Healing Through Whenua - April Newsletter 2025
Kia Ora,
He rongoā kei te whenua, he oranga kei te wairua — there is healing in the land, there is wellbeing in the spirit.
As we walk the path of regeneration, often we may find that the answers we seek are often already held within the whenua, within our past and whakapapa, and within the ancient wisdom carried by our tīpuna / ancestors.
This month, we begin by acknowledging the powerful mahi of Tū Wairua, who have released a groundbreaking white paper exploring the integration of rongoā Māori and psychedelic-assisted therapy to support healing from methamphetamine addiction in Māori communities.
It’s a bold, courageous kaupapa — one that invites us to imagine a future where indigenous knowledge and modern science walk side by side.
In this spirit of reconnection and renewal, we share a collection of updates from our wider ecosystem, all working toward restoring balance in people, place, and planet.
Ngā mihi aroha,
— Biome Trust
Read the Tū Wairua white paper examining how rongoā Māori and psychedelic-assisted therapy can be woven together to support hauora for Māori impacted by methamphetamine addiction. More
The Tū Wairua team at Rangiwaho Marae, Tairāwhiti / Gisborne, with support from an inter-disciplinary team of researchers and practitioners.
Sunflowers at Ruamāhanga Farm, Wairarapa
Giftee Updates
Ruamāhanga Farm recently opened up their farm to local Wairarapa public to walk the wetland waterways, pick sunflowers and learn about soil cover cropping. More
Kōanga Institute recently hosted the The Taste of Regeneration: How Nature Grows Flavour and Health - a powerful webinar conversation featuring Dan Kittredge, Kay Baxter, and Amber Rose. More
Learning Environment recently hosted the Ngā Tipu ā Nuku Harvest Festival, a community celebration of Autumn abundance. More
Happen Films revisits past film Living the Change: Inspiring Stories for a Sustainable Future, available to watch free online. More
Mangaroa Farms recently harvested hundreds of pumpkins, onions and more, which are now available at the Farm Shop / Kete Kai. More
Kelmarna Gardens announced a new Organic Gardening Basics workshop series, helping reconnect people to the fundamentals of growing their own kai. More
Ma Earth is excited to introduce Learning Lab—an online community dedicated to sharing tools, technologies, and narratives in service of planetary health and regeneration. More
Organics Aotearoa NZ (OANZ) highlights New Zealand Food Safety’s proposed 100x increase in the allowed glyphosate residues for common grains. More
Rewiring Aotearoa’s Mike Casey is hosting events on how Kiwi homes could be saving thousands on their energy bills each year. More
Tiwaiwaka’s Pā / Rob McGowan returned from a month-long adventure to Te Wai Pounamu, visiting Tiwaiwaka whānau and observing the state of ngāhere in the south. More
Kaicycle Urban Farm are hosting their final community working bee of the year at their urban farm in Newtown, Wellington this weekend. More
Toru Education are hosting a Toru Trail event on May 17th, exploring how permaculture can shape not just gardens, but our inner and outer lives. More
Papawhakaritorito Charitable Trust offers māra kai tips for Āperira (April), recently being profiled by The Gift Trust, acknowledging their powerful work in kai sovereignty. More
Local Futures / Economics of Happiness have released the final episode in their Planet Local Voices series, spotlighting stories from communities building resilient, localised economies. More
One Earth explains biomimicry, showcasing five groundbreaking designs inspired by Nature. More
AT520-AI trap with solar panel in the Te Kinga bush.
Additional News
Predator Free NZ highlights next-generation traps built for NZ’s toughest terrain. More
Permaculture in New Zealand continues to spark rich discussion in their online community, including managing invasive plants like woolly nightshade. More
Bioneers is now streaming: 3 Unforgettable Talks from Bioneers 2025. More
Seed Week 2025 spotlights the growing movement for seed sovereignty, emphasizing UK farmers' rights to save, use, and exchange seeds amid increasing corporate control. More
PermaDynamics are hosting bimonthly webinars on syntropic agroforestry & permaculture design through their online TapRoot Membership. More
“To forget how to dig the earth and tend the soil, is to forget ourselves.”
