Eco-Church New Zealand: Caring for our Awa

We joined the Eco Church NZ movement in early 2023, making us the 40th congregation across Aotearoa New Zealand to do so. Among other aspects of our shared life, the Flagstaff congregation has had a longstanding commitment to caring for creation as one of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand’s five faces of mission.

Several years ago, a church working bee tidying the property identified a possible restoration project across church and adjacent city council land. In time it adopted School Creek (which runs alongside the church) and has been working since mid-2017 on a public track alongside the creek, so that the local community can explore and enjoy the beauty of creek and bush environments in the heart of the city. The project has involved extensive clearing and planting efforts, with natives replacing pine trees that we felled with permission from the Dunedin City Council.

Members of the congregation meet regularly to plan ongoing work, make funding applications and do the mahi. We have an Agreed Working Arrangement with the Dunedin City Council and are linked into City Sanctuary Predator Free Dunedin. The local primary school environmental group also assists with stream care, rubbish removal and pest control. Native plants are planted during Matariki celebrations each year.

A great opportunity came up before Christmas 2022 with 2500 native seedlings carefully prepared by the men at the Otago Corrections Facility needing a new home. In a collaborative effort with the Dunedin City Council and Downer Transport these were made available to community groups. We secured 200 free native plants, and these are waiting patiently to be planted during the Matariki 2023 festival.

There’s plenty still to do but there have been encouraging signs of life as the creek is given the opportunity to breathe again.