The team at Te Hōnonga a Iwi Restoring Rosedale Park is excited to announce its next project: building a community food garden.
Restoration coordinator Nicky Shave says that the garden is a natural next step for the group, which has spent the past three years restoring Rosedale Park’s natural habitat to support native species.
“We know times are tough for our community, and access to healthy, fresh food is essential,” says Nicky.
The garden will span 70m by 5.2m on a well-drained, flat site, just a short walk from the North Harbour Hockey Association carpark. Access will be easy, with a concrete path suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
In keeping with the restoration’s sustainability goals, the team will use vertical gardening methods, which not only decarbonise but also incorporate sustainable urban design principles.
“We’re proud to introduce raised garden tables, enabling wheelchair access and allowing volunteers to sit, rather than kneel or bend, while gardening. We’ve even included a raised bed designed for children!” Nicky adds.
Like the restoration planting, the community garden will follow regenerative agriculture practices, using no sprays or commercial fertilisers. The North Harbour Hockey Association is contributing bioorganic compost made on-site from food and green waste.
Work on the garden is set to begin in November, with partial funding from BUPA and NZ Landcare Trust. BUPA’s Junior Landcare programme supports youth mental health and youth taking positive environmental action. Dingle Foundation sponsors will provide construction support for the garden. However, to bring this project to life, additional help from local businesses is needed.
The project is currently seeking donations of cash, materials, or services for:
A $7915 Winter Gardenz glasshouse
A 3m x 2m durable garden shed
32m of H4 150 x 50 wood lengths
Hardware for constructing garden beds
An irrigation system
Building skills for construction day
“We're hoping to attract new partners passionate about sustainability in our area. This is an opportunity to contribute to an award-winning project that can also benefit your business.”
If you’re able to help in any way, please contact Nicky at hello@restoringrosedalepark.org.nz or visit the Donate page and select the ‘Community Food Garden’ option.
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