Last month’s Toru Trail was a celebration of regeneration, of nature’s capacity to heal, of recloaking Papatuanuku.

Toru Trustee Hella Coenen and partner Joep live on 240 acres at the edge of the Tararua Forest Park. A large part of their property has been given back to nature for regeneration into bush since they arrived there 16 years ago. This has been recognised by the QE II Trust, and 97 acres are under a covenant, which means ‘protected in perpetuity’.

We were taken on a trail of discovery, with Hella and her friend Jade. Jade talked about Rongoā as we walked along.

Jade speaking to the rongoa of the native bush

I could have listened to the stories from Jade all day long…. 

“The word Rongoā comes from the word Rongo (‘peace) and senses. When we are healed we are peaceful. You find the medicine of the forest at the edge, the job of an edge is to protect. 

When you forage you only pick from something prolific, to always leave enough”. The trees, the birds and all the bugs were here long before us; we humans are the Potiki (last born), and are so lucky to have this ‘university of elders and knowledge’ (the trees). 

Kahikatea are old trees; they can live to 600 years and grow up to 60m. They are used to make waka, also great for butterboxes, as it is odorless. Other examples of use are Koromiko for sore tummy, Hangihangi growing prolifically along the banks is your everyday’s lettuce.”

We arrived at our morning tea spot where helper Larissa had made a fire and offered us two choices of tea; made with Karamu and Kawakawa, together with delicious homemade Oaty biscuits.

making tea on the fire

 

Over our cuppa, Hella told stories of the land, acknowledging the ancestors and respecting the stories from the whenua before She and Joep arrived. It’s not just one story, every corner of the property could tell its own story about the discoveries they made over the years on their daily walks.

“The patch below our cup of tea spot has become the Kahikatea Classroom, the Forest School for the last ten years. When the wonder of regeneration started to happen, I got inspired by Richard Louv’s book “Last Child in the Woods”, realising the importance of our children maintaining the connection with the natural world. It was like an overflow of the ‘feel good’ that I experienced living here surrounded by nature’s beauty."

"I invited kindergarten and school groups to the Kahikatea Classroom and facilitated a day program, exploring the stream bed, finding koura under the rocks, building huts, cooking on the fire, whittling, climbing trees, or loving the pure joy of roly poly down the hill. Playing in the mud kitchen,making a bow and arrow or peeping in the weta motels. There is so much to do for children, at their pace, away from the fast world and away from technology.”   

Kahikatea, male and female trees next to each other

~ Kahikatea, male and female trees next to each other.

Hella then gave me a moment for a story about the area above our cup of tea spot: 

“So much spontaneous regeneration has happened, once the land was retired from grazing. However, there is a hillside of about 3 acres that has remained bare."

"My husband Bob and I, together with another family, wish to support an active planting scheme, to contribute to the biodiversity of the area, and to sequester carbon, to offset the effect of our travel to see family in Europe.  The overall approach followed is the Timata Method, which is a cost-effective method to achieve rapid native revegetation."

"The first planting will be a mix of Kanuka and Manuka as pioneers and then later followed by enhancement planting to introduce species not yet present or in low numbers, such as tawa, titoki, ribbonwood, hinau, pokaka, beeches and some podocarps. We appreciate the opportunity to contribute in a modest way to enhancing the biodiversity of the Mikimiki property”.

parent and child walking through regenerating native bush

~ The blackberries are slowly getting shaded out by ferns and low shrubs.
 

one of 6 native mistletoes

~ We picked the fruit of “Lleostylus micranthus” to be planted at home, this is one of 6 native mistletoes.

After sharing our stories, we heard a recorder playing from the Kahikatea Classroom. It was Hella inviting us all into the magic of stories for children. Luckily, we had three children in our group! Their eyes were focussed with wonder on the story teller and her story about the Kiwi and all its bird friends. Hella’s wonderful felted creations, a whole collection of native birds, were sitting on the branches matching the story and a Tui from above sang a beautiful song, just at the right moment!

listening to stories in the kahikatea classroom
Tui feasting on the Kahikatea fruit
Korimako:bellbird feasting on the Kahikatea fruit

~ Tui and Korimako/bellbird are feasting on the Kahikatea fruit

Onwards we wandered back towards the home and garden patch. The food forest above their house provides them with abundance. Most fruit had already been harvested. Our task was to shake one of the last providers, a quince tree full of yellow gold. It was ‘raining’ quinces which we brought back to the crop swap table. Some were half eaten by deer and past their best but the horses loved them!

Hella in the Permaculture Orchard
Horses eating quinces

~ Hella showed us a Billington plum, pollinator for Black Doris plum, which had been ring-barked by deer antlers.

Time for a gesture of reciprocity, to get busy with our hands with some helpful tasks. Some of us were harvesting the remaining tomatoes and others shelled hazelnuts, walnuts and chestnuts.  We gathered around the table for a wholesome ‘soup and bread’ lunch, made from her own leeks and potatoes, with many shared treats that we all brought, cheeses, chutney, sprouts, bread and cake. It was delicious!

harvesting and shelling nuts
Lunch at Hellas with bread, cheese, cake and food from the permaculture garden

We concluded the day with a round of reflections and appreciation for Hella, Jade and Larissa. Normally, on a Toru Trail, we would encourage this final round of reflections through the framework and lens of the permaculture ethics and principles. This time, there was only time to refer to them, encouraging all to explore and ‘make friends’ with the principles, as a way of reflecting on your situation - this could be your personal life, your community, your project, your business, the meal you are cooking and of course your garden.

Thank you Hella, for a beautiful day in nature, feeling the harmony and balance and ever growing diversity. What a celebration of regeneration, giving so much hope.

THANK YOU!!

Doris Zuur

    

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