Plant Power: Wellness Day
Description
Join us at EcoMatters EcoHub for a nourishing day exploring good kai, mindful movement, creativity, connection, and climate-positive actions.
Support your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing, with opportunities to connect, be active, take notice, and keep learning while caring for yourself and the planet.
On the Menu
10am–2pm (pop-in's welcome)
Mindful Threads - a community art project with Tineswari Maruthamuthu (@themindfulmender)
Contribute to a collaborative wall hanging made from recycled and repurposed textiles, adding your own creativity to this sustainable, mindful artwork.
10.30–11.30am
The Power of Eating Plants with Luke Gabites - Planted Nutrition
Discover how eating more plants can support both your health and the planet. Luke explores the benefits of a plant-based diet - from improving wellbeing to reducing carbon emissions, conserving water, and easing pressure on food systems.
Supported by Whau Climate Action Network
11.45am–12.15pm
Harvest and Tour of EcoMatters Organic Teaching Garden with Meg Liptrot
Join Meg for a garden tour and harvest. Gather fresh pizza ingredients and salad greens while learning about seasonal growing and caring for the garden.
12.30–2pm
Woodfired Pizza Making with Thom Gabites - Plant-Based Chef
Get hands-on in this relaxed session making woodfired, plant-based pizzas. Led by Thom, it draws on his garden-to-table approach and love of food as a way to bring people together.
1.30–2.30pm
Good Food Good Mood with Jane Gabites and Luke Gabites
This session with Jane (psychologist) and Luke (clinical nutritionist) explores how our relationship with food affects mood, energy, and overall wellbeing. Drawing on their podcast Thrive: Mind & Body, they share practical, approachable tips for eating to feel your best.
2.30–3.30pm
Move with Nature with Kris Walsh
A restorative movement workshop celebrating wellbeing in nature. Enjoy a gentle somatic warm-up and nature-inspired movement with music and shared rhythm. Inclusive for all, and held at the EcoHub and Olympic Park.
Things to note:
This is a fully plant-based event.
Includes one slice of plant-based pizza per attendee.
Please note: we’re unable to accommodate additional dietary requirements.
Suitable for ages 14+
The ticket cost helps to cover our presenters’ time for the day.
This event is part of EcoFest 2026 - a month-long, community-powered festival celebrating nature, sustainable living and everyday climate action across Tāmaki Makaurau. Discover practical ideas, inspiring events and ways to deepen your learning at ecofest.org.nz.
Lineup
Tineswari Maruthamuthu
Tineswari Maruthamuthu is an Auckland-based multi-disciplinary creative with a passion for addressing textile waste in Aotearoa. She facilitates inclusive workshops that equip you with the skills to extend the life of your clothing and textiles through slow stitching, mending, embroidery and creative upcycling. These techniques are taught with an underlying foundation of mindfulness, responsible consumerism, and the benefits of slowing down in our fast-paced world.
Thom Gabites
Thom is a passionate plant-based chef from West Auckland who loves sharing the connection food can create. After working at Aro Hā Wellness Retreat and staging at the three-Michelin-star Eleven Madison Park, he refined his garden-to-table approach to plant-based cooking. Now based back in Auckland, Thom works as a private chef and gardener, and is deeply involved in community initiatives that use food to nourish people with dignity, care, and intention.
Jane Gabites
Jane has a Masters Degree in Psychology and a Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling Psychology from AUT University, Auckland, New Zealand. She has a passion for helping people to heal their wounds and live their best lives using evidence-based psychological tools and strategies.
Luke Gabites
Luke is a Nutritionist, Yoga Teacher, Plant-based Chef and Educator based in Auckland, New Zealand. He is passionate about helping people feel their best through my science-based, holistic approach to nutrition and wellness. He brings his expertise in Nutrition, Psychology and Yoga to help his clients achieve optimum physical and mental health and create real, lasting positive change in their lives.
Kristine Walsh
Kris is a registered Dance Movement Therapist (DTAA) with a lifelong passion for music and dance as pathways for expression, connection, and well-being. She has taught West African–inspired community dance in Auckland and currently facilitates Dance Movement Therapy programmes for neurodivergent children and adults with DTNZ, creating inclusive spaces where every body is welcome to move, explore, and thrive.
Meg Liptrot
Meg is the EcoHub Education Coordinator and manages the Organic Teaching Garden at EcoMatters New Lynn site. She has a background in sustainable land management and co-designed EcoMatters organic teaching garden in 2004/5. Teaching Garden sessions are held weekly on Fridays, 11-2pm. To get involved contact meg@ecomatters.org.nz (Pictured right)
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity
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