Spring Simplicity

Waking early to this glorious spring morning’s light and sounds, the word ‘simple’ arrived, bringing awareness of how much my life, and memories have been so simply fed by nature's seasons, and abundance. - a blessing in itself!

We in New Zealand are fast heading towards an El Nino year; one I remember from the 1950’s, when heat and wind created deep cuts into the lawn. As my dad commented “All the way nearly to China.” So, it was quite fascinating lying there as a child, but all that came out was crickets.

In preparing for these unknowable times, returning to root needs and nature’s intelligent ‘yes to life and loss’ approach provides constant guidance.  Natural intelligence sustains biodiversity through a community care swap of resources – offering abundant life and light, food, pollination and protection - repairing from fire, wind, water and moisture loss to produce, preserve and enrich.

It’s now time to face the reality we have created together and acknowledge that this time might prove to be the beginning of our fossil- free future. This challenges us to reflect and engage with small and big issues collectively to find where our basic nourishment lies for a good life for all life, and how to fill the gaps. (An adaptation skill we could well borrow from mycelia’s ‘moment by moment’ resilience to persist even in fluctuating weather and life conditions.)

Even this scary, isolating ‘disturbance’ that is happening also has the potential to energise a new culture of care and repair.  Stimulating a nature reconnection and centric business opportunities, and clean technology to serve a long- term future.  I’m voting nature in as Chairperson of any organisation and crucial restoration partner!

At the end of October, I am heading to a convergence of WAO in Wanaka. Here the two local towns of Wanaka and Queenstown are opening the doors to expand, design, protect and regenerate communal self-sufficiency, and biodiversity. This gathering of information will fruit a shared blueprint to practically feed into other local townships unique initiatives and fast changing needs.

Piha, at the Waygood Foundations where Earthskin Trust Artist Residencies reside, has begun to connect into the local west Auckland initiative of Kai West. The maori word for food is kai. Therefore, kai are plant and animal species that are locally important for food gathering and sharing purposes.

In our small native conservation block that was nearly destroyed by Cyclone Gabriel, native plantings are fast bringing back the pollinators crucial to maintaining our Rongoa health species and healthy permaculture gardens that feed the community with flowers, herbs and fresh vegetables, along with our small gatherings of hands-on learning workshops.

I am a grandmother for Koanga Garden Trust and am beyond excited at the just arrived gifting of a collection of very special seeds. They are the sacred saved seeds of this land, Aotearoa/New Zealand and of our people. Because they are open pollinated and genetically diverse it means they are far more resilient to changes of our ecosystems and climate.

They herald the beginning of hosting Piha’s first Seed Saving Library that our Tanya will be setting up at The Foundation. Carrying forward the responsibility from our ancestors, including my family through the Waygood lineage, of the ‘Kaipara, Port Albert cucumber seeds.’

Lastly, The Earthskin Trust, which shares my beautiful Warkworth property, is once again being prepared for a later sale, after being hit hard by frost which set back the gardens, but gradually life, flowers, and a semblance of order are returning.  

The annual 6 monthly accredited Permaculture Design course that Earthskin supports with Scholarships, and hands- on classes in The Earthskin Barn and gardens concludes next month. Such wonderful students now bursting with knowledge and excitement epitomize this spring season!

Sending my warm love (Aroha) and three grounding daily questions to ask - gifted by my friend Tina:

What was pleasant today?                 What made you laugh?                   What are you grateful for?

Nancy