• We welcome registered WWOOFers (Willing Workers On Organic Farms), particularly mature women with some experience in organic growing. See www.wwoof.co.nz
• We are happy to provide practical placements for students from secondary and tertiary horticulture programmes, and offer supervision and support for study. Longer-term interns may be interested in placements here too. Fees and/or work contribution, and accommodation, can be negotiated.

Change agents and groups within organisations

During the last few years, we have run a variety of workshops here, usually at the request of particular groups. One popular series, Food for Thought, comprised six one-day workshops: Treats and the Treaty, Fruitful Feminism, Coffee and Compost, Worthy Weeds, Working with Worms and Beautiful Bananas. Each one consisted of practical activities, theoretical background, political discussion, tasty refreshments, and something to take home. Other workshops and seminars have included:

• Friendly Food: high health, low cost (a practical introduction to basic vegetarian cooking)
• Planning organisational change (working with a group responsible for a local authority education plan)
• Leadership and management: a gardener's approach (a one-day seminar for a group of political workers)
• Mentoring, coaching and professional supervision ( one-day workshops for groups developing internal staff support systems)
• Designing and developing a small holding (a sharing of experience in applying permaculture design principles and dealing with practical challenges)
• Friendly Feijoas: an introduction to preserving skills - bottling fruit; making jam, jelly and chutney (in the feijoa season, obviously!)
• From Papatuanuku to Pawpaw: an introduction to recycling for young people (and their elders!)
• Being Good Neighbours: the Treaty of Waitangi in practice (a positive approach to relationships with mana whenua)

We're very flexible in what we can offer - if you think we might be useful to you, talk to us: Tanya or Charmaine at 09-2351375; earthtalk@awhitu.co.nz

*Tanya Cumberland BA, DipSocWork…also a Certificate in Permaculture Design.
*Charmaine Pountney CNZM, MA(Hons), DipEd, DipTchg…also qualifications in ISO9000 internal auditing, and farm safety.

Charmaine has written an account of her experience in, and vision for, education and society, in her book Learning Our Living (Cape Catley, Auckland, 2000) click on the link to find out more.