Local Eco Festival plants skills and grows solutions

More than 1,000 people attended Albert-Eden & Puketāpapa Eco Festival, packed with 160+ events and workshops focused on environmental sustainability and ecology.

The festival hosted endless opportunities for Albert-Eden and Puketāpapa locals to discuss and discover local and life-changing solutions to address climate change. The aim was to help locals consider how to improve environmentally-friendly habits, learn new skills and work together to build more connected and resilient neighbourhoods.

Spread across 17 venues throughout the Albert-Eden-Puketāpapa Ward area, the programme was made possible with funding from Albert-Eden and Puketāpapa local boards, Foundation North and the Auckland Climate Grant, as well as collaboration with local organisations, community champions, libraries and community centres.

The most appropriate way to attend the Climate Network Breakfast.

Albert-Eden Local Board chair Kendyl Smith was pleased with the festival's progress in its third year.

"The growth and success of this festival year on year has been really cool to see. We are keen to see even more locals take on these activities and initiatives in their day-to-day lives so our communities are less reliant on limited resources affected by climate change," says chair Smith.

Puketāpapa Local Board chair Ella Kumar was impressed by the festival's coordination and delivery.

"This festival was just everywhere and its timing during school holidays was perfect to get people along to learn more about better solutions for our community," says chair Kumar.

"For some of our communities, climate change is still an unknown. And so not only is it critical to look after our environment but also to create more awareness of how to deal with its impacts.

"I'm very pleased that all our groups can get together and share different ways of doing this," she says.

Sewing sustainability seeds at the local Eco Festival.

The four-week programme included second-hand markets, guided bike rides, powertools workshop, networking breakfast events, climate picnics, plant propagation and documentary screenings and more - with its most popular workshops learning to sew with upcycled fabrics and turning your lawn into a wildflower garden.

Albert-Eden & Puketāpapa Eco Festival coordinator, Natalie Wotherspoon is thrilled with the festival's success.

"We are so grateful to our funders and every organisation that came on board and contributed - we couldn't have done it without you," says Wotherspoon.

"Our priority for the next festival is to look at all the way for it to be more accessible.

"And we're hoping the next one will be even bigger, to encourage more of our community to come together to act on climate change. We believe solutions are possible and look forward to an impactful 2025 festival!"

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Learning how to make paint from natural ingredients.

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