URBAN
FOREST
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To help Ōtautahi Christchurch on its way to becoming "the best edible garden city," Kura Tāwhiti – Canterbury Community Foundation has partnered with the City Council to plant and care for more fruit trees in public parks.
With community support, these trees will offer free, fresh produce for locals, increase overhead canopy, boost biodiversity and foster connections across the region.
To help this project grow, Kura Tāwhiti is offering four funding package options to cover the purchasing, planting and maintenance of new fruit trees, with a portion of each allocated to the Green Philanthropy Fund. This includes a small fee to cover administration costs.
Donors will be recognised for their support with public acknowledgment from the Council, and the opportunity to visit planting sites. Business logos may also be featured at the top of this webpage.
We are seeking funding to purchase more fruit trees and empower community groups to cultivate them. Donations allow us to increase the number of trees planted in public spaces and distribute more fruit to the community.
THE PROPOSAL
Since the earthquakes of 2011, the Christchurch City Council has been exploring ways to increase the city's food resilience and ensure the population has continued access to fresh produce.
In 2014, the Council adopted a Food Resilience Policy envisioning Christchurch as “the best edible garden city in the world”, where everyone has access to affordable, locally grown food through resilient social and environmental systems.
To alleviate some of the challenges associated with growing fruit trees in urban spaces, Kura Tāwhiti is working alongside the Council to secure funding for year-round orchard maintenance and seasonal fruit harvests.
By supporting the health, vitality and resilience of our people, place, and planet, the Urban Forest project embodies the essential principles of kaitiakitanga and usufruct.
Deriving from the Latin terms usus ("use") and fructus ("fruit" or "enjoyment"), usufruct is the right to enjoy nature's fruits, balanced with a duty to preserve Te Taiao, our natural world, for future generations (kaitiakitanga).
Kura Tāwhiti and the City Council aim to uphold kaitiakitanga by supporting local means of nourishment and community livelihood, while protecting the living systems that sustain us.
If you or your business would like to sponsor an orchard, we'd love to hear from you.
Email Lynne Umbers, CEO, at lynne.umbers@kuratawhiticcf.org.nz