Poem by Ed Cromwell and photos by Lorena Cardenas Corrales The Wangapeka Stream Sit awhile and marvel at the beauty, babbling brook in shaded valley, giving life to the dense forest. Flowing over the bedrock beneath, granite formed eons ago, on a timescale hard to comprehend. Time passing slowly, on a weekend escape, appreciating every moment with new …
Initially there was a little uncertainty about how this weekend and planned activities would develop. Weather forecasts weren’t favouring a weekend suitable for gardening so I advised those people who indicated they might come, that they could opt out if they wished, particularly those coming from Christchurch. Fortunately a rainy forecast didn’t seem to dampen everyone’s plans for a stay …
Glenn and Sol putting a roof on the ablution block, connecting in the work, physically, emotionally and spiritually. The next project for the volunteer accommodation are will be installing some kind of kitchen so that volunteers can prepare some of their own meals at Dāna Vihāra.
SAP ran from March through to September 2024, guided by the consistent presence of Mark Schrader and Kath Mitchell, with huge support from Tracy, Bonni, Matthew, and many others. SAP itself is an evolution of many years of community hui and dreaming around what the needs of Wangapeka are, and what it could look like to have a more consistent community of practice …
A full house of 14 adults and 10 children came together for a weekend in early October. The theme was Connection, and we explored the many facets and levels of connection – to planet, to the whenua, to self, to the body, to other living beings, to each other, to our inner life, to play, to the dharma and what …
The Abiding of Generosity The Volunteer Accommodation has a name! “The crew had a ongoing discussion about what we should name the space in which the volunteers lived. Initially some names like Dana space, Dana zone and volunteer accomodation were suggested. While Sam, Jacinta and I were at SAP with Mark Kath and Tracy; we finally decided on Dana Bhumi …
One of my earliest words as a child was “lichen.” On nature walks through my native North American state and national parks with my parents, I was obsessed by how lichen flourished on trees and rocks, on brick and mulch, even on metal. To my young eyes, lichen seemed miraculous. Now, as an adult, I witness lichen with even more …
Written by Louise Petzold Kia ora e te whānau, Beautiful spring has come to the Wangapeka valley with lighter days, heaps of rain and lots of sunshine. Growth is happening! In the spirit of mahi tahi and working together towards a shared outcome, the BoT have decided to all have a turn writing Kumanu after our meetings, so you can …
Kia ora e te whānau, Greetings from your Board of Trustees! Kumanu is our way of keeping you up to date with what has been happening, what we’re working on, and what we’re grappling with. It is by no means exhaustive, but we hope it gives you a sense of “What’s Up” in Wangapeka land, and what’s on the seemingly never-ending …
