Syntropic agro forestryIn 2022-2023 Wilderland had a huge syntropic argo forestry project where we educated people on how to implement and maintain a syntropic system and why. We now have extenisve syntropic gardens. Those who are interested in syntropics are still able to get a wealth of knowledge though the project has predominantly closed. There is a lot of on going work to maintain them and we are looking for people who have a passion to manage them
Wilderland provides unique experiences in projects that are shaped by the seasons and defined or redefined by the people who are here and now. If you see a project that captures you enthusiasm or curiosity reach out at visit@wilderland.org.nz to see what is happening and how you can get involved.
Recent projects at Wilderland
Cover cropsThis year saw the rejuvination of our gardens by sowing a diversity of nitrogen fixing grasses such as oat, vetch, mustard, phecelia and linseed - a method inspired by Christine Jones. There is now a teaming of life and biodiversification in gardens that had been laying dormant. Lots of hard mahi went into this project from the hands that dug the unhelpful grasses and weeds out and turned the soil, to the sowing of seeds and covering with harvested reeds from our esutary
Water tanksLiving in tune with your environment is to recoginse our most basic needs as human - food, shelter, water. This has been a prime focus for us this year. To prepair for the dry season we have been lovingly crafting agricultural water tanks that store excess and be able to feed our gardens in the dry seasons.
Ongoing and upcoming projects
Wilderland has always been a special opportunity to explore projects. These projects have been in the pipeline for some time and are now beginning. There are so many more projects on going or that would be helpful to do but these are a few we are excited about for now, if your keen to get involved and lend a hand, reach out!
Milling to rebuild our workshopWe are conducting a milling project with the support of trained ex-wilderlanders. Cyclone Gabriel pushed down many a tall trees which we are learning to mill timber on so we can utalise it to rebuild the workshop that was lost in the fire in 2017. We are enthusiastic to rebuild our large workshop utalising trees from our land and finishing it off with earth build cob walls. This project will house creative projects such as pottery, wood working, cabenitmaking, sign painting and much more.
Cob projectsWe are really excited to have projects coming in the future around cob building. By utlaising our local materials we plan to lovingly make the walls of our workshop and a compost toilet. We see the potential to run some work shops around this project as it will be a large one, lending many oppertunities for people to get involved and learn about this awesome building method! We expect to start this project 2025 if all goes to plan!
Seasonal gardeningOne of Wilderlands central pilars was organic gardening and eating well. Our gardens will alaways be an ever changing, ongoing project here just as Wilderland its self is. Every gardener that comes through offers different systems, styles and insights making our gardens ever changing. The ground work has been done to foster 5 more garden beds this season, we hope to get back to a point of abundance and educating ourselves and others in the process as the element of food soverignty is key in our jounrey of towards being self sustainable.
