Just as the CBD experiences another one of its periodic clear outs, where the number of empty shop windows threaten to outnumber the number of occupied ones, a stunning new clothing store has opened on our main street. This beautiful store is the result of a story that spans generations, weaving together family, culture and design. ST is a designer clothing store literally like no other. High fashion couture meets Pasifika culture, bringing a boldness and brightness to Gladstone Road that we so need right now. Susana Tasi is the name of a woman who has harboured a lifelong passion for fashion and design, put on hold for decades until it was finally given flight last year at the sixth annual Pacific Fusion Fashion Show in Papatoetoe, Auckland. For years, service to her family and community had been the priority for Susana, with her sketchbook serving as a kind of therapy at the end of a challenging day at work. Many of the seven pieces Susana designed for her debut collection paid tribute to her mother, who came to live in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland from Falelima in Samoa in the 1960s. Having grown up taking turns with her siblings to turn the wheel on the Singer sewing machine as their mother turned out curtains, table clothes and shirts for her children, often from the same cloth, the connection is a close one. ST the store is inspired by this debut collection, and is run by Susana’s sister, Michelle, who were born and raised together in Otara. Susana has been in the Tairāwhiti for six years working on the frontline in social services supporting individuals and families impacted by domestic violence and mental health. Since moving here she has represented Gizzy effusively at every opportunity, which is why when the time came to follow up her debut onto the fashion scene with a store, she decided to do it right here in Tūranganui-A-Kiwa, Gisborne. Michelle had been living in Samoa, getting in touch with their family roots, and working as a GM in the corporate telecommunications sector when she got the call up to join her sister in a new venture. With the two sisters’ skills combined, Susana Tasi is bound for the stars. The current offerings include three different apparel brands, one is a colourful Pasifika take on Street styles offering quality hoodies and polo shirts. The other two lines include both classic and playful pieces to work and play in. There’s a noticeable interplay between the feminine and masculine in many of the pieces, with options for so many occasions! Michelle has turned the online shop off for now, to give locals the opportunity to get in before the limited runs sell out, so now’s your chance to check this fabulousness out! susanatasi.com 109 Gladstone Rd , Gisborne. Follow @S.T on Facebook to keep up to date with the styles, the people and the fun as it all evolves... Words Sarah Cleave Photos by Thomas Teutenberg

When we’re thinking about ethical fashion habits, there’s no better place to start than with a galavant around our city’s rather fabulous selection of op shops… shall we? We’re going to start out at Heaven Sent because Nancy (pictured here) is undoubtedly the matriarch of our local op shopping scene. Those of us who have been around long enough might remember Nancy from old days of yore when she managed the Bojumbles store on Gladstone Road. Heaven Sent is about as old school as it gets. No fixed hours, no electricity, no eftpos. But try your luck around lunchtime weekdays or a Saturday, and you might just be rewarded with some gold. New stuff is shipped from Auckland regularly and original vintage items are often in the mix. If we’re heading uptown from there, we’ll next hit the Hospice. The Hospice is an all-rounder, with high quality clothes, books, crafty bits and kitchenware all organised in a very orderly manner. The clothes are rotated on a seasonal basis, so sharp op shoppers will be ready to pounce at the start of the new season, and if you keep an eye out for the end of season sales you’ll be in for some bargains. Red Cross is the next stop, on Gladstone Road. Clothing here is very tidy and of a uniformly good condition. There are often new items in the mix too from brands that know better than to dump their unsold stock. Skip a block and cross the road and you’re at the Salvation Army, known affectionately in our family as 'The Salami’. Join the regulars for a sing along to whatever is spinning dustily on the record player and browse to your heart’s content. If colour-themed arrangements of clothing and objects makes your heart happy, this is the op shop for you! Free books pile outside, we’re all winning. SPCA is just a hop, skip and a jump away, and is the place to go for those of us who get overwhelmed by too much selection. Another spot for uniformly tidy and less used clothes, and there are usually a few plants in the mix. Now for a bit of a walk before you reach the Salvation Army Furniture store, which might not stock clothes, but does provide an ethical alternative to K-Mart furniture (which is going to start looking shabby and probably fall apart within the year, but that’s another conversation…) Habitat for Humanity just next door. This is one of those mega stores, so make sure you’re fueled up before you hit it. There’s often some interesting furniture, and always lots of kitchenware, blankets, curtains, and crafty things. Clothes? There are heaps of clothes, also colour coded, and shoes. There are often $5 dollar fill a bag scenarios. And last but not least, if you’re in the market for a new frock, and have one or two that you’re ready to let go of, bundle them up and head into the Tairāwhiti Environment Centre for a browse of their Frock Swap rack. Golden. Stayed tuned for more local gems, coming soon!

And just when you thought you’d seen ‘em all, another gorgeous artist-run studio space has popped up in town.. Studio 4 is just a roller door down from the Far East Roastery, on Awapuni Road. It’s the creative home to Nikki Renwick and Nathan Foon, and a rapidly growing collection of beautifully rendered clay objects, paintings and prints. Nikki goes by the artist name of Namiko Native Design. Originally from Westport, she landed here on the East Coast after a decent stint over the ditch. A self-taught artist, she’s been creating her whole life; a practice that’s kept on evolving and morphing over time, from jewellery to ceramics, to digital art. Now that she has a space away from the distractions of home, with its limitations on sprawl, Nikki is looking forward to working on some bigger painted pieces and messy ceramic art. Before embarking on the huge creative undertaking that was transformation of the Tatapouri Bay campground, Nathan Foon had been living in Auckland pursuing his own artistic dreams. He was painting and exhibiting in group shows, providing illustration work for brand collaborations and making artworks for film and television. Studio 4 is the next step in Nathan’s creative journey, allowing him to wholeheartedly dive back in. And while he says he’ll always love painting, he’s excited about pottery, which is his new favourite medium. The pair will be inviting other artists to share their studio space via month-long residencies. Recognising the common story of artists investing in a studio space but not quite managing to create or maintain a habit of actually using the space, the idea behind these residencies is the impetus it will give artists to get stuck into a body, or piece of work, in a set period of time. Nikki and Nathan are looking forward to sharing creative energy with different artists, and seeing how this reflects in their respective outputs during each residency. Studio 4 will also be holding Clay Dates and workshops, with the first one happening soon on March 23! If you are interested in learning more about Studio 4 residencies, Clay Therapy, Paint and Sips and upcoming workshops get in touch via email on Hello.studio4artspace@gmail.com or call Nikki on O273490657. Words Sarah Cleave Photos by Tom Teutenberg

Gizzy Local When was the last time you practiced some self-care? In the cyclone crisis mode we’ve been in, self-care has likely not been a high priority. But if you’re noticing the effects of the stress and disruption that we are all continuing to navigate, now is probably the right time to start to call upon some self-care habits! Local health coach Becs Erickson calls upon the oxygen mask principle to explain - you’ve got to put your own mask on first before you can face the crisis and assist others. “You have to take good care of you first, and then overflow to others.” Instead of the mindset of ‘I don’t have time’ or ‘I don’t deserve it,' Becs would love to see self-care treated as a non-negotiable, “then everything becomes more doable.” Self-care means something different to everyone. The kind that Becs is encouraging is about small, positive incremental lifestyle changes that ultimately lead to big impacts on overall health. She coaches these in her course 'Good Change', which takes women on a journey of seasonal alignment and self-care, to help them find an easeful way of integrating daily self-care habits. Certified in Ayurveda and Yoga, Becs’ coaching is grounded in the holistic teachings of Ayurveda, a healing system developed thousands of years ago in India. Ayurveda comes from the Sanskrit words ayur meaning life and veda meaning knowledge or science, and it empowers individuals to achieve and maintain balance in body, mind, and spirit through the different stages and seasons of their lives. Ayurveda guides her approach, however Becs also weaves in modern teachings of Mindset and Behavioral Science. A lifetime learner, she’s a sponge for knowledge. Becs also understands the information can’t just stay up in our heads. “Many of us know all this stuff, but it can become top heavy. When I created Good Change I wanted it to be embodied learning, a hands-on or ‘felt’ experience in your body of how it feels when you do these practices. So that your body remembers.” The full Good Change programme runs all year, spread over 3 seasons of 12 weeks each. You can join for the year or a season, and the Winter intake is now open (each 12-week season aligns with an Ayurvedic season). The heart of the programme is a weekly online meeting, and it also includes one-on-one coaching and invitations for deeper self-inquiry through reflective practices. As a busy working mum herself, Becs isn’t trying to add to anyone’s to-do list. The inspiration for Good Change comes from the Japanese word kaizen, or small, incremental change. The habits you learn in the course don’t take a whole lot of effort. They’re more like 1% shifts that ideally become automatic. “Once upon a time brushing your teeth wasn’t automatic, but now the thought of not brushing your teeth is ick.” The goal is to get self-care habits to feel just as unquestionable. The course teaches 10 habits like going to bed earlier and shifting back when you eat your evening meal. But these seemingly small tweaks can be really impactful on sleep, digestion, mental state and energy levels. “You may not notice much along the way, but we always do a reflection 6 or 12 weeks down the track, and then you see that really a lot has shifted.” Sometimes positive effects are immediately apparent within the first week, but Becs thinks of it more like planting seeds that you will watch grow later on. “These are self-care habits that last a lifetime, so that we can age well and maintain our health as long as possible.” And because Good Change operates in community, there’s a support network. “It’s easier to try on a new way of doing things when you know others are doing the same thing.” Becs meets each client where she is; some start the course looking to heal, some come in looking for direction or purpose, and some just want to meet and connect with other like minded women. For all women, there’s an opportunity to seek more balance. “It’s like an old school radio. When we’re balanced we get a nice clear signal, and when we’re out of balance, we get static.” When we are more in tune with our bodies, we notice when the static starts, and have the tools to guide ourselves back to a clear signal. As Becs knows well, often we’re too busy and distracted to notice the static, and we let ourselves slip into greater imbalance or dis-ease. Her own journey on the Ayurvedic path started in 2014, when her body was breaking down, a culmination of a lot of things over many years. “My wish is that people don’t have to get to where I got to in order to rebuild.” Her goal is for self-care to be seen as essential, so we stay aware and able to calibrate ourselves toward that clear radio signal of ‘balance’, where we feel grounded, centered and steady. To help make self-care even more inviting, Becs has teamed up with friend Sanne to launch Soma, an Ayurvedic range of natural wellness products like digestive teas and massage oils. The hope is that if people have products they truly enjoy using in their self-care rituals, they’re motivated to keep up their routines, especially when life throws a curveball. “Our nervous systems need extra support in this world we’re living in - we’re all being called to evolve. It’s not a matter of if something like the cyclone happens again, it’s when. And so we have to shift the focus to what we can control.” It’s all a practice, and the more we do it, the easier it becomes. And for Becs there is a real connection between self-care and resilience, which we need more than ever. “Everything is doable, you can handle anything, when you’ve got that resilience.” Your chance to join Good Change is coming right up! The winter intake starts 30 May, and Early Bird pricing closes on 2 April. If you feel called to learn more, reach out to Becs for a free 30-min health chat and find out if the programme is a good fit for you. Spaces are limited. becs@heartspace.co.nz www.heartspace.co.nz | www.somasenses.nz

"Yaaaaas for the Goose Club!" screamed a group of young people boogying down at R&V this year. But what is the Goose Club, you ask? Originally conceived as an inflatable disco tent, this year the Goose Club set out to provide a sanctuary from the festival-related mayhem that reigns beyond its walls. Director and choreographer, Kayla Paige approached R&V with a very clear intention around creating a safe queer space, where there hadn’t previously been one; a place where anybody and everybody, regardless of age, gender, and inclination, could come to dance and feel comfortable in their own skin. This year in the Goose Club, the tone was set by a group of LGBTQIA+ dancers, who used performance to celebrate and uplift diversity and inclusiveness. Kayla called for the dancers “to bring their complete selves” within the concept she had created. In turn she hoped that the audience would feel empowered to lean into the energy they’d created in that space, “we want to make them feel comfortable to go crazy and step into their own queerness”. Performer Sam Dawson says that "It means a lot to have a festival openly invite and create a space for the LGBTQIA+ community” and for them “the agreement that there would be no tolerance for hate speech in the environment was a game changer". Another of the Goose Club performers, Vogue legend of House Givenchy, Raymond Fong reflects that when "queer dances and culture are woven into our dance practices on the stage, we are all inspired to claim the space as our own." Gizzy Local’s Sam Reckas spent the 29th of December with the Goose Club crew, a camera and coupla rolls of film in tow, and recalls the atmosphere of the tent on the night. “The energy of the Goose Club is not at all quiet; it can be felt in your chest, the bass and hype pump loud and proud. This place is a time capsule; nostalgia is rife. ‘Better off alone’ by Alice Deejay blasts on the speakers and fists pump at the ceiling. Vintage halter neck blouses, archived cargo pants, diamante skate belts, and Speed Dealer sunglasses completed the look. As 7pm approached, the smell of spilt drinks and sweat filled the air, and so much fun was being had that a mystery concoction formed on the dance floor, turning the mud and alcohol into an adhesive so strong that shoes stuck relentlessly to the ground. There were no Fs given though, because the crowd was too busy jumping up and down in a frenzy, waiting for the much-anticipated GOOSE”. She describes the collective mood of the room, “elevated with each provocative dance sequence” as the performances rolled. Sultry, fiery, and playful by turn, the performers embodied a fabulous cast of characters, including a martian, bunnies and of course, a goose, to play out dramatic storylines. The audience lapped it up. For Sam, her experience in the Goose Club served as a somber reminder of how rare it still is to celebrate ‘us’ in our entirety, especially when we think about how far we’ve supposedly come. The performers too, acknowledge the challenges but are also quick to point out that it is the embracing our own unique self that can serve as a superpower when it comes to making it in the creative world. Dancer, Isiah Reid, Ngati Porou acknowledges trying out different versions of self during their career, but believes that “you can never be truly happy in your career unless you are truly happy in yourself. Stay true to who you are and trust the process. “Everyone has their own time, and while it might not come today, tomorrow, or even next year, it will. Bring your culture with you wherever you go…and no matter where you end up, always be proud of where you come from. Maintain a constant reflection on your origins and what makes you, you." Dancer Jessica Tatoa spoke to Sam of embracing the vulnerability of it all, and fellow performer Samuel Dawson urged, "Don't half ass it on the emotion - the pure essence - be enveloped in it. Once you feel good in yourself, you can perform in your best skin." Mother Honey, also of the Vogue trio of House Givenchy, summarised the power of inclusive spaces such as the Goose Tent at this year’s R&V beautifully, "Find your people, your community, and stick with them because they will be the ones who will help you develop and prosper. They will assist you in finding where you belong, your identity, yourself, and who you really are”. Safe, inclusive spaces for our LGBTQIA+ community such as the Goose Tent in festivals such as Rhythm & Vines are an incredibly important start. And while there’s still a long way to go, they serve as a good reminder of the struggle that has led to this point in our history, and a source of inspiration to keep striving to express our own true selves, and honour and celebrate the journeys of others who are seeking to do the same. Story by Sam Reckas & Sarah Cleave Photographs by Sam Reckas Rhythm and Vines

As we pull together our list of Gizzy’s summery delights, a fresh fruit ice cream from The Village Berry is definitely on our list. This year The Village Berry team has been particularly busy, kicking off their summer season with a new shop, new look, and new mobile ice cream food cart. Run by Shelley Hunt and her son-in-law Tom McCann, The Village Berry has evolved a lot from its early days as a summer weekend operation called Berries Plus. Shelley took the business over in 2011, after a spontaneous chat with the previous owner at their hairdresser’s. Shelley’s daughter Madeline was already working at Berries Plus, and initially two families shared the business. Between the families they had a built-in work force of 6 kids to chip in, and for Shelley it was really about them. “We thought it was a great opportunity for them to learn about running a business and have a fun holiday job when they were home from uni.” As the kids grew and moved on, Shelley remained as the sole owner. But as she was also teaching full-time at Girls High, the business was only open on weekends during the summer months. It was thanks to the Covid pandemic that Tom entered the picture. He and Madeline met at uni in Dunedin and spent several years living overseas. In 2020 they were back in New Zealand for his brother’s wedding, and initially forced to stay when the borders closed, they ended up never leaving. Tom brings sales experience in the food industry, from working his way up to directing sales in London and Dubai for Harvey & Brockless, a distributor of artisan foods. Tom notes “we knew Auckland would be the best place to settle career-wise, but the Gisborne lifestyle really appealed to us.” Under Tom’s guidance, they have experimented with opening year-round, expanding their offerings of fruit, veges, packaged foods and takeaways like freshly made soup and locally made sourdough. The team is passionate about offering an alternative to the big supermarkets that really supports local growers and fosters an appreciation for what’s fresh and in season. “We roll seasonal, with food and offerings. It’s humble, healthy, good food, made with love.” And our local community is getting behind this notion, if last winter is any indication. “It was surprisingly busy, we were flat out making four batches of soup a day.” With that momentum, it quickly became clear they needed more space. Fletch the butcher next door was keen to swap spaces, and they opened the doors to the new corner shop on the corner of Ballance Street and Ormond Road in September. The move came with a re-brand, and the first thing they chose was yellow paint for the doors, to embody sunshine, happiness, and summer. And while we might not have seen much of summer’s usual main player, ‘sunshine’ as yet, as Shelley notes, “summer means ice cream” and luckily it’s been warm enough for most of us to warrant the occasional ice cream! The “village” part of Village Berry is just as important. “We have a village mentality, we are a family business that counts on relationships with other family businesses. We know where the food is from, we can tell you about the growers, we know their families.” 80% of the produce Village Berries sells is from Gisborne. Tom explains, “We can’t say it’s strictly local though, because we don’t want to limit what we can offer.” For example, Gisborne doesn’t have enough local asparagus growers to satisfy demand, so The Village Berry brings some in from Hawkes Bay. “Even when we source from outside Gisborne, we try to stay close - Eastern Bay of Plenty or Hawkes Bay.” It can be tough balancing customer demand and the business philosophy, “People might want tomatoes when they're not ready locally. We could get some in and make a bit of money but that goes against the importance we put on seasonal eating.” The one notable exception is bananas! The team sources them to make their ice creams and the customer demand for them is huge. But they also make a point to stock locally grown bananas whenever available. As a small independent business, it can be super challenging to compete with the huge purchasing power of the supermarkets. At The Village Berry, prices are agreed upon with the growers at the beginning of the season and remain fixed, even if there is a glut. Tom explains, “when we have these relationships, we’re not hustling each other, we all want each other to do well and operate fairly.” Because everything they stock is picked ripe, it’s better and fresher. And when it comes to fruit, they mean really fresh, direct from the orchard up the road. Shelley recently retired from teaching, and she and her husband Chris purchased an orchard (formerly known as the Bruce Road Estate) which provides renowned stone fruit and up and coming nashis. Fruit and veges aside, The Village Berry will likely always be known first and foremost for the ice creams. It’s fun to guess how many cones have been made over the years, but until moving into their new space, they never had a till that kept track. But now with an eye on it, so far the highest number in a single day was about 650 on Labour Monday. A record, which is bound to be easily broken once the heat of summer arrives! The ice cream is now also going mobile with their cart, The Village Berry Express. It’s currently on the move, popping up at markets, events, and catering at weddings. It has to be noted that they do dairy-free ice cream as well as a yoghurt option! This year they’ve got plans to continue refining takeaway food options, experiment with fun new ice cream flavours like mandarin and tamarillo, and offer fresh pressed juices. There are so many benefits to supporting local and eating local, taste being one of them. Summer of course is such a good time with the amount of delicious produce on offer, from citrus to berries and stone fruit. It goes without saying that most of these fruits also taste damn fine when whizzed up with ice cream and curled into a cone. We highly recommend you put The Village Berry on your list of musts this week, and don’t forget them when winter and soup season rolls around again… By Victoria Williams Photos Sarah Cleave

The Gizzy skateboarding scene is getting plenty of buzz these days, after unveiling a brand new world class skatepark and playing host to the Skateboard Nationals earlier this month. But spend a little time at the skate park and what really stands out is the welcoming, inclusive community that gathers there. Roll through on a Sunday arvo and you’ll find women of all ages skating and cheering each other on. That’s thanks to the efforts of local group Surely Skate, who popped up on the scene a few years ago and have made an impressive impact on women’s skateboarding both locally and nationally. While many of the original team have since moved away from Gisborne, there was a reunion of sorts at the recent Skateboard Nationals. During a break in competition, Surely crew members Tessa, Sophee, Emilie, Morgan, Myah and Krystal graciously agreed to an impromptu interview, some of them coming straight in from competing in the Women’s street skate section. They were (and some still are) teens when they started skateboarding and building the community. Sisters Soph and Tessa admit they were first attracted to skate fashion, but didn’t want to just wear the clothes and be posers. They started longboarding and then started to go to the skate park, but rarely saw other girls there. “It was really intimidating to go there alone.” In the male-dominated environment, it was easy to spot a female skater, and any time they spotted another girl, they would invite her to skate with them and not have to skate alone. Myah remembers that she was longboarding to the beach when Soph and Tessa first intercepted her and encouraged her to skate with them. Surely, as in “surely come for a skate?” stuck as the group’s name after Morgan started spray painting it on her boards. Their gatherings evolved organically and started to take the form of regular Sunday sessions designed to encourage more girls to get on a board by minimising the fear and intimidation around learning to skate. Surely Skate is all about creating an inclusive, welcoming and safe environment for all. They are female identifying but make it clear that “anyone can come skate with us.” Sunday sessions are completely free and the girls volunteer the time they spend teaching and encouraging others. These sessions really are for everyone, from absolute beginners to skaters working on advanced tricks. On a typical Sunday, Surely skaters do everything from holding a girl’s hands while she practices dropping into a bowl, to giving tips on nailing a kickflip. “We are just pumped to see other girls. New little kids have been coming lately, that’s been epic.” Once they even had a nan join in. Every week is different, with some sessions seeing up to 20 people. “People come and go, and that’s skating - there are no rules. You don’t have to show up every week.” That sense of not knowing what to expect, and seeing progression in the community of skaters, keeps them motivated. “It’s so rewarding, it gives us purpose.” Myah adds, “knowing that parents and kids think of us as safe people is amazing. It’s special to feel their trust that if they fall we’ll catch them.” Also motivating is appreciating the impact they’ve made. Before Surely, the vibe was very different. In the early days Morgan braved the skatepark by herself a lot, and recalls “there was a lot of harassment, like ‘you shouldn’t be here.’ Now with our group, the dynamic has totally changed. We have this big community and we know everyone.“ That recognition came with dedication. “We persisted and showed that we’re not going anywhere.” The persistence inherent in skateboarding is a big part of what attracts the Surely crew to the sport. “When you see a skater land something you know they've been through some stuff. Every trick has taken hours and hours and hours of practice, and literal blood, sweat, and tears. Sometimes you feel so frustrated you want to throw your board across the park. But then you get the trick and it’s one of the best feelings in the world.” For new skaters, that can be a rude awakening. “We have to tell them, ‘you’re not going to get a trick on the first try. You’ve got to be patient and think positive.’ It’s a battle.” The girls note if it were easy, it would be far less rewarding, and that is something that translates to life far beyond the skate park. “Kids these days are used to getting things right away, and they’ll give up. These are life lessons, that you have to work for what you want, and nothing is going to get handed to you.” They giggle at this, “we sound so wise, lol.” And indeed they are. Beyond the weekly skate sessions, Soph took the lead on organizing a Surely Skate competition in Gisborne. The comp received massive support from all over the country, with skaters traveling from afar to take part, and it’s now an annual event. The last one had the highest turnout of women across in NZ history. Unsurprisingly it had a huge female turnout, but just like their Sunday sessions, the comp is meant for everyone and for all levels. One year they even had a 4 year-old girl compete by going around with her dad. The girls reckon that the event’s popularity is about the community, not the competition. Since Surely is not an official organisation, it’s been a challenge to get the funding needed for such a big event. The skaters emphasise that they owe much of their success to local support and sponsors, like Sequence Surf Shop, and describe owner Blair Stewart as “an absolute legend.” And they say they wouldn’t be here without the guidance of Shane Kingsbeer, the skate park project manager and member of Tairawhiti Adventure Trust. “Shane is our rock. He needs more credit!” From the time Shane met the girls at the skatepark, he has noticed the impact of their positivity. “The atmosphere is so different now. They’ve truly shifted the culture at the skate park in a positive direction and that’s a massive asset in our region.” Shane grew up skating here, and the scene then was far from welcoming. “You had to be able to do things when you showed up and until then you got grief.” Now he enjoys seeing the shift in mindset, “it’s all about support, not about level.” For co-founder Tessa, there’s still work to be done. “Women's skateboarding in New Zealand is definitely on the right trajectory. But it’s still male-dominated and our goal is to overcome that.” With such enthusiastic mentors available, why not give skateboarding a go? Join the weekly Surely Sunday sessions (from 1pm) and spread the word to keep the group growing. And if you’d like to offer financial support, they’re seeking funds to help host the next Surely Skate competition on January 21, 2023 and to enable them to travel to compete and run workshops outside of Gizzy and across Aotearoa. Go to givealittle.co.nz/cause/surely-shred-2023 to learn more and donate. Story by Victoria Williams

When I moved to Gisborne from America, some early helpful advice came at the grocery store. As I stood in the queue to pay for my shopping, which included lemons, the lovely woman working at the till said, “Oh hon, don’t you know anyone with a lemon tree? You should never have to buy lemons in Gizzy.” I’ve since found many a lemon tree, but still marvel at the sheer abundance of fruit in the region. One local team of rangatahi has figured out a way to ensure this abundance doesn’t go to waste, by picking excess fruit and sharing it with the community. They call themselves Pik Up, and this year alone they’ve picked over 4 tonnes of fruit, including apples, pears, plums, citrus and avocados. Kai has always brought people together, but Pik Up sees even greater opportunities to reduce waste and offer access to free, healthy food in a time when food costs are soaring. The project arose out of a brainstorming session in October 2021 at Tāiki E Next Generation, which hosts weekly gatherings to promote leadership and entrepreneurship in young people. The rangatahi zeroed in on the problem of food waste (nearly 3,000 tonnes every year!), in a community where many would appreciate the kai. They went straight to work to employ technology as a tool to address this paradox. The result is a platform that enables people in the community - people like you or me - to register any trees they have with excess fruit. The team then coordinates volunteers to pick fruit from those trees and share the bounty: a third of the fruit goes to the trees’ owner, a third is provided to the community, and a third stays with the volunteers who picked it. Fruit goes to the community via pātaka kai, many of which were built by Boys High students through the Young Enterprise Scheme. There are 11 pātaka kai strewn across town, and Pik Up continues to build more. The newest is on Dixon St, a heavy foot traffic area that connects Wainui Road to Kaiti. The team is led by Josh, who is managing the technology and administrative roles, although the office work is certainly not his favourite aspect of the job. Josh is passionate about growing food, increasing access to healthy kai, and reducing food waste. Within just a few months of that first brainstorming session, a platform had been built, they were picking by the height of summer, and they “haven’t looked back.”Josh emphasizes that Pik Up is “not a response to solve poverty,” but rather an opportunity “to share aroha.” It’s been a learning process and they’ve altered the model a bit as they’ve gone along, but the systems are getting dialed. Generally Josh takes students picking every Wednesday after school, and they fill the pātaka the following day. But picking days and times can vary, depending on weather and the landowner’s preference, and adults are welcome to come along too. The current team is made up of about 9 young people, ranging in age from 14-18 from a few different schools. Josh is originally from California, and lived many years in Hawaii and Indonesia before settling with his whānau in Gizzy. He is also a photographer, and alongside his wife, a graphic designer, operated a business helping local organisations in Indonesia tell their stories, which provided him a lot of social work experience. Josh enjoys hanging out with his young crew, and the feeling is mutual. Team member Manawa says “Josh is one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet, he’s cool as.” On a typical picking day, the crew meets at Tāiki E after school and loads their ladder, picking poles and bins into Josh’s car. After a stop for the team’s favourite potatoes at Perfect Roast, they’re off and running. Mokoia, another key member of the team, reckons he was “anti-social” before getting involved, and now really appreciates the social aspect of the work. They usually pick for up to two hours, and jobs vary in size, some as small as 10-15 kilos. They work steadily, but there is also space for fun. Manawa describes the discovery of mandarins remarkable for their resemblance to butt cheeks, and a contest ensued to see who could find the most. There are also tales of dances dodging grapefruits big enough to knock one unconscious, and Instagram-worthy feats of kicking an orange and then catching it in one go. But when it comes down to it, Manawa “just really enjoys picking and doing good stuff for the community.” As for Pik Up’s future, Josh sees a lot of potential, especially with the product they are left with from time to time. Josh envisions creating a new fruit product from that surplus, making juice or cocktail mixers. He also sees a need for offering more services to homeowners, who often don’t know how to prune their trees. “Many of these trees are old and valuable, and should be tended for future generations.” And he’d also like to be planting more fruit trees too. To help support their growth, the team would love to see more web traffic, and more people registering their trees. They’re always on the lookout for partners in other local community organisations who can help distribute food to those in need. And they would warmly welcome more picking hands, especially adults who can volunteer during school hours. There’s no pressure to come regularly or often, and no experience necessary. One thing Josh has observed during the hours of picking is the easy flow of conversation while they work. “When we’re juicing or cutting and de-seeding plums, the chats we have are great. And you see this in people around the world and throughout time, that processing food has always brought people together.” Why not trade out the conference room table for the trees, and have a hui while picking together? As you would expect, the community response has been super positive. “When we fill the pātaka and people walk by, we always get smiles, high fives, and good kōrero.” Manawa adds, “sometimes the pātaka by my aunty’s is pumping, heaps of people getting fruit, and that’s mean.” And since they’ve started picking, they’ve noticed other people filling the pātaka too, an indication that their mahi is as inspiring as it is practical. To learn more and get involved, go to www.PikUp.nz Story by Victoria Williams Photo Sarah Cleave

If anyone was in any doubt that Tūranganui-a-Kiwa, Gisborne is a hotbed of creative talent, they only need to do a count on the ever-growing number of artist-run spaces around town, to realise there must be something in the claim… Kõtuku Studios is the most recent addition, joining the enclave of community-enhancing enterprises at the southern end of Palmerston Road. Tucked in between Bakery 22 and Dancefit Studios on one side, and Tairāwhiti Environment Centre and Gizzy Kai Rescue on the other, Kōtuku Studios is the whare of the creative businesses of Merle Walker - Toi Biz and Jody Tupara - Toi Tupara. Originally the two friends were looking for some studio space to share, but happening upon this place with its white walls and polished concrete floors that lent itself so perfectly to a gallery, they realised that a gallery in which to share works of other local artists as well as their own, fit pretty seamlessly into their vision of a shared creative space. A couple of weeks of building, painting and enthusiastic support from friends and whānau later, Kōtuku Studios was born. Merle Walker has been creating art since she was a teenager, and successfully selling pieces through her early 30’s. Art was put on the backburner due to medical reasons, and while she took some time with her children in Australia before moving to Te Tairāwhiti with partner Tyna Keelan. Upon landing here, Merle enrolled in the Toi Paematua course with Johnny Moetara at @Te Wānanga o Aotearoa in 2021 and continues to study there as she builds her skills and knowledge around toi. Jody Tupara is perhaps best known for her large scale portraiture and digital prints. She also enjoys taking her art to clothing, and currently upcycles and paints denim jackets. She is grateful for the impetus and space Kōtuku Studios gives her to keep creating and to showcase her work as she juggles life with two beautiful children, full time work and studies. Opening its doors a couple of weeks ago, most of the works on the walls of Kōtuku Studios reflect the relationships that the two have been formed whilst making art alongside each other and their peers at the Wānanga. The pair are looking forward to continuing to work with other like minded people within our community, and sharing their space through workshops as well as exhibitions. Collaborations in the pipeline will see workshopping opportunities in various disciplines of toi from photography and printmaking to poetry writing, as they continue to develop their online print businesses and Merle, a series of team building workshops. The current exhibition has works by Jody Tupara, Kathleen Dawson, @Sally McIntosh, Amanda Rutherford, Beka Melville, Merle Walker, Johnny Moetara, Raegan Dawson, Makahuri Thatcher-Wharehinga, Skye Pomana and Sam & Kushla Hodge. Jody and Merle are committed to showing the work of local artists, and are happy to host solo exhibitions also. Their aim is to create a friendly and supportive environment for people to show their work. So if you’re looking for some artwork for your home or workplace, or as a gift, or are looking to exhibit some of your own work, head along for a visit! Merle and Jody are especially keen on meeting local potters! Gallery Open Hours Wednesdays, 12 - 5pm Thursday, 11:30am - 5pm Saturday, 10am - 2pm For more information or to view by appointment kotukustudios@gmail.com

What’s cooking these local elections? Māori representation, that’s what. Over the past few weeks I’ve had the pleasure of sitting down with a handful of the 39 candidates running in the upcoming local body elections. Speaking with Jordan Walker, Jody Toroa, Aubrey Ria, Ani Pahuru-Huriwai and Debbie Gregory, I’m feeling a lot of hope and excitement about the future of our local government here in the Tairāwhiti. As most of us will know, the last term resulted in some significant changes in the way our community will be represented around the Council table. In 2020 the Gisborne District Council resolved to establish Māori wards, so in next month’s local election, those of us who are enrolled in the Maori electoral roll will vote for 5 Māori ward councillors, and those on the General roll will vote in 8 general ward councillors. This series of conversations started with Jordan Walker, who was a regular contributor to Gizzy Local before they went full time with Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival, took a lead role in a film, and embarked on their Masters thesis. I was interested in what had motivated Jordan, a youthful creative who’s always involved in exciting projects, to run for council at a time when councils all over the country are struggling to find people willing to put themselves forward for the job. Jordan spoke to me about wanting to be a voice for youth, for urban Māori, and to advocate for the arts. They talked eloquently about the role the arts plays in our wellbeing, particularly in the aftermath of the pandemic, and their understanding of policy as a tool in ensuring equitable access to opportunities and resources. Jordan has always been a ‘do-er’ whose compassionate nature is a precursor to action. In 2014 Jordan cycled the length of the country to raise awareness for youth suicide: they rode about 100 kilometres a day with panniers that were filled to overflowing and a bike that was far from flash. But Jordan understood that while the experience had been therapeutic for them, they would have to “dig deeper” to bring about any change. Jordan went on to work with a digital literacy programme across 14 low-decile schools in South Auckland but even then they were aware of the inherent accessibility issues and came to the conclusion that “policy is where it's at”. As we talked more, I realised I was hearing language I’d never heard before in the context of a political campaign, let alone our local council. Words such as ‘feeling safe’ in relation to hitting the campaign trail alongside other candidates, and even (blow me down with a feather), “the collective”. Was I hearing right? Were we still talking about local politics? Yes, Jordan assured me, “It feels as if we’re here for a common cause, it really feels as if things are changing with the inclusion of Māori wards”. It would have been easy to dismiss Jordan’s sentiment as ‘the naivety of youth’ but during the course of the conversations that followed, it became clear that yes indeed we are facing a beautiful shake up around that table at which so many decisions, that affect all of us in big ways and small, are made, with the introduction of Māori wards. Both Jody Toroa and Ani Pahuru-Huriwai were quick to give due to the incumbent council and mayor for bringing it through “Those are just the kind of courageous decisions that council should be making in the interests of what is fair, just and right. We need our people to be participating in democracy” said Ani. Incumbent Councillor Debbie Gregory talked about the series of decisions that led to the resolution to establish Maori wards in 2020. “With our population being 53% Maori, it was important to have equitable representation around the table where these important decisions about our place are being made. “That table has been dominated by wealthy white people since its inception. We need to bring the hearts and minds of Māori to our decision making table. That’s why I voted for Māori wards. I didn’t think there was any other way”. As Ani acknowledged, there’s undoubtedly a bit of fear in some quarters as to what a ‘shake up’ at the Council table is going to look like. But while fear is only natural when it comes to dealing with the unknown, I’d like to suggest that if the way in which our Māori candidates have approached this campaign so far is any indication, then we all have a lot to look forward to in this next term at Council. “The Collective” Ani described reaching out to her networks earlier in the year to see who was considering running in this election and explained “We established our tikanga way back then, said ‘let’s be Māori in our campaigning’. It’s been really brutal, ugly and lonely for candidates who have stood in the past. It’s really important how we treat each other in public, how we disagree in private, and how we look after each other’s mana”. But this collective approach isn’t just about the campaign. Aubrey Ria says “We’ve all agreed that within our group sits an amazing set of people, skills, knowledge and intelligence. We’ve agreed that whoever gets in, we will get in behind them to support them in whatever capacity we can [following the election]”. Many of the Māori candidates in this election have not only been “in comms” with each other, but have been carpooling to the candidates meetings, preparing together and supporting each other. Jordan described it as the feeling of being surrounded by aunties. “The way that the Māori candidates have worked this far is how we intend to carry on” said Ani. “It’s how we work anyway, with mutual respect, aroha for our people and looking after each other’s mana. You can have differing points of view and that’s okay, but you can articulate that without hurting another person physically or spiritually in the process of getting your view across. “I’m hoping that in that space there will be a lot more manaakitanga, and enhancing the mana of others, not just thinking about yourself in that space” Ani also explained that Māori running in the Māori ward have “put aside our iwi affiliations. We’re standing for the Māori ward. Iwi relationships are not a part of our role in council. Our tipuna have sung about Kotahitanga for decades. [Unity] is important but we haven’t got there because of egos and a system, which has got in the way”. Aubrey Ria agrees “It’s going to feel collaborative. There will be more interactive engagement, more focus on empowering communities, organisations, iwi, hapū, whānau, and people in our rural areas. Empowering each small community within our city as well as those outside of it to contribute to the decisions that affect them. It’s going to be better for the overall community, from Muriwai to Matawai to Te Araroa Hicks Bay”. Jody Toroa says she’s looking forward to collectively building some strong foundations around change, once there’s Māori representation at the table, rather than just a Māori advisor. “My push is to build the partnership framework, so that it actually reflects the partners around the table, and extends to the co-management, the whole delivery”. Jordan spoke too of the importance of relationship, “I’m all about relationships, There are so many nuances in peoples’ personalities and backgrounds, if there’s a strong group of us all there for a common purpose, a collective cause, that interpersonal skill, open mindedness, and the different perspectives that come as a young person will be useful”. Community I’m excited too about a greater community intelligence around the council table after this election. There’s a lot of talk about the wealth of community experience held by many of the Māori ward candidates. Many of them, like Ani, have led the Covid response in their communities, and have an intimate understanding of where their communities are at right now. “Our Māori ward candidates are really proactive members of the community. They’re at all the meetings, at the marae, at the housing forums” Aubrey Ria points out. Aubrey sees herself as following in the footsteps of her ancestors, who have worked towards better relationships and better communities here in Tūranga for generations. After leading a peaceful protest against the erection of the Endeavour replicas without consultation, she was also active in advocating for the establishment of the Māori wards. Aubrey running in this election was, for her community, the natural next step for her. Jody has worked for years on the Waingake Transformation Project, as well as sitting on various boards. Ani has played a significant role in the David and Goliath battles of preventing Petrobas from deep sea drilling on the East Coast and the proposals for a barging facility at Te Araroa. For Jordan, the wealth of community experience and iwi connections amongst the candidates to the Maori ward was one of the reasons they felt so strongly about running in the general ward rather than the Maori ward. “A lot of the Māori candidates standing in the Māori ward are strongly connected to Iwi and Hapū. They’re connected to those communities, and they knew what those communities need. A lot of them have been doing the work for a long time now”. Kaupapa There appears to be a lot of common ground in the kaupapa carried by many of our Māori ward candidates into this election, and the kind of intergenerational thinking that is so imperative in our times, is just a part and parcel of that kaupapa. There’s a big emphasis on wellbeing, but far from being just another token catch phrase, there’s a deep-seated understanding of the interconnectedness between the wellbeing of our land, water and that of our people. Aubrey Ria states it as “Oranga wai. Oranga whenua. Oranga tangata”. Ani sums it up as “Papatuanuku”. Jody is passionate about getting tutae out of the Bay, access to drinking water and our potential as a bio-region. Awareness of the far reaching effects of poverty in our region, the challenges of our rural communities, and the impact of decisions made now on their mokopuna were also common themes. “I believe at the time our tipuna made the best decisions with the information they had in front of them. They really did believe that forestry was going to save our people. They didn’t foresee what we face now. That’s what we’ve inherited. It’s all about our mokopuna that haven’t yet been born and the generational trauma we might cause as a result of bad decisions. We’re always trying to project two generations out - what do we want it to look like then?” explained Ani Pahuru-Huriwai. Right now though, getting people to vote is one of the most pressing matters for the candidates I spoke to. For many of our younger voters, the idea of getting something out of the letterbox, opening it and filling out a paper form is an utterly foreign process! Ani has pushed to get ballot boxes in the rural shops and is spending a lot of time talking to whānau about how to vote - don’t tick the boxes, number them! Aubrey agrees “I’ve been asked a lot, ‘Why should people vote for you?’ But I just want people to vote. There’s an amazing smorgasbord of representation available for you to choose from, so do some research, and get in and back the people you have common goals and aspirations with”. We can all do our own little bit to influence how well things go during this next term in Council. I for one am incredibly heartened by the influence that the inclusion of Māori seats around our decision making table is going to have on what has traditionally been an extremely ego-driven and oftentimes, dysfunctional space. After one term at that table, Debbie Gregory agrees, “It’s really important to listen to everyone around the table. To research your subjects before you go, listen and incorporate that into your decision making. That is why it's exciting that we’ll have the Māori ward councillors at the table - it feels very exciting for me, that collective approach”. “We will be bringing our culture to the table,” Jody Toroa explained. “Our tikanga, values, kawa. What is important, what is tika”. And as Ani Pahuru-Huriwai put it, “There are more things that we have in common than we do different. I think it’s going to be amazing. As tangata whenua our job is to look after people. We always have, since the arrival. That’s just who we are”. So let's go Tairāwhiti! Do your research. Read the mail out that’s going to turn up in your letterboxes from the Gisborne Herald this week about the different candidates, and make sure you give your votes to candidates who are committed to working together for better solutions for all of our people and whenua, both now and into the future.

This year felt a little different when it came to the Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival. Yes, it was a significantly shorter and pared back season than previous years, and it arrived for the first time during Matariki, but these aren’t the differences I’m referring to here… It was the fact that, despite the different time of year and the shorter lead in, locals knew exactly what to do. It felt significant, a moment to acknowledge that Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival has well and truly become a part of our cultural landscape, despite the enormous challenges the team have faced to keep the kaupapa tracking, through the chaos that the pandemic has wrought for the majority of the Festival’s relatively short life span. Last month, when Te Ara I Whiti lit up, whānau knew the drill: bundle and boot up, and get down to Te Pūtahi to enjoy a truly unique collection of contemporary Māori design along with the other locally-bred creative offerings that come with the lights. I caught up with Tama Waipara, Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival to reflect on the Festival’s first Matariki season. He described what he says couldn’t have been a more perfect Opening Night, “the light of the sunset just melted into the lights. [The sky] was an incredible pinky orange and as that light came down, the lights of the works came up as whānau began folding in. It was just magical”. Tama agrees that the Festival has become a “norm” for us here. And while it feels like somewhat of a coming of age for our people to be able to attend the kinds of arts and cultural experiences you’d usually only be able to access in the cities, Tama is quick to point out that people in other centres don’t actually get to experience anything remotely like Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival. By its very definition, the Festival is ‘of this place’. It is place-based and comes from the knowledge that we are all culturally located. It is a space that has been claimed for the stories of Te Tairāwhiti to be told through the arts, and with a kaupapa Māori lens, and it is that which makes it different from anything you can currently find elsewhere. This very intentional and utterly unique kaupapa, is also, let’s be honest, the very thing that has created ‘a bit of a rub’ around the place, as there’s a big chunk of our local population - just under half of us - who aren’t at all used to being left out of the narrative. Tama talked about how hard he finds it “to have a simple conversation these days” and ain’t that the truth. The more we learn about our own inbuilt biases, and are able, little by little, to discern the myriad different ways in which the pervasive lens of colonisation and the capitalistic system has skewed our perceptions of everything. Indeed, we realise that we should and can never assume anything. Tama sees visibility as one of the primary issues for Tūranga. “Seeing and knowing how you connect to place is deeply restorative and vital to knowing where we all stand.” It seems to me, Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival is an incredibly powerful vehicle by which we can begin to heal decades of entrenched racism and trauma. For Tauiwi and Pākeha, there are so many opportunities for learning and for nurturing our understanding, for listening. For Māori, a chance to celebrate, to heal and to deepen connection. I’m looking forward to seeing how the Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival continues to evolve. I don’t think I’ve ever talked to Tama about the Festival without him mentioning the way kids interact with the festival spaces, filling them up with the sounds of their enjoyment and their spirit. For our tamariki to be growing up in a time in which there is no longer just the one single-sided narrative, for them to get to witness us, often clumsily and often with hurt, attempting these difficult conversations, for Māori tamariki to have the opportunity to grow up knowing their own stories, after so many years when that was not so, these are the reasons why Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival will always be one of the most important things that happened around here in contemporary times. Kia ora Tama & Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival team Story by Sarah Cleave Image credits Phil Yeo for Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival

It’s the first day of winter when I meet Kauri Forno and her dog Swish at the Women’s Native Tree Project Nursery housed at EIT, and both seemed very pleased with the weather. A warm breeze and gentle sunlight made for ideal working conditions, and more importantly, there had been a huge rain the night before, “perfect for all the plants that have just gone in the ground.” Early winter is prime planting season, an exciting time for Kauri and the volunteers who work with her, as they see the seedlings they’ve tended at the nursery off to find their roots in the community. The kaupapa of the Women’s Native Tree Project is to bring more native trees back to Tairāwhiti, and to remind people of the importance of these species. The nursery is not commercial and all the trees are gifted to community groups and spaces such as schools, marae, and restoration areas. In 2021, the Project donated 6,200 native trees to the community. As a trained teacher, Kauri has also developed educational programs that bring thousands of students through the nursery each year, teaching them how to collect seeds, propagate and pot tiny seedlings, and get the cuttings planted out and protected as they grow. One high school program called Wai Restoration enables students to work with Kauri every Friday for a whole term, seeing the process from seed collection all the way through planting and pest management. “Kids inherently have a sense of caring for Papatūānuku. They get it.” The “it” that kids quickly grasp is the far reaching impact native species have on the entire ecosystem. Kauri explains that while all the environmental challenges we’re facing can be quite overwhelming, one solution is simple: plant native trees. “This is the simplest thing we can all do that connects to everything, like waterways, climate change, biodiversity.” Kauri has long been passionate about natural spaces, “in my heart I really feel a huge drive to awhi Papatūānuku.” Her passion is also fueled by what she sees happening around us, knowing we can do better. “It really bothers me that in summer I can’t swim in any of the rivers because they’re too polluted.” Without natives, soil erodes easily and herbicides and pesticides flow into waterways. But trees act as a buffer between land use and rivers, helping to protect waterways from pollution. Trees also absorb heaps more carbon dioxide than grass, which is critical to combat climate change. “When we had floods or severe weather events, it surprised me that no one started planting natives. Now they’re starting to.” The students thrive on learning practical skills, and that gives Kauri hope. “They’ll go on and work on farms and farmers will love that there is a young person who knows what to do and why to do it.” Kauri observes that iwi also inherently understand the value of natives to honor whakapapa. Hapu are learning to restore the balance of native trees on their ancestral land. And cooperation with Māori landowners has enabled future generations of trees. In one special instance, the Project received permission to go into ancient forest and collect seeds from two-thousand year old Pūriri trees. “Those seeds are taonga. And now they’ve gone to all kinds of places.” The growth and longevity of the Project is impressive and a credit to its impassioned volunteers. Founded in the late 1980’s by Kathie Fletcher and Maree Conaglen, the Women’s Native Tree Project was born out of the desire to create an alternative, welcoming space for women. Until that point, women participating in similar groups did not feel they were being heard. For years the women just kept plants in various backyards, steadily outgrowing each space until 2014 when EIT offered them the space that now houses their nursery and enables them to host student groups. Volunteers gather at the nursery fortnightly for “Weeding Wednesday,” spending a couple hours chatting and weeding before sharing a kai. There are also monthly events tending to the various spaces they manage, like Lovers Lane, Titirangi Maunga, and the Waikanae Stream. Work involves weeding (they don’t use any sprays) and monitoring pests. Kauri warns it might involve killing snails, which she found difficult as an animal lover when she first got started, but some of those introduced pests can undo a day’s work in a single night. The Project also keeps an eye on already-established natives. Anzac Park boasts some big old totara that need ongoing care to control pests and weeds. The District Council has provided some support with traps for pests, but more helping hands would definitely be put to good use! Volunteers - including men! - are welcome at any event. Sometimes kids join in too. Covid dropped volunteer numbers, but they are hopeful they’ll see growth again. “We understand what life is like, and no one is expected to come to everything. Even just once a year is really helpful.” Volunteers speak of the work and the learning that goes with it as “addictive.” Treasurer Jilly Ward says there’s a real reward in providing an example of growing trees in public spaces that aren’t really cared for, like roadsides and riparian areas. “People see those trees and it gives them confidence that they can propagate trees for themselves as well.” Kauri also plans to resume monthly workshops at the nursery, open to anyone who wants to learn more about native trees and growing them. “We’re a voice to remind people to appreciate natives. There’s a native for anything you’d ever want.” Kauri is keen to advise any groups that have a space in mind they want to plant. But she cautions it likely needs to be fenced, to protect against hazards like livestock, lawnmowers, and in the case of schools, flying balls! Some groups come to her with particular species in mind, and some have no idea. But she is happy to chat to determine what trees are right for the space. And that often means long-term thinking, envisioning how big the trees will be in hundreds of years. One big challenge for the group is funding. They are very grateful to EIT for providing the nursery space and Trust Tairāwhiti, which has provided funding which pays for part of Kauri’s nursery management role and the trees they provide. Jilly is their major fundraiser and explains, “funders are effectively buying the trees for the community.” It’s a hard model to sustain without burnout, and they would welcome further support. Sustainability is a goal, but Kauri dreams of a future when their work is no longer necessary. “It could be hundreds of years away, but I hope eventually there will be enough trees that we won’t need to exist.” To get involved or offer support, follow the Women’s Native Tree Project on Facebook and/or join their email list. “We are really keen for people to get in touch. Come and learn from us.” WNTP are looking for another nursery assistant/intern to work with Kauri. 5 hours per week. $21.20 per hour. Would suit high school student interested in native trees, te taiao, conservation. Email kauri_99@yahoo.co.uk if you're interested. Thanks Kauri and team for helping to green our Tairāwhiti! Story by Victoria Williams. Photos by John Flatt.