Nelson Tasman Climate Forum

Introduction to Worm Farming
2024-06-01 10:00 - 11:00 (Pacific/Auckland) | Waimarama Organic Community Garden, Tantragee Road, The Brook, Nelson, New Zealand
Join us for an immersive experience at the Worm Farm Workshop organised by Nelson Community Compost.
Hands on learning experience covering worm health and vitality, starting your own worm farm, feeding your worms, growing the worm population, and how to use the products of worm castings and to fertilise your own garden. Some worms will be available to purchase at the workshop. Proudly hosted by community compost, a community passionate about sustainable living, compost, and building beautiful soil.
Community Composts mission is to divert food waste from landfill, thereby reducing methane emissions, improve soil health, and promote a more sustainable interaction with our environment. The worm farms that will be used for the event follow this kopapa and help reduce food waste, while building the soil and eliminating the use of agricultural fertilizers. The demonstration aims to empower people to have their own worm farm.
More information about the “Worm project” of the Community compost Whakatū/Nelson club here: Compost Collections Nelson — Community Compost
More info about the “power of Vermiculture” to regenerate our planet here: Vermiculture | Project Regeneration
No registration required, but If you’d like to take this opportunity to buy some worms, you can pre-purchase them here.

This event is part of Climate Action Festival. See the full program here.

Nelson Compost Club working bees - The Brook
2024-06-01 10:00 - 12:00 | Waimarama Organic Community Garden, Tantragee Road, The Brook, Nelson, New Zealand
Join the community compost during Climate Action Festival and, if you want, every Saturday morning. Indeed, it is a ongoing working session, which takes place throughout the year.
No prior registration required. The compost club is located at the Waimarama Community Gardens (Tantragree Rd, The Brook). if you’ve got any question, please email info@communitycompost.co.nz, or connect via the ‘Compost Club Facebook page‘

Please bring appropriate shoes and gardening clothes suitable for the weather, gloves, and your smile 🙂
There’s shared kai, contributed by both the community garden (which attendees maintain also during the workshops), and by what people bring on site as well.
Learn more about the Community Compost Whakatu Nelson on their website and grab a quick idea of the Compost Club with this video:

Learn more about how “composting” can regenerate our planet here: Compost I Project Regeneration

This event is part of Climate Action Festival. See the full program here.

Empowering Soil 1.0 - Takaka - CANCELLED
2024-06-01 10:00 - 16:00 | Sustainable Living Center, 24 Waitapu Road, Takaka, New Zealand
Empowering Soil 1.0 will equip participants with simple tools and strategies to care for and regenerate soil to bring abundance to your garden.
Elliot Cleland will demonstrate natural farming techniques for making your own mineral and biological inputs and then try out some different planting strategies to accelerate the improvement of soil health.
This workshop is cancelled in Takaka, but is organised in Nelson on the 2nd of June.

This event is part of Climate Action Festival. See the full program here.

Let's Reconnect to Nature through a Forest bathing experience
2024-06-01 13:00 - 15:00 | 43 Highview Drive, Tahunanui
Experience the therapeutic and uplifting effects of time in a forest. We’ll walk-about. Sit. Listen. Taste. Touch. Share. All this in the peaceful natural area of upper Maire Stream (43 Highview Drive, Wakatu, Nelson 7011). Led by Maire Stream Guardian Anne Dickinson.
Research from the Japanese way of forest bathing, known as Shinrin-yoko, shows significant effects on individual health, relaxation, and well-being. We’ll spend time together taking in the natural surroundings and exploring our connection to nature through writing, breathing meditation, and perhaps even singing a song together.
This event is free and any koha donations will go to the restoration of the Marie Stream. Register your name and email address here in case of a weather cancellation. Please wear sturdy footwear and bring a small blanket or towel, a notebook/paper and something to write with, and water to drink.
Learn more about the “Nature connections benefits” to regenerate our Planet here: Nature Connection | Project Regeneration and Forest bathing here.
Learn more about the Maire Stream project here: https://www.facebook.com/mairestreamnurturers

This event is part of Climate Action Festival. See the full program here.

Systems and Change - Interactive workshop with Peter Lawless
2024-06-02 10:00 - 15:00 | Greenmeadows community centre, Cnr Main Road and Songer Street, Stoke, Nelson, 7011, New Zealand
This interactive workshop will guide and empower us to make system change in the comple issues we face eg transport, inequality, democracy, resilient communities.
Systems and Change will explore the relationship of the individual to the system and how to create collaborative and collegial relationships. It will provide a tool kit to undertake systemic diagnosis, intervention design and change planning.
This workshop will be led by Peter Lawless, from Phoenix Facilitation. Based in Nelson, Peter has a wide professional practice that focuses primarily on facilitating community processes engaged in developing strategies to deal with the future. Peter is the independent facilitator for the ongoing processes of the Nelson Biodiversity Strategy, the Kaikoura Coastal Guardians, and the Marlborough Marine Futures.
Free event, but registrations are required here, as places are limited.
A vegetarian lunch will be provided. If you have any additional dietary requirements (e.g. vegan, gluten-free, nut allergy) please email Christina at volunteer@ntcf.nz.

This event is part of Climate Action Festival. See the full program here.

Empowering Soil 1.0 - Nelson
2024-06-02 10:00 - 16:00 | Waimarama Organic Community Garden, Tantragee Road, The Brook, Nelson, New Zealand
Empowering Soil 1.0 will equip participants with simple tools and strategies to care for and regenerate soil to bring abundance to your garden.
Elliot Cleland will demonstrate natural farming techniques for making your own mineral and biological inputs and then try out some different planting strategies to accelerate the improvement of soil health.
Registrations details HERE.
Particular attention has been paid to making the events organised during the Festival financially accessible to as many people as possible. If, however, the price of one or more of these events is an obstacle to your participation, please reach out at info@ntcf.nz and we’ll do our best to find a solution.

This event is part of Climate Action Festival. See the full program here.

Waimarama Community Gardens Crop Swap
2024-06-02 11:30 - 12:30 | Waimarama Organic Community Garden, Tantragee Road, The Brook, Nelson, New Zealand
Bring surplus crops and produce to share/swap 🙂
This event is subject to weather conditions. So please call Sally (number below) if the weather looks uncertain.

Planting working bee with Battle for the Banded Rail
2024-06-09 09:00 - 13:00 | Stringer Reserve
Battle for the Banded Rail’s has a planting morning this Sunday 9th June from 9am – 1pm at Stringer Reserve.
Stringer Reserve is 1.3km up Stringer Road off the Coastal Highway (inland from the estuary). Please park carefully on the roadside.

Bring gloves, a spade if you have one and drinking water. Wear solid footwear and clothes suitable for the weather conditions. Morning tea will be provided and all volunteers are welcome.

If the weather is not good, we will cancel by 8am on the day (phone the organiser in case of doubt). However, if it’s just doubtful or light rain we will go ahead.

The next community planting after this one is Sunday 16th June at Higgs Reserve, Mapua.

Motueka Repair Cafe
2024-06-15 10:00 - 13:00 | Motueka Library, 32 Wallace street, Motueka, 7120
Save the date, and come along to the second Motueka Repair Cafe, at 10am at the Motueka Library (Te Noninga Kumu), and have a cuppa while you learn how to repair your stuff.
We’ve assembled a team to deal with repairs to clothes, cushions, kitchen appliances, small furnishings, toys and to sharpen knives.
To stay updated about the latest news (and repairs), follow the Motueka Repair Cafe on Facebook.
See you there!

Touching the Earth – June Solstice Retreat
2024-06-16 - 2024-06-23
Touching the Earth – 16th-23rd June Solstice Retreat
All the mytho-poets say the same thing – we must leave the village, enter the forest and return with the gift.
Touching the Earth is a guided journey into human wholeness inspired by the work of Bill Plotkin and Joanna Macy. This is a nature-based retreat to support the journey of soul initiation, inspiration and encouragement to find the unique offering that is yours to make, a retreat to find, feel and fuel our belonging, confidence, resilience and creativity.
We will explore together through Open Floor movement inquiries, yoga, non-dual meditations, guided nature reflections, group singing and dreamwork. We will aspire to bring together our bodies, hearts and minds with instincts for wisdom in service to the Great Turning away from an Industrial Growth society towards a Life Sustaining one.
More information on this page: Touching the Earth – June Solstice Retreat – The Wangapeka Study and Meditation Retreat Centre

Energy, transport and climate: discussions we're not having - Talk by Lindsay Wood
2024-06-18 18:00 - 19:30 | Greenmeadows community centre, Cnr Main Road and Songer Street, Stoke, Nelson, 7011, New Zealand
Energy, transport and climate: discussions we’re not having’, will be joining the dots between deep ocean circulation and Nelson traffic and the nonsense of trying to build our way out of congestion.
Lindsay Wood runs climate strategy company Resilienz Ltd. and “specialises in being a generalist” as he engages with climate initiatives across a wide spectrum.
Recent projects have included carbon calculators for construction and for vehicles; development of regional carbon reduction targets; fact checking claims on low carbon concrete; and research with BRANZ into carbon assessment tools.
Lindsay also regularly writes and broadcasts on climate, and received a 2024 New Year Honour for services to environmental sustainability and climate change awareness.

Rythm of the Earth - A Solstice Celebration
2024-06-20 17:30 - 19:30 | the Boathouse
This will be a rythm-filled evening with Waiata, tap dance, West African percussion with dancers, spoken poetry, African harp, games and more. Special for kids – a 15-minute guided Percussion Experience.
Event is free, but please register here: Rhythm of the Earth, a Solstice Celebration – Nelson – Eventfinda

Take the Jump Ambassador Training
2024-06-21 19:30 - 2024-09-18 21:00 | zoom
Are you concerned about climate change, but not sure how you can help to make a difference? Do you want to play a positive, active role in climate change solutions?
Get to know more about the how the global Take the Jump movement is developing in Aotearoa and help to spread the word across the motu by signing up to our free Ambassador training course.
The course consists of five x one hour and 15 minute sessions, and will take place over Zoom every Wednesday evening at 7.30pm, from August 21st until September 18th. The course will give you all the tools you need to communicate about making sustainable changes, and Taking the Jump, in a way that will avoid conflict, inspire people, and lead to positive outcomes. The course includes an array of learning materials and plenty of chances to practice communicating.
The sessions will cover:

Connecting with others – Exploring the barriers to making a change
Change through inspiration – Exciting others about what’s possible
Communication Toolkit – Principles and steps for communicating, plus practice sessions.
Deepening – Recaps, practice and FAQ’s
Becoming an Ambassador: groups, workshops, resources – and next steps in Aotearoa

Please register here.
Email team.ttj@ntcf.nz if you want to drop us a message or if you have any questions about this training.

WEBINAR - CLIMATE CHECK 2024: Recent Trends and Projections, and What We Need To Do, with Jim Salinger
2024-07-10 19:00 - 20:30 | zoom
This is an opportunity to take the pulse of climate scientists around New Zealand. Hear one of the country’s top presenters on climate change, Dr Jim Salinger, Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year, give an up-to-the-minute picture of what a climate scientist sees when they look at the world and projects into the future.

This webinar will be an opportunity to catch up on the changing trajectories of heating projections, the observations of the cryosphere (ice regions) and the ominous findings about the polar overturning currents.

The Webinar will be on Zoom and is free. Please register here to participate: Register for the webinar

Mohua Repair Cafe
2024-07-14 14:00 - 17:00 | Mohua Social services community hall, 88 Commercial Street, Takaka, 7142

Motueka Repair Cafe
2024-07-20 10:00 - 13:00, 2024-08-17 10:00 - 13:00, 2024-09-21 10:00 - 13:00 | Motueka Library, 32 Wallace street, Motueka, 7120

Webinar - Workplace Solutions To The Climate Challenge
2024-07-25 12:30 - 13:30 | zoom
Join us for this webinar, where Des Casey will share insights from his new book “Nature’s Future Our Future“.
People from a broad variety of occupations, including teaching, healthcare, office work and sports, can impact our natural environment through their day-to-day work.
“Nature faces a crossroads. What will we, ourselves a part of nature, do? Opportunities still exist to activate and mobilise qualities of creativity, generosity, courage and wisdom. Hope and change reside in these attributes of the human spirit.

Several central premises are maintained throughout the book. They include a bringing together of our occupational lives – what we do at work – and nature’s needs. Closing this gap will be pivotal for nature’s future and for our own. Political, economic and commercial life is critiqued; society’s belief systems and priorities are challenged. A very different consciousness of what drives environmental deterioration is paramount. So too is strong and focused leadership. Practical essays review a selection of specific occupations as examples of the book’s central themes“.
Part of the discussion will allow us to reflect on the following points:

EDUCATION is not to be confused with knowing. The environmental crisis can be understood as being a disorder in the minds of the dominant species – not simply a problem ‘out there’. Instead of nature being viewed as outside the fields of education, it must become the initial stage and lectern for all learning
What if ACCOUNTANCY took into account that nature too has an economy – of gains and losses, ledgers, limits and aspirations? What if accountancy was not organised and fixed around neo-liberal economics, but around the systems and ecological realities of nature?
Might the TRADES and UNIONS become forces exposing the criminality that drives environmental decline as they strive to do with the widening margins between rich and poor.
Regenerative FARMING is being talked about and sometimes adopted in some quarters, but many more resist. If ever there is an occupation that might lead in the care of land, water and climate it is farmers. They walk the land. Time to break from a historical tendency to presume privilege. Support, yes; exemption, no.
Environmentally, the LEGAL PROFESSION is split down the middle – those who defend the enironment and those who defend policy and economics set on destroying it. How will the profession unify and respond if/when climate, extinctions, poisoning of waterways and oceans head closer to collapse?.

Please register following this link here.

Takeaways from the Environmental Defence Society Conference
2024-08-09 12:30 - 13:30 | Online
Nature and Climate Group convener Fiona Ede will present a Nelson-Tasman perspective of this year’s high-profile EDS Conference, held in Christchurch in June.

The recent Environmental Defence Society conference, “The Future is Now” brought together resource managers, conservationists, politicians, rangitahi, iwi, researchers, policy makers and others, to address the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. Sessions focused on freshwater reforms and changes in biodiversity management, renewable energy, agriculture, fisheries, marine ecosystems, conservation and nature-based solutions.

Presenters ranged from deep-sea trawling practitioners to iwi using mātauranga Māori to manage their land, and the Ministers of Conservation, Climate Change and Regional Development.

Solutions focused on place-based approaches that are small-scale in nature, rather than large-scale, systemic change/programmes, which are hampered by lack of resources and lack of data to drive change.

To take part in the feedback on this Conference, join this zoom link at 12.30pm on Friday: Takeaways from the EDS Conference

Nelson Repair Cafe
2024-08-18 13:00 - 15:30, 2024-09-22 13:00 - 15:30 | Elma Turner Library, 27 Halifax Street, Nelson, New Zealand
A monthly event helping you to repair your household items, save resources and build community – brought to you by the Nelson Tasman Climate Forum..
Come and visit us in the Buzz Room, behind Restore.
You will be able to bring items for smaller repairs – examples include:– Electrical items (no large appliances)– Clothing and textiles– Small furniture– Household items– Bicycles– Toys
One item will be accepted per household, although if it’s not too busy, additional items may be repaired.– It will be at the discretion of the Repair Café and the volunteers as to whether an item is suitable for repair.– We encourage you to observe and engage so that you can pick up new skills too.– No charge but koha appreciated.
To stay updated about the latest news (and repairs), follow the Nelson Repair Cafe on Facebook.
Run with the support of the Nelson City Council and the Rethink Waste initiative.

Messages from the Matriarchs
2024-08-22 17:30 - 19:00 | the Boathouse

Insights from Psychology for Climate Change Communications
2024-08-28 08:00 - 09:30 | Online
International Climate and Resilience webinar series
Speaker: Wändi Bruine de Bruin, University of Southern California
Abstract: Climate change poses a serious threat to people around the world. Organizations such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are tasked with communicating about climate change with international audiences of policy makers and members of the general public. These communications can be complex and, in the words of one of our research participants, “talk over people’s heads.” In this presentation, I will discuss my ongoing work with various organizations on understanding and informing public perceptions of climate change, and making climate change communications more accessible.
Bio: Wändi Bruine de Bruin is Provost Professor of Public Policy, Psychology, and Behavioral Science at the University of Southern California (USC), where she serves as the director of the USC Schaeffer Behavioral Science & Policy initiative. Her research aims to understand and inform how people make decisions about their personal health, their carbon footprint, and their household finances. She has published more than 150 peer-reviewed publications on these topics. She is an editorial board member for the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, Perspectives on Psychological Science, the Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, Decision, Medical Decision Making, the Journal of Risk Research, and Psychology & Aging. She previously served on expert panels for the National Academy of Sciences on Communicating Science Effectively and for the Council of the Canadian Academies on Health Product Risk Communication.
Join on Zoom using this link: Webinar

Nelson Seed Library SPRING event
2024-08-28 12:30 - 15:00 | Elma Turner Library, 27 Halifax Street, Nelson, New Zealand
Celebrating the return our our new seed stock.
Vegetables, flowers, fruits, herbs and even some shrubs & trees. Come and check out what experienced and beginner gardeners have achieved in 2023-24.
There will be a short introduction to The Nelson Seed Library and the basics of growing plants from seed to save seed.
More info HERE.

Ethical Investing for Collective Wellbeing - connecting money & values
2024-08-28 18:00 - 20:00 | Mahitahi Colab
Pathfinder invite you to an evening of empowerment and learning, in collaboration with Blue Moth.
Connecting through a shared passion for a world where humanity is in deeper balance with nature, we bring you an evening of kōrero to explore how our financial decisions impact people, planet & animals.
Finance as a Force For Good: KiwiSaver 101 & Ethical Investing workshop to discover how to maximise your wealth, ethically.
Join us for a workshop on the power of financial karma, where you’ll discover how to connect your money with your morals to enhance your wealth, ethically. We believe you can grow personal wealth and collective wellbeing, deepening happiness in your home and the wider community – by applying ethical principles (and a sound investing approach) to your KiwiSaver investments and beyond. Pathfinder is where good, returns.
We’ll dive into what ‘ethical investing’ actually means (no, it’s not an oxymoron), finding transparency in the financial world, how to make the most of your KiwiSaver, connecting your dollars to your values & tips on deepening your financial literacy.
Kai & drinks provided + a digital care package ‘Stay Curious’ to continue your money wellness & ethical investing journey when you get home.
Arrival from 6pm, presentation/workshop at 6.30pm (1hr + Q&A). Time for connection and kōrero before & after.
You’ll explore:

how ethical investing actually works?
your own values and how they relate to investing
exactly what your KiwiSaver plan is currently invested in (fossil fuels, human rights violations, animal testing, environmental & social harm, oh my).
how and where to find transparency with your investments
how to become an active KiwiSaver investor and the ability to harness your savings to get the retirement you desire.
how to pick a fund type that gets you to your goals sooner/in better shape
resources to continue deepening financial wellbeing in a values-driven way

And, Lucy from Blue Moth will be touching on the importance of ethical spending, shopping local and how Take The Jump can help simplify the actions we need to take to reduce our impact on the warming climate.
We want you to leave this workshop excited about making (and spending) money, ethically. And we’ll teach you the tools to achieve this.
Mauri Noho / Conscious Living inspires us to live in peace and harmony with ourselves, our environment and others, inviting us to settle (noho) and be mindful to tread lightly and leave a positive impact on the places we inhabit (mauri)
(*please note this will be educational not financial advice)
Please grab a FREE ticket HERE to secure your spot – we have limited capacity for this event.

Horticultural waste composting workshop
2024-08-29 08:30 - 13:00
This event is open to everyone, not just horticultural people. But more appropriate for people interested in large scale composting or wanting to learn about it.
The speaker is David Hardwick from Soil Land Food | shaping change in Australias rural landscapes, farming and food systems

Mohua/Golden Bay Repair Cafe
2024-09-15 13:00 - 16:00 | Sustainable Living Center, 24 Waitapu Road, Takaka, New Zealand

WEBINAR - The Law CAN Help Us Rein in Big Climate Offenders. Here's How.
2024-09-26 19:30 - 21:00 | zoom
A webinar with Jessica Palairet, Lawyers for Climate Action NZ Inc.

We will be joined by Lawyers for Climate Action’s Executive Director, Jessica Palairet, to discuss the state of play for New Zealand’s climate response and legal mechanisms for increasing action in Aotearoa New Zealand. She will also share insights into Lawyers for Climate Action’s work to date, including some of their success stories in using the law to make a meaningful difference to New Zealand’s climate policy response.

Lawyers for Climate Action New Zealand is a registered charity with over 350 members that uses the law to enable more effective action on the climate crisis. The law is one of the most powerful levers in addressing climate change. Through strategic litigation, legal advocacy, and matching pro bono lawyers to climate community action, we work to increase the accountability and ambition of our decision-makers, and ultimately drive systemic change.
The webinar is free, but registration is required HERE.

Step Out Festival
2024-10-01 08:00 - 2024-10-30 17:00
Join this annual month-long festival of active events that takes place throughout October in the Tasman District.
These activities are put together by groups, clubs and individuals all over the region and promote an active lifestyle and healthy wellbeing.
See the full program here, or follow the Facebook page here.
