WelCom, September 2024
Adrienne Gallie rsj, Archdiocese Integral Ecology Committee
“Hope has two beautiful daughters, Anger and Courage. Anger at the way things are, and Courage to see that they do not remain as they are.” – Attributed to St Augustine
The Wellington Archdiocese Ecology, Justice and Peace commission’s Integral Ecology committee organised two workshops in early August to offer and lead people with creative initiatives and resources for celebrating the Season of Creation during September.
A highlight of each workshop was the inspiring presence of two women witnessing to ‘Courage’ with their lives. Amanda Joe, Young Vinnies Co-ordinator, and Di Buchan, QSM JP, spoke about passionately seeing that things do not remain as they are, through hopeful initiatives underway in their communities.
With a heart for nature, caring and living better, Amanda is involved with leading children in three Catholic primary schools for an hour a week. Her initiatives include encouraging the children to visit and talk with the elderly at rest homes, plant gardens, cook their own food, shop secondhand and clean up beaches and waterways.
The students carry out tasks – gaining knowledge from beginning to end – including learning about the value of money, wastefulness and landfill, the art of conversation, and taking concerns to councils and government ministers. Their confidence and smiling faces in the social media posts are testament to Amanda’s engaging and enthusiastic way, a building block for happy, well-informed citizens into the future.
Di Buchan is the founder of the DB Environment Trust, a philanthropic entity giving grants to tree-planting initiatives across Aotearoa New Zealand. Di’s passion for trees often leads her to join the planting with the recipients.
Di is now an honorary Life Member of the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand, which shares knowledge across many disciplines. She is encouraged for the future by the young graduates she sees who are ‘so competent, so ethical, so dedicated’ and would like to see local councils make it mandatory for the environmental workers they employ to be certified as environmental practitioners.
The township of Ōtaki, where Di lives, is awarded every year for leading the way with positive initiatives through the Energise Ōtaki projects. As one of the six trustees Di is co-ordinator of the Ōtaki Carbon Forest project, enabling the planting of up to 40 hectares of trees on private land, 8000 trees per hectare.
Along with Di’s live inspiration, the workshops included participant handouts with quotes from Laudate Deum and To Hope and Act with Creation for parish bulletins, Prayers of the Faithful, website links, copies of posters and reflective material.
A rich sharing from participants about the ideas and activities already in motion and taking place throughout September, rounded off the two workshops.
Energise Ōtaki
Energise Ōtaki is powered by a vision of living in a town – and world – where there’s enough good energy for everyone.
‘Enough’ – as in what we need, and not more than we need; addressing energy poverty and issues of access; helping provide education and infrastructure to use less energy to live well.
‘Good’ – as in energy sourced in the least damaging ways, including being revived from ‘waste’; and ‘good’ as in feeling good; recognising the health of our town – and planet – connects and affects the health of our communities, and vice versa.
As a charity Energise Ōtaki is guided by principles they’re grateful to Ngā Hapū o Ōtaki for sharing.
Energise Ōtaki supports and leads local projects on Climate Energy, Clean Energy, Energy Access and Energy Recovery, and welcomes new collaborations for people-powered energy change.
Together they’re transforming how Ōtaki gets and uses energy.
E mahi tahi nei ki te panoni i te whakaputa, i te whakapau a Ōtaki i te hiko.
Visit www.energiseotaki.nz to learn more about Energise Ōtaki.