���� GROWING BUDS ���� BUDDY GARDENING PROGRAMME

Valley Kai is running two buddy gardening programmes running ten weeks each. The first programme runs from the 2nd September until 11 November, 2023. The second programme runs from 10th February until 14th April, 2024.

Right now, we are looking for twelve people to take part in the first programme. We need six experienced gardening 'Buddies' to help support six novice gardening 'Buds'. The programme offers free, one-on-one support inside or outside your home to help grow your own kai. By the end of the ten weeks you’ll have a range of practical, problemsolving skills, a new friend in your community, and a healthy bounty of homegrown produce to share with your neighbours!

Email Keri for more info: keri@northeastvalley.org

We can last three weeks without food, four days without water, but mere minutes without air. In Te Ao Māori, hau is the breath or wind of life. Hau is the force that drives the entire world, not just human relations. Air, breath, and wind is the nebulous thing that connects all living beings. A 2022 citizen art project with a theme of air quality was facilitated by artist Pam McKinlay (of NEV Community Gardens and the Dunedin School of Art) liaising with multiple community and school groups. The schools’ “Insp-AIR-ation” project included a citizen science experiment which converted tailpipe emissions into carbon dioxide equivalent, then into the number of trees required to offset the emissions produced by passing cars. Reflecting on this activity resulted in the collaborative design and collective creation of fabric banners which embodied hopes, values, aspirations and inspirations on the notion of air. A selection of the 60 fabric collages making up the banners have been displayed around town in public spaces including at Creekfest and Earth Day earlier this year. In recent school holidays, the full set of banners were on display at the science festival. Some collages have been published in the book Tia kina te angi/Protect the Air

All fabrics used in the project were upcycled material from the Stitch Kitchen's Maker's Pantry. The Pantry is a "haven for creatives", stocked daily with second-hand crafting materials.