“I’ve found it easier to engage with and wrap my head around what it looks like to steward the Earth responsibly within the context of a small local community…A few weeks ago I was at a weeding and planting session and realised that those two things, community and figuring out our relationship to the Earth, go hand in hand quite well.

Even though you turn up thinking it's about planting trees, that almost becomes the last thing that it's about. Because you rock up and you're instantly looking around the crowd for the people that you already know or chatting to people that you don't know. And so, therefore, you’re building relationships and just getting to chat to other people that live nearby.

You're also working outside which, as hard as it can be to get yourself going, when does that not feel good? And because you're working outside, you're probably not on your phone. If you're thinking about stuff, then you've got that space to contemplate while you're working – digging and planting and hauling and walking around. So, yeah, I guess the experience of that was seeing how all of these other different really beneficial things can interweave with helping look after the whenua in your backyard.”