One of the great things about sustainability is that there is something for everyone. Whether you're into community led gardening events, litter picks, growing your own food, active travel, or number crunching your household carbon stats, sustainability has touch points with every part of our personal and professional lives.
There is so much information out there to help you develop your knowledge and practices, so we've pulled together some of the best local resources and categorised them under each of our four pou.
As a new addition to the website, we have also started collecting academic research articles which can be found here. As a University town, we think it is important that some of the amazing research being conducted on our doorstep is made available and accessible to our members.
We also have our own Tools and books library here on Cuba Street. Feel free to call in and borrow a book, a garden fork, or both!
Food Sovereignty
- How to run a community garden
- Accessing Food Support
- Community gardens in the Manawatū
- Plant your own: Get free seeds and borrow our tools + other gardening resources
- Food waste management resources
- Growing Your Own Food
- Inspired to start your own local Crop Swap? Get in touch with Crop Swap NZ or contact us for guidance.
- Edible Garden is a fruit tree specialist nursery based in Ashhurst.
- Edible Backyard offers consultations and workshops plus lots of great educational information via her blog and montlhly seasonal gardening newsletters.
- Awapuni nurseries sell a huge variety of edibles and ornamentals wrapped in newspaper and offer excellent gardening advice on their website.
- Kahuterawa Homegrown do regular Facebook posts about what’s happening in the garden with useful tips and tricks.
- Paranui Organics for locally made soil mixes, mulches and everything you need for the soil/getting started.
- Spoilt Soil A new local permaculture based venture there to help you create and maintain a garden that feeds you and works with the unique ecosystem and set of circumstances that you live in
- Para Kore are zero waste education programme designed specifically for marae, community organisations and schools. Para Kore regularly post videos on their Facebook page with zero waste ideas in the kitchen.
Climate Action
- Te Tiriti O Waitangi - Links to information on the history and process of Waitangi Treaty settlement.
- The mission of the Deep South Challenge is to enable New Zealanders to adapt, manage risk, and thrive in a changing climate.
- Read all things climate change from the Ministry for the Environment, including what the Government is doing, and why climate change matters.
- EECA’s Gen Less website has lots of ideas about to reduce your carbon footprint. There is also advice and tools for businesses.
- With climate change there is a higher possibility of natural disasters, being prepared will help you and your whānau stay safe. For more information visit the Civil Defence's Get Ready website
- The Smarter Homes website has practical advice to make your home warmer, safer and drier.
- PNCC environmental sustainability review
- PNCC climate change and sustainability plan
- Horizons Climate Change pages
- Calculate your carbon footprint using Future Fit
- Environmental data is available through the Horizons website
Circular Economy
- Where to recycle things with PNCC
- How to reduce your household waste
- Zero waste Living list for the Manwatū
- Zero Waste Manawatū Facebook Group is a group for people in the Manawatū who are on the journey towards Zero Waste or living without single-use plastics and other products destined for landfill.
- Para Kore are zero waste education programme designed specifically for marae, community organisations and schools. Para Kore regularly post videos on their Facebook page with zero waste ideas in the kitchen, bathroom, workplace and in schools.
- Zero Waste Network Aotearoa represents community enterprises across Aotearoa New Zealand who are working towards zero waste. Their mission is to connect, educate, enable and inspire people to reach their goals and to be a unifying voice at local, regional and central government levels.
- Zero Waste heroes The Rubbish Trip have compiled an excellent Zero Waste shopping guide for the Manawatū/Horowhenua/Rangitikei regions. They also have guides for all other regions of New Zealand.
- Spinning Greenwash! A report about polyester and microplastic pollution.
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