Permaculturist meets philosopher

Restoration writer Lucy Henshaw meets the newest expert helping out at Te Hōnonga a Iwi.

Ben Zhang is a new member of Te Hōnonga a Iwi, bringing his expertise in permaculture to the working bees and his very own innovative project, a seed library.

Ben was drawn to Te Hōnonga a Iwi because of the strong community and youth involvement. He is passionate about making environmental action accessible for everyone, and enjoys projects that involve a “community-led, do the mahi approach”.

Connection is also important for Ben. He saw the way Te Hōnonga a Iwi connects local businesses, early childhood centres, and kids and families through “practical Kaitiakitanga”. An approach of giving back, and caring for the land through “hands in the soil, learning together, and looking after the places we share.”

Right from the get go, Ben’s collaboration with Te Hōnonga a Iwi has been a smooth and easy process, where “everyone has been welcoming and supportive”, and we have all enjoyed working with Ben. His knowledge has been essential, and we are lucky to have him share it with us.

Ben brings with him expertise in the permaculture approach, describing himself as a permaculturalist and philosopher.

Ben explains permaculture as a design approach which “meets humans needs while regenerating the land” working in a closed loop system to produce no waste. Rather than just being a set of techniques, it is a “complete framework for how humans can live in harmony with nature”.

Its core principles are “care for Earth, care for people, and fair share”. It is not just about what humans can get from the land, but focuses on the relationships between humans and nature and a philosophy of giving back to the land as well.

His experience with permaculture has come after years of practicing horticulture in Tāmaki Makaurau where he had firsthand experience seeing how important green spaces are for communities. Commenting that “resilient, thoughtfully designed gardens can heal landscapes and communities.”

This consideration and thoughtfulness shines through in Bens latest project, developing a seed library for Te Hōnonga a Iwi.

Similar to the concept of a community book library where you are encouraged to take a book and leave a book, the seed library will be a place for the community to store and swap seeds. The library will receive seeds from local contributors in the community such as families, youth, and volunteers. It will be a place to share knowledge and encourage biodiversity, support climate action, and build a self-reliant and resilient community through growing food.

The seed library is the perfect project for a permaculturist approach, where for Ben, the focus is on social permaculture. The project is different from environmental restoration and is rather about “serving the community and encouraging food growing”, with the seeds being mostly edible plants and fruit trees that can be planted in home gardens.  

For Ben, the core values of the seed library project are resilience, education, and community. He sees it as a space for “marginalised and vulnerable groups to enter the local social fabric”, where support systems can be fostered and develop a strong, interconnected community.

Education is also important, as being a student and family-led programme, Ben wants to share important knowledge about seed saving, seasonal growing, and how to successfully grow plants. He hopes that by understanding the relationship between natures and humans this will “inspire thinking and philosophy for addressing climate change” through a permaculture approach of interconnection. Through this shared knowledge, we can build resilience in communities through sharing and growing food.