Kia ora

The Toru Trail at my place here in Mikimiki last month made me ponder: sometimes, I don’t see the ‘wood for the trees’. I realised that I am very good at being productive, busy, and striving for an end goal. In the process, it's easy to forget to take a step back, slow down, and observe the patterns in nature and in our activities.

There were a lot of fungi some weeks ago. The temperature needs to be just right for them to thrive. What we see above ground, the visible, is only a pin point in comparison to the invisible, the mycelium and spore bodies collaborating with woody plants and connecting the many parts of a healthy, living soil.

Can we see our activities such as the continuing series of Toru Trail events as a mirror of the mycelium work? Each one like a mycelial filament making connections across time and space. 

I recently learned about a group called ‘Mushroom Church’ touring EU and North America with a variety of fungi, performing in churches with good acoustics. They attach synths to the fungi, a bioelectric activity then produces music, as if listening to an orchestra! 

A few days after the Toru Trail here I heard what connections were made from participants, and I realised they resembled this pattern. Mycelial networks can remind us to value the connectivity between all things.

• A number of people took suckers from our rosehip hedges, and planted them in various places in the bioregion.
• One participant was excited to receive a fresh deer skin and will make it into a medicine drum. That deer will live on in a different form and purpose.
• On our walk, we collected many native mistletoe seeds and I hope they will ‘marry’ new hosts somewhere else, spreading biodiversity
• Sourdough starters found their way into people's kitchens.

We can’t measure or control the effect of such ripples and there is no need to either.

Seemingly right on cue as I have been thinking about mushrooms, we received an invite to our audience (that's you, dear reader) to an evening all about Edible fungi with Christian Boedeker in Raumati South.

You can even listen to Christian talk about mushrooms on RNZ here. Check out more below in the events section.

Also coming up: a long time friend of mine and Toru Education past PDC teacher Rachel Pomeroy want's to let us know about a wonderful Biodynamics Introductory Workshop 'just up the line' in Havelock North in July, more details also in our events section. 

In June, our next Toru Trail will be at Trinity Farm where we will explore shared land use, among the many fascinating things the folks there are up to.

After this Toru Trail event, we will have a wee winter break, the newsletter is going dormant as well and we will return in August. New connections made will surely continue to grow and wind their way. The ‘Toru Mycelium’ will spread, and will be kept alive and well till springtime.

Ngā mihi o te wā,

Hella, for the Toru Education Trust

P.S. If you’re feeling inspired, pass the word along. Forward this to a friend or neighbour—there’s a little something for everyone.

Last weekend in Paekākāriki, the Toru Trail offered a hands-on glimpse into permaculture in action. Hosted by Doris and Bob Zuur, the half-day gathering brought together a diverse group to explore composting, microclimates, and community-based growing. From building rich soil to sharing a meal, the day was full of practical insights and warm connections.

Once a bare sand dune, Doris and Bob’s garden now thrives—showing how steady efforts can restore soil and spirit. Alongside clever compost systems and native planting, there were reflections on how permaculture thinking can support change—not just in gardens, but in the way we live.

"A half-day gathering in Paekākāriki last weekend offered a vibrant hands-on experience of permaculture principles in action.

The event, attended by folks from Wellington, the Hutt Valley, and the Kapiti Coast, showcased sustainable..."

- Story by Julian Thomson

Will be at Peter Davis and Jenny Potaka's place, Trinity Farm, Otaki on Sunday 15th June from 10am - 2pm, including lunch.

This month’s Toru Trail takes us to Trinity Farm, a certified organic property that hosts a unique blend of heritage roses, thriving gardens, and shared land use. We’ll explore how permaculture principles show up in action—from charitable growing projects like Crooked Vege to seasonal reflections on what it means to care for land and community through winter’s quieter rhythms.

Spaces are limited, so book your spot soon! We look forward to seeing you there.

We have a humble request of you (yes, you!): please share this newsletter with folks who would like to receive it. We would love it to be read by folks right across the lower north island. 

If you like our vision to connect those who want to learn and get involved in their community projects with those creating and hosting beautiful local events please take a moment to forward this newsletter to all your friends and family who you think might be interested AND ask them to sign up to receive it each month. 

And if someone forwarded this newsletter on to you or sent you the link? Are you interested to stay up to date with our events? Would you like us to promote your events (for free)?

Sign up now! ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️

Jane Riddiford shares some of her experiences with the Ruamāhanga Farm Foundation.

This morning I stood beneath the three remnant kahikatea that we call the three sisters. They are sentinels; reminders of what this part of the Wairarapa used to be; markers for what is slowly coming again. Tī kōuka trees and carex grass are now returning by themselves accompanied by the many trees and grasses we have planted through community events and field trips for local schools.

Along with native plant restoration we have fostered different ways of knowing and connecting to the natural world. Sharing stories both mythic and scientific and taking time to stop and listen to what the awa and the surrounding whenua has to say is a mainstay of our mahi. In turn the tamariki have found their own words for what it means to them.

Back in 2021 my two sisters Liz and Lucy and my husband Rod began thinking about how we could restore through a community oriented approach, the wetlands and riparian areas on and around our family farm which sits beside the Ruamāhanga awa near Martinborough.

Rod and I had been living in the UK where he was a primary school teacher and I was running Global Generation, an environmental education charity. It was natural for us to think about finding more regenerative ways forward for the farm by joining hands with others and in that spirit we are delighted to be part of the Toru network.

In 2022 we returned to live on the farm and for the last two years we have run an education programme called Te Reo o te Wai. We love to grow food and eat together and to that end we co-host a low input, low impact, community growing initiative called the Carb Club.

Last year our efforts became more formalised with the establishment of Ruamāhanga Farm Foundation, which is now a registered charity and is the platform for our wider education and nature connection work in the South Wairarapa.

More Toru Partners! 

Edible fungi in Aotearoa

Come and share in Christian's enthusiasm for foraged fungi. Learn how to identify those which are edible! A crucial skill for foragers!!

Biodynamics Introductory Workshop with Taruna College

Are you interested in growing good food, working with mother nature and weaving a spiritual understanding into the very practical work of farming and gardening? Are you curious about holistic farming, gardening, food, and nutrition - Then we welcome you to come and take part in this introductory Biodynamics workshop in July in Havelock North.

Vegetable Fermentation and Sourdough Breadmaking with Hella

This is a hands' on workshop where you will learn about the importance of the gut microbiome and be introduced to making sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, kefir, vinegar and sourdough bread.

We embrace the principle of ‘small is beautiful’ at Toru Education, and how a small group of people can create unpredictable ripples. 

We loved listening to Toru Trustee Loo Connor’s latest podcast, with leader Makerita Makapelu of ‘Te Hiko Community Centre for Innovation’ . What a great story!!

This newsletter has come into being because we saw a disconnect in our bioregion. We knew there were many great locals with knowledge to share, and some of them were already creating great opportunities for learning, connection and community spirit.

We also saw that many folks didn't know about these amazing opportunities to wānanga together and grow connections in their own back yards. 

To address these needs, we have started with a few interconnected 'small and slow solutions': our new website to host and promote events (among other things), our series of Toru Trail events across our focus area of Kāpiti, Te Whanganui-a-Tara - Wellington, the Hutt Valley and Wairarapa, as well as this monthly newsletter tying it all together and telling the story. 

If you resonate with our vision, we would love you to be involved, this can be in many ways!  

- Please share the good news far and wide, Sharing really is caring, and we want to find our people!

- Do you have an event or educational opportunity? - check out our guidelines and if it fits in with our kaupapa, then sign up and list your event with us! We are promoting local events for free.

- Join one of our events! Learn with us and our partner organisations. Invite a friend along and learn together.

- Do you have ideas for us? Reply to this newsletter or email us at info@toru.nz with your bright spark!