Kumanu December 2023

Minutes and reports:

November

• Land Caretaker Report
• Minutes

December

• Land Caretaker Report

What’s been happening:

• Service as the path – Preparations are ongoing, with registrations opening soon.
• Young Adults Retreat – Participants on YAR 2023 have been hard at work volunteering dana to the land, sewing new cushions and getting on with jobs all around the centre. The work achieved on YAR was impressive and the board is very grateful! Go YAR!
• We are still waiting for the ablution block to arrive to service the new volunteer accommodation units.
• Board members Michael and Simon continue to work on the constitutional review, and suggestions put forward by Louise Petzold.
• Preparations for the 50th anniversary of the Wangapeka are well underway, with a history committee collecting ‘scribes’ who will be deployed throughout the community to gather stories from longstanding members.
• Tracy has started up a working group to develop a long-term plan for tree care and fire safety maintenance.
• Ever wanted to collect your own stash of nettle tea? Well, the gardens are going off with all this spring growth, please feel free to collect your own to take home on your next retreat!

What we are reckoning with:

Are they super pigs? Dharma pigs? Or just plain ole pigs!?

Over the last few months, an enterprising cohort of piggies have been weaselling their way into the Wangapeka inner sanctum, causing havoc inside the pig fence!

Our volunteer land caretaker Simon has been hard at work testing out different ways to keep them out, and the latest round of YAR participants has done a good job clearing back some of the spring growth from around the fence.

However, just today a piggie was spotted having a root around on the way up to Omahu, and more are suspected to still be basking in the healing energies of the Wangapeka – who can blame them?

We would love some ongoing, regular support to help maintain the pig fence by cutting back scrub on either side. Ideally, this needs to be done 2 times a week.

Currently, we have Simon on site 2 days a week to manage land care at the centre. Until recently this was a full-time live-in position. With SAP coming up in March we hope to have more on-site support for land care in addition to the dedicated care Simon provides. If you are interested in committing to help out on an ongoing basis please get in touch.

We are in an experimental phase at the Wangapeka. Trialling new/old ways of doing things alongside increasing opportunities to access dharma in the form of Service as the Path [SAP], and offering a space for Georgia to trial living on-site while working remotely full-time. Part of this trend includes remaining open to different models of land care outside of the usual paid position we have offered in the past.

The board is always interested in hearing from the community, including any proposals you may have in response to this.

Please email: Secretary.wangapeka@gmail.com

What we need help with:

Land care: Let Simon know if you can support track maintenance, the pig fence, mowing or wood chopping!

Support the Centre:

There are always many interesting jobs at the centre that can be allocated to meet your skills and energy levels. A free lift is available up on a Tuesday and Back on a Wednesday. Contact simon@jals.co.nz to discuss jobs and pick-up.

People to Contact