Ōtautahi Learning Days 2025: Ōtākaro Orchard Activations

Ōtautahi Learning Days is Christchurch’s local iteration of the Remake Learning Days festival. Organised by Ako Ōtautahi Learning City Christchurch, this festival celebrates learning in its many forms across the city. 

Ōtākaro Orchard is hosting a series of events as part of #learningwithnature:

TUESDAY 10 JUNE

[1.30pm -2.30pm] Food Forest and Building Tour 

Learn from lessons in nature we will tour the 7 layers of Ōtākaro Orchard
Food Forest, with its diverse and beneficial relationships to see Permaculture
Principles in action, then tour the Ōtākaro Orchard education hub to see
these same principles at play in building design.

[2.45pm - 3.15pm] Gardens of Japan & New Zealand: Sustainable Lessons from Nature 

Join UC interns, Rira and Amber, as they investigate Japanese and New Zealand gardens; exploring how both cultures approach sustainability.

[3:15pm - 4.15 pm] Seed Bomb Making, A Hands-on Activity

Come join the team at Ōtākaro Orchard to make wild flower and herb seed bombs. Fun for all the whanau.

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Things to know:

• The activations will be held outside at Ōtākaro Orchard and on a building site so please bring appropriate footwear and weather protection.
• In the event of rain the activations will be held within the building, bring an umbrella or rain jacket to tour the food forest.
• A compost toilet is onsite and public toilets are located at the Margret Mahy
  playground across the road.
  

Cost is a koha towards this community-led project.
https://givealittle.co.nz/org/...

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About the Learning Facilitators:

Roz Rolls is a permaculture teacher and project co-ordinator of Ōtākaro Orchard
Food Forest and Community garden, Roz educates school groups, visitors and volunteers to grow soil, plants and care for community food forests. Her horticultural past and permaculture knowledge is combined to share the understanding of living systems, and their interconnections.
Working as a facilitator for the Food Resilience Network, aka, Edible Canterbury, Roz is passionate about Food Sovereignty, supporting Gardening in Schools education, and works across the network to promote permaculture and regenerative design.

Rira Takahashi is a fourth year international student from the University of Canterbury, studying major in Education and minor in Business and Sustainability. Her Dad runs a Japanese Garden Company in Japan which has  influenced her positively. She is passionate about supporting both local communities, and global communities, to make a positive impact on the earth. 

Amber is a second year student studying a Bachelor of Social and Environmental Sustainability, majoring in indigenous knowledge and sustainable partnerships at the University of Canterbury. She is passionate about helping the community and making sustainable choices the first choice.