm. Jackie studied for a Diploma of Arts and Design – Ceramics with Dunedin School of Art. Her work “Fixtures and Fittings” won the “Artist in Residence Award” – Fire & Clay 2022. She was also a finalist in the Portage Ceramic Awards 2023. Jackie finds inspiration in connections to the past, revelling in the manipulation of plumbing ware to tell stories relevant to the present and future.
Source: Arts House Trust
Thank you to the Creative Communities Scheme for supporting these workshops.
Please note:
For adults or children ages 12+
Max 12 attendees
The additional items in Workshops 1 and 2 can be made if time allows.
15 min is included for clean-up of own work stations.
Clay creations will be fired in Jackie’s kiln for pick up the following week.

PHOTOS
Main: Indicative only, Rachel Collyer Ceramics, GB
Above: Examples of herb stripper, plant marker.
Attendees at a previous Creative Clay workshop

Dundale Stream Care Session
2025-08-07 09:30 - 12:00 | Outside 54 Dundale Ave, Outside 54 Dundale Ave, Auckland, Auckland, 0600, New Zealand
Nau mai, haere mai! Come and help save the Whau Stream on Dundale Ave from rubbish and invasive weeds at this community stream clean up.
Please wear sturdy closed-toe shoes or gumboots, bring a rain jacket and your own gardening gloves.
Questions? Email pamela@ecomatters.org.nz or ring 021 308 257.
Hosted by the Dundale Eco Stream Community and supported by EcoMatters and Auckland Council Healthy Waters.

Sunnyvale Stream Planting
2025-08-09 10:00 - 12:30 | 18 Sunnyside Rd, Sunnyvale, 18 Sunnyside Road, Sunnyvale, Auckland, 0612
Nau mai, haere mai! Join us to put native plants in the ground along the Sunnyside Stream.
The plants will provide food and shelter for native birds and critters, and stabilise stream banks and mitigate erosion. We’ll also add mulch around the plants to enrich the soil, help it retain moisture over the hotter season, and keep invasive weeds at bay.
Be a part of transforming this stream into a thriving awa that flows well in changeable weather, is more resilient in heavy rain and drought, and helps move water quickly to the sea.
We’ll finish with a hearty soup at the end.
Gumboots or sturdy closed-toe shoes are essential. Please bring a rain jacket and gardening gloves if you have any. Kids are welcome but must be accompanied by supervising adults.
Questions? Email alanah@ecomatters.org.nz or text 021 308 268.
This event is hosted by Sunnyvale Awa Neighbours and EcoMatters, and supported by the Henderson-Massey Local Board and Auckland Council Healthy Waters.

Avondale Stream Care Session
2025-08-09 14:00 - 16:00 | Corner of Wingate Street and Pecan Place, Avondale, 73 Wingate St, Avondale, Auckland, New Zealand
Nau mai, haere mai! Come and help save the Whau Stream tributary from rubbish and invasive weeds at this community stream clean up. Together, we’ll transform this stream into a thriving awa that flows well to the sea, and provides a safe habitat for native birds and fish.
Gumboots or sturdy closed-toe shoes are essential. Kids welcome but must be supervised.
Hosted by Pecan Power and supported by EcoMatters and Auckland Council Healthy Waters.

Organic Teaching Garden - Working Bee and Shared Lunch
2025-08-16 10:30 - 14:30 | EcoMatters, 1 Olympic Place, New Lynn, Auckland, 0600, New Zealand
EcoMatters Organic Teaching garden is a space where our community can join in and learn about a range of sustainable gardening ideas in one location.
This is a great chance to get involved in your local organic garden.
As we head into the growing season, we would love extra help to give the gardens a bit of a spruce up and prepare for spring.
The garden is located at 4 Olympic Place New Lynn, and is just across the road from EcoMatters bike hub.
Ideas for the day (let us know what you’re interested in)
– Harakeke clean up, sugarcane and banana plant maintenance
– Light weeding, spreading compost or mulch
– Food forest pruning
– Divide and pot up edible perennials
– Bathtub wormfarm TLC
Some of our basic garden structures need repair or rebuilding. We build these with upcycled and repurposed materials to help protect the vege beds from wild chickens.
Materials needed – please get in touch if you can donate:
– Sturdy untreated timber needed 2.5 and 4.5m lengths
– Bamboo poles needed to rebuild a garden frame (50mm dia x 2.5m lengths min)
– Divisions of edible perennials (strawberries, herbs etc) for our community kai berm planting
BYO Gear
Tools are available to use, but if you have your own, please bring along:
– Gloves
– Sturdy covered shoes / boots
– Raincoat / hat
– Water bottle / snacks
Lunch 12.30-1pm
Vege soup provided
Tea / coffee
Shared kai contributions welcome!
Let us know what you’d like to focus on, so we can plan the day.
Contact meg@ecomatters.org.nz
NB. Please click on ‘Get tickets’ (free) so we know numbers and can contact you incase of postponement.
If today doesn’t work for you, our organic teaching garden sessions are held each Friday 11-2pm.

Emergency Preparedness Workshop (Mandarin 普通话/Cantonese 廣東話)
2025-09-13 14:00 - 16:00 | Synergy Sports, Unit 3/44 Portage Road, New Lynn, Aucklnad, Auckland, 0600, New Zealand
How can we be good neighbours and help each other in times of heavy rain? Learning about the way water flows in your neighbourhood is important. Find out what we can do to help our families and communities be more prepared. At the same time, we’ll discuss what we can do to live in harmony with nature and take care of our beautiful environment for future generations to enjoy.
Translators in Mandarin and Cantonese will be available. Afternoon tea will be provided.
We hope you can make time to attend this workshop. Please RSVP with your name, phone number and number of attendees to 021496890, or fill in this form: https://forms.gle/VqLXUjMv5i9U4C979

Join the Facebook event

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远亲不如近邻。在暴雨来袭之际，我们应该如何互相帮助邻里? 了解您家附近的雨水流动情况很重要。来看看我们可以采取哪些措施，来帮助我们的家庭和社区做好更充分的准备。同时，我们将探讨如何与自然和谐相处，保护我们美丽的环境，让子孙后代能够享受。
现场将提供普通话/粤语翻译服务及提供茶点。
希望您能抽空参加。发短讯到 021496890 回复您的姓名，手机号码及参加人数。
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This workshop is a collaboration between SportsHub Community Trust, Whau Ethnic Collective and EcoMatters, and supported by Auckland Council Healthy Waters.
Image: by frame harirak on Unsplash

Mānutewhau Awa Clean Up
2025-09-20 10:00 - 12:30 | Mānutewhau Communtiy Hub, 74 Oreil Avenue, West Harbour, Auckland, 0618
Nau mai, haere mai! Come and help save the Mānutewhau Awa from rubbish at this community stream clean up. Together, we’ll transform this stream into a thriving awa that flows well to the sea, and provides a safe habitat for native birds and fish.
Sturdy closed-toe shoes are essential plus bring along a rain jacket and gardening gloves. Kids welcome but must be supervised.
Hosted by Mānutewhau Community Hub and Massey Matters. Supported by EcoMatters and the Henderson-Massey Local Board.

Growing kai in smaller spaces: 'bio intensive' seed raising with Kane Hogan
2025-09-20 10:30 - 12:30 | EcoMatters, 1 Olympic Place, New Lynn, Auckland, 0600, New Zealand
Growing kai from seed is one of the most affordable ways to feed a family. Spring is the perfect time to learn techniques when growing from seed.
Join gardener Kane Hogan and learn how easy it is to grow your own food using ‘bio intensive’ methods.
We will start with seed sowing, then show how to prick out seedlings to grow on.
Learn how to make your own seed raising mix from well-aged compost.
During tea/coffee break, see a couple of film shorts, featuring Kane’s time at Koanga Institute and his ‘Urban Gardener’ micro-farm project in Christchurch.
We will then learn how to grow ‘in situ’, direct sowing into a raised vege bed in EcoMatters organic teaching garden (with Meg Liptrot, garden coordinator).
Ticket option: take home a couple of punnets you’ve sown on the day to grow on at home for your own garden.
About
Kane spent a year interning at the Koanga Institute working in the urban garden project (above), growing bio-intensively on a 200m2 plot of land. This project aimed to demonstrate that it is possible to grow enough kai for ‘a family of four to get all the nutrition they need on a daily basis’ out of the garden. (Founder, Kay Baxter).
Kane went on to develop a micro-farm prototype in a neighbourhood experiment in Oxford, Christchurch, where he chose to plough up the lawn in favour of growing food intensively.
Later he worked at Community House in Westport as garden facilitator, teaching seed raising.
