Simply green

Today I spent the morning at the Kaipatiki Ecological Restoration project. They provide nature restoration services and community education, as well as environmental talks, workshops and corporate projects for the public.

They have organised over 500 volunteers this year, planted over 10 000 trees and have enjoyed more than 5 700 volunteer hours from everyone who has been involved. And this is all organised by a team of 7 part time staff. Impressive!

Being involved in some re-potting today and going for an interesting (albeit rainy!) walk to Tuff Crater got me thinking about "green volunteering". That is, volunteering at conservation organisations and the like. Three things really struck me today.

Firstly, there is a wonderful sense of camaraderie and community spirit amoungst everyone involved. There are no gender barriers, age or cultural differences. Everyone gets stuck in and gets their hands dirty. You often end up chatting to someone you may never have spoken to in everyday life! Today I had fascinating conversations ranging from how to use local plants for medicinal purposes to great walks on the South island and where to go camping over the Christmas holiday period.

Secondly, it is good for the soul to do simple things. Nothing was high tech, no one was dressed to impress and everyone was there to help. Getting your hands dirty is always a great experience - I loved looking at everyone around me and noting the simple joy we were all having together.

Thirdly, it is so simple to just do it! Even if you search on the Internet for local activities (that is how I find out about most of the projects I have been involved with) and contact the organisers, I'm sure you will find something that is close by and suits your interests.

All in all, staying in touch with nature and being involved in keeping our earth simply green satisfies my soul! Thank you Kaipatiki!