Ka pai Carterton Soup project crowdfunding event
“The world is a vast family, and humans are children of the earth and sky, and cousins to all living things. Such unity means that nature is the ultimate teacher about life”
For Māori, the term kaitiakitanga (pronounced, kye-tee-ah-key-tar-ngah) is often used to refer to the active guardianship and management of natural organisms and their environments. Mātauranga Māori or Māori knowledge positions humans within nature and focuses on ways in which cultural understandings and inter-generational connections between people and their biophysical contexts assist in the retention and protection of biodiversity and ecologically sustainable ecosystems. The word conveys more than sustainability it describes humans as part of the living ecosystem and the health of the soil and forest integral to all living things wellbeing and health.
Ego-system versus ecosystem the Maori world view places humans within nature not above it
We were invited to present our ideas for the centre for Kaitiakitanga at the community crowdfunding event held by ka pai Carterton last month. This event promotes community-based development through crowdfunding, creativity, collaboration, democracy and fun KA PAI SOUP is a social event that aims to make community initiatives and cool wee projects happen quickly in Carterton. Up to six people pitch their ideas on the night to vie for the ‘pot’ of cash up for grabs. For their ticket price of $10 (which goes directly into the 'pot'), attendees get to listen in, receive delicious (hopefully!) soup, bread and a vote for their favourite idea. At the end of the night, the idea with the most votes goes home with the pot of money to carry out their project or a discrete part of it. We ask that the winner share their story of how they made use of the money too by attending a future event or through a Facebook page. SOUP is a fun, interesting event where people get excited about ideas and projects.
Te Kura O Papatūānuku Wairarapa Earth School Charitable Trust has a big idea to develop a centre for Kaitiakitanga, a building that teaches and inspires the community to take informed action towards a sustainable future. A place for community collaboration and lifelong learning about science and sustainability. Kaitiakitanga describes not only guardianship and sustainable use of our environment and its resources, but the Maori world view that people are part of the environment – not superior to it. The health and wellbeing of the community and the environment are intricately related.
Our project idea has been boiling away for approx. three and a half years … In 2017 we challenged students from three wairarapa schools (south end, kuranui and makoura) to rise to the challenge to research new technologies, plan and design a science learning hub and sustainable farming enterprise on south end school’s empty field. Samson Dell a Kuranui College student in 2017 worked with local architect mentors and with 40 6-12 year old clients to develop a building design that included the students ideas for a sustainable building that teaches and inspires STEAMM (Science, Technology, Art, Maths and Mātauranga Māori) learning.
The building itself will be an example of cutting edge sustainable building design and techniques that combine natural and traditional building techniques with modern technologies for insulation and climate control. The building aims to be a showcase of what is possible in sustainable and low impact building that can perform and sit well within its environment. Students visited building projects and buildings using materials such as structurally insulated panels, straw bales, rammed earth and round wood to explore the possibilities of sustainable buildings within the region. Students loved the multilevel aspect of Ester’s strawbale house and the concept of a living green roof.
The students decided on multi-use laboratory spaces:
A workshop: for mending and building bicycles, woodwork and metal work
A robotics lab: for physics, electronics, computers, recycling plastics and 3D printing
A craft and art studio: for sewing, weaving, knitting, felting, drawing and painting
Community Space: houses the koha cafe, food coop, play space and community events space
Kitchen Lab: large teaching kitchen for processing and preparing food, edible education. Three workstations, with ovens, hobs, sinks and sharing tables for 8/10 students per station a total of 30 students.
Entrance/boot room storage and toilets, disabled access stairs and lift etc.
Why Now and why Carterton? Carterton is the obvious choice for a Wairarapa wide community science hub it is central to the region and well connected. The centre for kaitiakitanga meets a number of the aspirations from the Ka Pai community plan such as an art and recreational space committed to environmental sustainability and supporting intergenerational skillsharing, collaborative food coops and family friendly events. The site is adjacent to plans for a community cycle path and advocates these green corridors that connect our community through cycling and walking paths.
Te Kura O Papatūānuku Wairarapa Earth School Charitable Trust is inspired by projects such as the CommonUnity Project Aotearoa which is based in Epuni, Lower Hutt and has successfully implemented school and urban market gardens, school lunches and initiatives such as “eat my lunch” to generate funding. The other project that inspires our mahi is the Edible Schoolyard project in Berkley California, this project teaches edible education. An Edible Education places the child at the center of their learning and uses food to engage all aspects of the child’s education. Through growing, processing, cooking, eating, studying, talking, and thinking about food, students develop skills, knowledge, and behaviors that enrich their academic and nonacademic lives, bolster their growth as individuals and in relationships, and cultivate meaningful engagement with their own health, the health of their communities, and the health of the planet. At the heart of an Edible Education is a just and joyful learning experience for every child.
our inspiration …
After winning the pot at the Ka pai soup event we have established a Centre for Kaitiakitanga working group who will write a business plan for the building and move towards applying for funding to build the project.