We offer courses and services to the community to share our knowledge on sustainable living

Funded by the Auckland Council, this 3 hour course is now available to households in the greater Auckland area.

The course offers an introduction to the three basic composting systems which can be used in the home and garden; traditional bins, Bokashi buckets and worm farms. The purpose of this course is to encourage people to minimise their waste; ideally turning it into useful compost to be used in your garden. On completing the course, each household receives a $23 discount voucher to use when purchasing a composting system purchased through the Kaipatiki Project.

Find a course near you and make a booking

There are three ways to book your place on a course:

• Online through the links in the course table
• Phone Kaipatiki Project on (09) 482 1172
• Email admin@kaipatiki.org.nz

Please note: bookings are essential and can be made for up to two people per household. Once you have booked you will receive details on the course location.

Use your compost to make your garden more productive

OK, you’ve completed the course and now that you have rich compost you’ll want to use it in your garden. Not sure how to get started? Our friend Dee Pigneguy can show you how – find out about her organic gardening courses at www.feedmeright.co.nz.

10 years and still going strong

Create Your Own Eden was created within the North Shore City Council around 2001. Since then the programme has been refined and improved. The Kaipatiki Project has taught this programme since its inception. Over time the programme expanded to take in most of Auckland – while other cities around the country are also teaching it. The Kaipatiki Project is currently teaching around 1,000 people each year.

Register now for the Autumn 2012 Series

Sessions are run on Tuesday mornings, 9am -12pm from 14 February until 3 April.

Aimed at up-skilling participants over 8 weeks, these mini-workshops are a great way to gain experience, meet like-minded people and learn at the same time. Courses are run twice a year beginning in February (autumn series) and September (spring series).

Recommended if you want to gain practical, hands-on experience in native plant propagation and / or would like work-experience in a plant nursery.

Sessions take place at the Kaipatiki Project Environment Centre and nearby reserves. They are free and limited to 20 participants a week. Bookings are essential and early enrolment is recommended as these workshops fill up quickly

This course if generously supported by the Birkenhead Licensing Trust.

A hands-on practical course on how to build and look after a hot-compost heap. Over 3 hours you will help build a hot-compost heap that will increase garden fertility using low or no cost waste materials.

Hot-composting aims to decompose your garden and food scraps with minimal loss of nutrients whilst stimulating beneficial micro-organisms. When done right a hot-compost heap naturally builds up temperatures of around 60-70 degrees to kill off parthogens and weed seeds.

What will you learn:

• Types of heap structure
• Ingredients
• Placement
• Turning
• Problems & Monitoring
• Other Composting systems
• How to use the end product

Parents and their young children are invited to these friendly, casual sessions where a different subject is explored each month led by a guest speaker. There are toys and hands-on activities to occupy the children.

Yoga For Preschoolers

Yoga is a wonderful, fun way to develop kids’ body awareness, co-ordination, language and listening skills. (Max. 8 participants)

Allergies & Food Intolerances

Learn what foods to avoid, how to resolve an allergy issue and create a healthier diet.

Mini-Tree Planting with Preschoolers

Come and plant a tree in the reserve with your kids at this action-focussed session.

Local Food Systems and Your Kids

Learn about Ooooby (Out Of Our Own Backyards), the social enterprise building local, accessible food systems in Auckland.

Mini-Tree Planting with Preschoolers

Share the joys of growing an urban forest with your kids in this hands-on session.

Seed Saving with Kids

Seeds are the building-blocks of life, much of the seed-saving that goes on today is done by home-gardeners, and their children!

Getting your family into Composting

Learn which composting system is right for your family and how to get it started. Lots of hands-on fun with worms and dirt!

Kaipatiki Project is delighted to be launching ‘Nana-Technologies’; four evenings of good, old-fashioned cooking demonstrations spiced up with some wine and laughter.

Being well versed in ‘Nana-Technology’ means always being able to provide for your family’s nutritional needs … just like your very own Nana did back in her day.

Dee Pigneguy, (cook, author and gardener) will be showing us how in these classes taking place at her Manuka Road home in Glenfield

Keeping Chickens For Beginners

Always wanted your own chickens (and their yummy eggs of course)? Here’s all you need to know about starting to raise chickens in an urban environment.

Bread-making Made Easy

Bask in the warm glow you’ll get when you know how to bake delicious bread at home.

Like this?

Visit Dee’s website Feed Me Right for more of what she has to offer.

Free 8 week training programme 28 May – 3 September Run jointly between Kaipatiki Project and Okahu Rakau, Ngati Whatua’s bush care and nursery at Orakei Marae, this training programme will give hands-on experience to those wishing to be a planting co-ordinator as a paid job, volunteer or to kick-start their own local planting project.

Eight community planting days are involved – participants must attend all eight to get the most from this rewarding programme. Register by 20 May – more details

Kaipatiki Project offers these popular learning leisure walks on behalf of Discovery Walks and its experienced guide, Margi Keys.

On each walk Margi will help participants identify common NZ native trees, plants, flowers and pest plants whilst taking in the beauty of some of the North Shore’s most popular reserves. Groups are small, social and friendly, and bring together people who want to explore these reserves in confidence, at a leisurely pace, in good company. Walks take place rain or shine – bring sturdy footwear, a raincoat and a water bottle.

Kaipatiki Project, together with gardening expert Dee Pigneguy, is pleased to introduce a new series of edible gardening courses that teach, hands-on, how to start growing delicious organic winter veges in your own garden from scratch.

5 week course, the following topics will be taught:

1. Starting
Building the garden from the ground up – An introduction to Sheet Mulching (No Dig), a practical workshop that will result in a new garden being established. Includes planning your garden, choosing the site and resources you will need.

2. Maintaining
Establishing & maintaining the winter garden – Introduction to suitable crops for cool seasons. Choosing and planting seedlings for the cooler winter months, including the herbs and weeds that supply nutrients and increase soil fertility.

3. The Soil
Growing your own soil – Why soil is important. Introduction to the beneficial microbes of the soil food web and how they transform into plant food. Homemade organic fertilizers.

4. Vegetables
Growing healthy vegetables – Seasonal selections, intercropping and crop rotations to prevent pest and disease problems. How can I tell if it’s time to harvest?

5. Seeds
Seed-sowing made easy – Collecting your own seeds, saving seeds and seed sowing, using cold frames and cloches to extend the growing season.

We share our expertise and resources with early childhood and school groups from around the region.

We specialise in active learning experiences that can be delivered at your early childhood centre or school, or at our base in Birkdale, North Shore.

At Kaipatiki Project we have our own dedicated education centre, teaching gardens and native plant nursery, located beside Eskdale Scenic Reserve network.

Our services can support your ‘education for sustainability’ programmes. All topics are compatible with science curriculum objectives.

Information for staff – For years 0 to 8 download a copy of our education brochure.

Home-schooled children are welcome to get together and visit as a group (minimum 12 pupils).

Preparing for a day in the wild.

Students interested in a career in conservation can gain practical experience and NCEA Credits while learning how to control one of New Zealand’s most damaging pest species.

Many students interested in conservation are unable to study conservation related subjects while at school because:

• Very few schools have teachers with the necessary skills and experience to offer practical conservation courses
• Very few schools are accredited to assess practical conservation standards

The Kaipatiki Project will supply relevant workshops, learning materials and accredited assessors to enable schools to offer entry-level conservation courses.

For Students – Are you interested in a career in conservation and working for the environment? The Possum Project offers you the opportunity to:

• Learn how you can help reduce the damage done by possums to the environment
• Earn NCEA Credits in subjects related to Conservation and Sustainability
• Experience conservation work in the outdoors
• Earn money by harvesting a renewable resource (possum fur)
• Meet industry representatives that may help with your career in conservation or fur recovery

For Teachers – The Kaipatiki Possum Project will coordinate learning and assessment workshops.

• Give your students the opportunity to have a taste of a career in Conservation and Sustainability
• Offer courses that engage students
• Take the hassle out of assessments
• Use industry developed learning materials
• Use moderated and accredited assessments
• Coordinate with your schools Gateway Programme

For Gateway Coordinators – The course offered by the Kaipatiki Possum Project meets all the requirements outlined by the Gateway Programme. We are targeting students interested in a career in conservation.

The Programme can be offered as part of an existing course in Biology, Social Studies, Outdoor Education and Education for Sustainability or to individuals keen to pick up skills and experience in field conservation.