Transition Town Point Chevalier
Building a Resilient, Sustainable, and Thriving Community for the Future
Kia ora koutou,
First up, apologies for the two missed emails over the past few weeks. We’re back on track now. Thank you for showing up anyway, to working bees, events, and for each other. A special mihi to the members who kept things ticking along in our absence by hosting sessions themselves. Ngā mihi nui Billy, and to everyone who stepped in and held the kaupapa with care.
Kia ora koutou,
We hope your māra is faring well after the generous dose of rain we’ve had over the past few days. We love summer rain like this. It does so much of the work for us. A gentle reminder to make sure your soil is well covered, either with living plants or mulch, so that precious moisture stays down where it’s needed. Cool, moist soil supports healthy plants and thriving soil life.
Seeing lots of weeds popping up? Chop and drop them.!Rather than fighting them, put them to work protecting the soil surface and feeding what’s happening below ground.
Kia ora koutou,
Ngā mihi o te Tau Hou Pākehā. Happy New Year and welcome back to the māra! We hope you’ve had time to rest, recharge, and enjoy the different rhythm of summer.
We’re right in the heart of peak growing season now and the sun is hot. A huge thank you to our watering roster crew, who have been diligently caring for the māra over the break and making sure our plants had the moisture they needed to thrive. Without you, we wouldn’t be enjoying stunning, crunchy cucumbers and the abundance that summer brings. Ngā mihi nui.
Kia ora koutou,
as 2025 draws to a close, we’ve been taking a moment to stand still among the beds, the trees, and the compost piles, and reflect on what has been an extraordinary year of growth — not just in the soil, but in our people, our kaupapa, and our connections.
This year we expanded our garden and our imagination through the kūmara project, growing an incredible 16 varieties and deepening our understanding of this treasured taonga. We were also humbled to receive funding support from Foundation North and the Starfish Foundation, which helped strengthen our mahi and set us up for the seasons ahead. Huge thanks to with matua Rob Small for leading this kaupapa and generously sharing his mātauranga and to Luke for writing an outstanding funding application.
Kia ora koutou,
A gentle heads up as we head into the festive season. This week is our final week of open volunteer sessions for the year, before we close over summer and return in mid-January.
Tuesday and Thursday sessions are both running as usual this week, and we would really love to see you there. It feels like a good moment to slow down, hang out, share a few laughs, and enjoy each other’s company before our focus turns to holidays, rest, and recharging.
Kia ora koutou,
Next week is our final week of volunteer sessions for the year, so we are really looking forward to seeing you in the māra and catching up before everyone drifts into holiday mode.
If you have not been along for a little while, now is a beautiful time to visit. The summer crops are settling in, the kūmara are stretching into their new beds, and the māra has that warm, full feeling that comes right before Christmas.
Kia ora koutou,
Due to unforeseen circumstances the Growing Point team are not able to run the Thursday session this week. We will be back on deck next week. Tuesday session is going ahead and Di will be hosting it. If you’re free Weds 5.30- 8 you could support the Sanctuary Mahi Whenua by going to Ellens workshop, or donate the givealittle page below.
Kia ora koutou,
Wow, what rain. The heavens certainly opened today. The good news is that our kūmara are absolutely loving it, which gives the watering crew a well-earned sigh of relief.
If you have not been along to the māra for a while, now is a great time to visit and check out the perfectly lined-up puke, each one home to one of our fifteen heritage kūmara varieties. Come have a look now so you can follow their growth over the coming months.
Today we celebrated ten years of Dignan Street Community Garden, and despite the torrential rain it was a beautiful, joy-filled event. At times around thirty people were huddled around the screenprinting table, whipping out prints, chatting, laughing, and grabbing slices of pizza fresh from the oven. The energy was high. The garden was full of friends, both old and new, and it meant so much to have a number of our original members present to mark this milestone.
A heartfelt mihi to Ema, whose ongoing support with the screenprinting setup has transformed what started as a fun one-off idea into a much-loved community activity. We cannot wait to see people rocking their freshly printed Growing Point merch around Tāmaki and beyond.
Thank you to every single person who came out in the rain to celebrate what a decade of soil, care, and community can grow.
Kia ora koutou,
We have checked the forecast and we’re excited to be going ahead with our party tomorrow 11am-2pm! We’re celebrating 10 years of Dignan Street Community Garden and acknowledging those who have contributed to making it happen. We’d love you to join us!
WHAT’S HAPPENING (timings approximate)
11-2 Screenprinting is a go, with a range of new designs, check out a few of them below!
12- 12.20 Community circle ceremony with karakia and a couple of speeches.
12.20 Update on our kūmara project with matua Rob Small.
12.30 PIZZA
Kia ora koutou,
What a magical weekend in the māra. Our kūmara beds are now filled with life, connection, and the wairua of everyone who came to plant.
We look forward to seeing you in a week’s time for our 10 year annoversary party! Screenprinting is a go, with a range of new designs this time, so don’t forget to bring an old shirt or piece of clothing to upcyle and rock some DSCG merch this Summer.
