Fostering sustainable communities
Fostering sustainable communities
Empowered communities taking action for sustainability and resilience.
A Rocha works alongside communities to inspire and resource collective action for te taiao. By creating opportunities for collective learning, restoration, and hands-on engagement, we help strengthen resilient communities that are empowered to care for their local environments and one another.
The Karioi Project began when community members and groups came together to start a small biodiversity restoration project on Karioi maunga. More than a decade later, the Karioi Project has grown into a landscape-scale biodiversity restoration project, managed by a dedicated Karioi staff team, that stays true to its community focus with ongoing support and contribution from the local community. Community volunteers, Whāingaroa households and local businesses are all central to the success of the project. The community gets behind the project through:
- – Checking traplines on the maunga.
– Participating in the Backyard Hub trapping programme.
– Making trap tunnels.
– Monitoring seabird burrows.
– Volunteering with bait station deployment and filling.
– Financial supporting the project and more.
Eco Church communities are places that embed eco theology in their mission and practices, nurturing and creating ecological disciples, and inspiring practical creation care and sustainable living in their church context at both individual, household and community levels. A Rocha support Eco Church communities in these aspects through:
- – The sharing of stories of change and learnings from church communities on the Eco Church website and social media.
– The sharing of resources to facilitate action and change on the Eco Church website and social media.
– Offering Eco Church Wānanga series – Featuring guest speakers on topics that are of interest to eco church communities.
– Rich Living booklets – Small group booklets to assist faith communities to reflect upon how they live and offers practical steps to make sustainability integral to lives of faith.
– Eco Church speakers – Great speakers to help inspire church communities on their eco church journey.
A Rocha local groups are places to cultivate and journey with others in ecological discipleship through practical action in conservation and shared learning. As local group members get together and participate in practical conservation, they inspire and encourage each other on the journey – and they are connected together as part of a national and international movement. Local groups also connect and explore synergies with eco church communities in their local region to mutually support each other. Some of local group’s community activities include:
- – Getting together to volunteer on working bees and practical conservation work.
– Organising local group gatherings or retreats.
– Exploring local group collaborations with other organisations.
– Participating in annual national hui.
– Involvement in sustainability projects like bike fixup projects.
– Promoting advocacy initiatives in their local region.
NGĀ AROTAHINGA | Our Focus Areas
Empowered communities taking action for sustainability and resilience.