TIMEBANK HURUNUI LEARNING EXCHANGE

July - December 2020

Flax-weaving Flowers (Puti Puti) for Beginners

Join local weavers Maria Noering and Carol Maxwell for an introduction to raranga, the art of Maori flax-weaving. They’ll talk about the tikanga of sustainably harvesting flax (harakeke), show us how to prepare, then guide us through the step-by-step process of making our own puti puti. Learn an absorbing new craft and enjoy a social time, (morning tea provided)! Book early, places limited.

Time: 10am - 1pm, Saturday 4 July, Cheviot Craft Centre. Cost: 3 TimeBank Hurunui credits or $17 (or what you can afford. To Register, contact: 03 314 3406, email tbhlearningexchange@gmail.com

 

January - June 2020

Motunau Beach Clean up and BBQ

 

Help keep our Hurunui coastline beautiful and safe for marine wildlife. Join local Motunau residents to “beach comb” for rubbish and enjoy a picnic/BBQ social get-together afterwards. BYO food. Tea/coffee, snack provided. Wear sturdy footwear and bring work gloves. Short, shallow wade across river involved. Time:11.45am - 2pm,Sunday 12 January, Motunau Beach Register for more details at 03 314 3406 or tbhlearningexchange@gmail.com

Rock Painting for Kids with Ange Wyllie and helpers

Rock Painting is a popular craft activity, and a wonderful way to explore creativity in paint. These tiny, colourful works of art can be hidden in public spaces to give joy to others, given as gifts, or simply used to decorate your space/garden. Come with your own rocks and ideas, (we will also show design suggestions at the workshop). For children aged 8 or over, and adults welcome too.

Leithfield Beach, 1 – 3pm, 13 Jan, Waikari, 10am - 12, 15 Jan, Rotherham, 10am - 12, 20 Jan, Cheviot, 1 – 3pm, 23 January

Cost $2 pp for materials. To register call 03 314 3406 or email tbhlearningexchange@gmail.com.

 

 

Let’s Play! Drama for Teens with Belinda Meares

 

Play with movement, voice and cool group games to fire up your imagination and boost confidence. Make up stuff or tell your own stories, and create surprising and funny scenes together. Facilitator Belinda teaches InterPlay, an easy drama method that supports performance and life skills. Anyone can do InterPlay, with plenty of laughs guaranteed! For players 10 yrs and over.

Time: 1 – 3 pm, Tuesday 21 January, Cheviot Community Room. Cost: $2. Registrations: tbhlearningexchange@gmail.com or call 03 314 3406

 

Fossils Field Trip with Leigh Love

Following on from his popular talk and first field trip, amateur paleontologist Leigh will lead a second trip to MacIntosh’s Beach near Waipara. He will point out what to look for in locating and identifying fossils, and how to handle treasures if you make a lucky find. Sturdy footwear advised, and there will be walking involved. Places limited. Details tbc on registration.

Time: Saturday 25 January, 11am - 1.30pm. Cost: 2 TimeBank Hurunui credits, kids free. BYO lunnch if you want to picnic. To register: 03 314 3406 or tbhlearningexchange@gmail.com

Sugarcrafting Flowers with Gill Hobbs

Add a classy, decorative touch to cakes for special occasions. Gill will guide you through the step-by-step process of making exquisite flowers, and discuss what ingredients and materials you will need. For this workshop, everything will be provided and you’ll craft at least one easy-to-make flower to take home. Gill is a skilled and creative cake decorator, and was a member of the British Sugarcraft Guild for many years. She loves transforming a basic cake into a celebratory visual treat, and teaching her craft.

Time: 1.30 – 3.30pm, Sunday 26 January, Amberley, venue tbc. Cost: 2 TimeBank Hurunui credits or $15, plus $3 for ingredients. Registrations: 03 3143406, tbhlearningexchange@ gmail.com

 

Growing Seasonal Vegies with Sarah and William Hughes-Games

Establishing a vegie garden for year-round production is a goal for many of us, but results can be disappointing.  Experienced gardeners Sarah and William Hughes-Games have been doing this locally for 20 years, feeding their family and selling spray-free vegetables and seedlings from their Waipara Gardens shop. Visit their garden, and learn about planting crops for seasonal produce, and share your own ideas and tips.

Time: Tuesday 4 February, 10.30am – 12pm, Waipara. Cost: 1.5 TimeBank Hurunui credits or $12 suggested. Registrations: 03 314 3406 or tbhlearningexchange@gmail.com

 

Bee-keeping Basics with Lindsay Moir

Thinking about keeping bees in your back yard? Lindsay has spent his lifetime with bees and is a beehive inspector who runs courses nationally. He knows the joys and also frustrations hobbyists can experience when they embark on this fascinating journey with nature’s hard-working pollinators, and loves to share his knowledge and stories.

At this talk he’ll show a video and discuss what’s involved in setting up and registering hives, ongoing cost and time demands, keeping bees healthy and making your garden bee friendly.

Time: 7.30 – 9pm, Mon 10 February. Amberley library. Cost: 1.5 TimeBank Hurunui credits or $12. To Register: 03 314 3406 or email tbhlearningexchange@gmail.com

 

Seed-Saving with Richard Watson

Harvesting bounty from our gardens can be taken one step further, by saving seeds to replant every season. Local co-founder of the Seed Sentinels Group, Richard, is hosting this workshop at his garden, which is mainly dedicated to growing vegetable s for seeds that produce crops that thrive in local conditions.

Richard will demonstrate how to harvest, process and store seeds and discuss various breeding strategies. We’ll also have a look around the garden, which features growing systems and plant varieties he has developed over many years.

Time: 2 – 4.20pm Saturday 15 February, Medbury. (near Hawarden) Cost: 2.5 TimeBank Hurunui credits or $15. Registrations: tbhlearningexchange@gmail.com or call 03 314 3406

 

Soap-making: Beyond the Basics with Chloe Dear

This class is for you if you already make soap and want to try different techniques, colours and designs.

Chloë loves exploring the art and science of soap- making, and sharing her fascination with the creative process involved. She will demonstrate several patterning and colouring effects and discuss where to source ideas and new ingredients. Then you’ll make your own batch of soap under her guidance, choosing from a range of natural ingredients and scents.

Chloë has a lifelong interest in self-sufficiency and home-based food production.

Time: 9.30am – 12.30pm, Sat 22^nd February. Fee: 3 TimeBank credits or $20, plus $20 ingredients cost. Registrations: 03 314 3406 or tbhlearningexchange@gmail.com Book early, numbers limited.

BYO soap moulds.

 

Raising Native Plants with Sue McGaw

 

Do your bit for greening the Hurunui and get your own nursery growing! If your planting project is significant, it could be cheaper to raise your own plants and any surplus can go towards community projects.

At this workshop, learn about eco-sourcing and potting up native seedlings, with Sue McGaw. Sue is a local environmentalist and consultant whose passion is protecting our native plants and bird life, and teaching people from her practical experience. Sue will demonstrate and advise about which plants are likely to do well in specific conditions, and how to plan and resource your native-plant project. She will also talk about a vision she has for creating “green corridors” of adjoining areas of biodiversity throughout our district to support our indigenous wildlife.

Time: 1.30 – 3.30 pm, Sat 29 February, Leithfield. Cost: 2 TimeBank Hurunui credits or $15 suggested, plus $5 materials. Children free. Register: 03 3143406 or tbhlearningexchange@gmail.com

 

Tenancy Rights & Responsibilities (postponed)

Recent changes to NZ’s tenancy laws, such as the Healthy Homes standards, are now in force. If you are a tenant or a landlord, Susan Lewis will guide you through your key rights and responsibilities, discuss how best to avoid or resolve problems, and answer specific questions. There is a lot of ground to cover, such as lease conditions, bonds, repairs, inspections, flatmates, giving notice, insurance, etc. Susan is an experienced family lawyer who believes in making the law more accessible to people.

Time: 7 – 8.30pm, Tues 21 April, Amberley Library. Cost: 1.5 TimeBank Hurunui credits or donation appreciated. Registrations: 03 314 3406 or tbhlearningexchange@gmail.com

 

The Art & Craft of Costumes

Join Susan Peach for a fascinating talk about how to design and make costumes. Susan’s skills extend from making simple costumes for kids’ plays, to elaborate replicas of historical dress for grand occasions. She’ll show Victorian outfits she created for a Heritage Festival, and discuss what it was like for women of that period to wear and care for such challenging clothes.

Time: 7 – 8.30pm, Monday 29 June, Amberley Library, Cost: 1.5 TimeBank Hurunui credits or donation appreciated. Registrations: 03 314 3406, tbhlearningexchange@gmail.com

 

 

 

July   -  December 2019

 Events are continually being added, so check in regularly for updates

ENROL EARLY TO ENSURE YOUR PLACE. ENROLMENTS ARE REQUIRED. (Also do tell us if you'd like us to run any event at an alternative time/location)

To enrol, email tbhlearningexchange@gmail.com or call 03 314 3406

 

The Future of Community Education in North Canterbury: Share your Ideas

Belinda Meares is a coordinator with TimeBank Hurunui and started the organisation’s Learning Exchange in 2015. This programme has grown in scope and popularity, thanks to wonderful input from many people in our area. Clearly, there was a gap to be filled! Belinda will talk about the concept and development of the Learning Exchange and outline her thoughts about how to scale it up to meet broader community-education aspirations. Please come and participate in this exciting discussion. Your ideas will help shape where we go from here.

Food For Thought event in collaboration with TimeBank Hurunui. Monday 1 July, 7.30pm, Amberley Library. Gold coin donation appreciated. 

 

Building a Strawbale House: Jonathan Gardiner

See and learn first-hand what is involved in designing, planning and building a strawbale house. When former farmers Jonathan and Sarah Gardiner moved to Hanmer Springs in 2008, they embarked on their new house with an experienced builder for the first year, then continued by themselves with the earth plastering and lime wash finishing, completing the “thoroughly enjoyable” project in 2011. Jonathan also crafted some of the furniture and fittings. He’ll talk about the stages of strawbale building, the consenting process, and what you need to know about maintenance. 10 am – 12, Saturday 6 July, Hanmer Springs. Cost: 2 TimeBank Hurunui credits or $15, (includes morning tea). Register: 03 314 3406 or tbhlearningexchange@gmail.com

 

Cake Decorating for Beginners: Gill Hobbs

Add a fun, personal touch to cakes for special occasions. Gill will demonstrate easy methods, such as transferring pictures onto a cake, (the butterflip technique), and you’ll make a small butterflip to take home. She’ll also show samples of flower crafting and template design, which she can teach at a follow-up class. Gill is a skilled and creative cake decorator, who belonged to the British Sugarcraft Guild for many years. She loves transforming a basic cake into a celebratory visual treat. Time: 1.30 – 3.30pm, Amberley Sunday 7 July. Cost: 2 TimeBank Hurunui credits or $15, plus $2 for ingredients. Registrations: 03 3143406 or tbhlearningexchange@gmail.com

 

Biodiversity in the Hurunui: Then, Now and What Can Be in Future?

Join two noted biodiversity experts to discuss our native flora and fauna, some of which is unique and endangered.

Nicola Toki, the Department of Conservation’s Threatened Species Ambassador, will talk about the amazing diversity of Hurunui’s native wildlife and how to protect it.

Alice Shanks: QEII ConservationTrust rep for Banks Peninsula, Selwyn Plains, & Ashburton,

Alice will talk about limestone-country plants and their conservation status, focusing on the Hurunui district.

This event is organised by Hurunui Biodiversity Group. HBG is a group of local landowners and others who share an interest in fostering understanding of how to better conserve and manage areas of natural and indigenous biodiversity within our district.

Wednesday 10 July, 7 – 8.30pm, Greta Valley Tavern. RSVP to hurunuibiodiversity@gmail.com

 

Breast Surgery Exercises: Joanna Hingston

This class is for women who have undergone breast surgery, including mastectomies. Problems that can occur are restricted movement, numbness, and swelling (lymphodema) if lymph glands have been removed. To prevent or alleviate such problems, Joanna will show you a specific set of exercises based on the Australian YWCA Encore programme, which she learned in Sydney. They are designed to improve mobility, upper-body strength and tone, and are fun to do. As well as learning some great self-care tips, this will be a chance to ask questions and share experiences.

Time: 7 – 8.30pm, Thursday 25 July, Amberley library. Cost: 1.5 TimeBank Hurunui credits or donation appreciated. Register: 03 314 3406 or tbhlearningexchange@gmail.com

 

Curing Meat 101: Sophie Jackson

Learn the age-old tradition of curing at this fun workshop, hosted by Sophie Jackson. Sophie is a food scientist and a passionate “foodie” and forager. She loves inspiring people to be confident with home-made food production, to source local ingredients and to ensure the outcome is safe to eat! In this hands-on workshop, she will show you how to get creative and technical with simple ingredients. We’ll make delicious yet easy Hungarian-style sausages, cure some wild venison and a pork cheek, while discussing flavourings, smoking and smokers, casing varieties, use of nitrates and trends in the food world. Samples of sausages and cured venison will be on offer, as well as some of Sophie’s other Salumi creations.

 

Cheviot, Sunday 28 July, 1 – 3pm. 2 TimeBank Hurunui credits or $20. Ingredients cost tbc. Places limited, so book early! Registrations: 03 314 3406 or tbhlearningexchange@gmail.com

 

 

DIY Beeswax Wraps: Serina Linton

July is Plastic Free month! Do away with cling film and try a natural, healthy substitute that you can make yourself. “Rethink Waste” educator Serina Linton will show how reusable wraps made from beeswax-soaked fabric are easy and fun to make. Serina is passionate about teaching children and families practical ways to care for the environment with reuse and recycling. She’ll share her handy tips at this workshop, and we’ll make wraps to take home. BYO cotton fabric, (pre-washed).

Time: 4.30 – 6pm, Tues. 30 July. Amuri library

Donation appreciated to cover organising costs.

Register: 03 314 3406 or tbhlearningexchange@gmail.com

 

Pelvic Health for Women: Sarah Sidey

 

Sarah is a physiotherapist passionate about women’s health. She wants women to be more informed about ways to protect and maintain their pelvic floor muscles to prevent or alleviate incontinence, particularly after childbirth or following menopause. Such issues affect up to 50% of women at some stage of life, and can lead to prolapses and other serious health problems. At this talk Sarah will offer practical tips about what to do, what to avoid, and where to go for expert help if you need it. She’ll show us some simple exercises and how to do them correctly.

Time: 10.30 – 12 pm, Thursday 1 August, Waikari Hall. Cost: 1.5 TimeBank Hurunui credits or $10 suggested. Morning tea included. Register: 03 314 3406 or tbhlearningexchange@gmail.com

 

Vegetarian and Vegan Cooking: Marina Locke

 

Learn to create simple, tasty vegetarian and vegan dishes, and design meals that are nutritionally balanced. Marina learned vegetarian, macrobiotic, and vegan cooking at a specialty restaurant in Toronto and loves to grow her own food as much as possible. At this class, she will demonstrate making socca flatbread (made with chickpea flour), vegan pizza, chocolate bliss balls and/or seed cookies. We’ll share our meal at the end of the class.

10.30am - 1pm, Saturday 3 August, Amberley. Cost: 2.5 TimeBank Hurunui credits or $17, plus ingredients cost tbc. Registrations essential: email tbhlearningexchange@gmail.com or 03 314 3406.

 

A Stitch in Time: DIY Mending: Jenny Barkley

 

There was a time when mending clothing was part of our thrifty, waste-not-want-not culture. Did you know mending is making a comeback? It’s rewarding and fun to do, and can be a creative fashion statement!

Experienced sewer Jenny Barkley will demonstrate tools in her her mender’s basket, and explain how to repair rips, darn or patch holes, replace zips, rescue dropped or frayed hems, and even sew on a button. BYO items to repair, also sewing kit and a machine if you can. We welcome people who already mend to come share your tips and enjoy a social time getting some mending done.

Time: Thurs 8 August, 10am -12, Amberley Bowling Club. Cost: 2 TimeBank Hurunui credits or $12. Morning tea provided. Registrations: 03 314 3406 or tbhlearningexchange@gmail.com

 

Techlab - IT Challenges for Small Businesses and  Organisations, including Database and Network Design: Hans van der Horst

Keeping up with IT is challenging for small businesses and organisations, but it’s essential for success.

Hans van der Horst is an IT engineer who specialises in database design and management, back-up and security issues and network-server set up. In this class he’ll focus on designing systems that’ll help streamline your business processes: e.g., linking websites to databases and generating reports. Hans will also respond to general queries or issues you may have relating to other IT aspects of your business/organisation.

 Time: Tues 13 August. 7 – 8.30pm, Amberley Library. Cost: 1.5 TimeBank Hurunui credits or donation appreciated. Registration: 03 314 3406 or email tbhlearningexchange@gmail.com

 

Edible Wild Greens: Melany Wright

 

Expand your appreciation of Hurunui’s free, natural bounty! Join experienced forager Melany Wright for an educational ramble to harvest a bounty of edible “weeds”, e.g., miners’ lettuce, sorrel, wild parsley and many more. You’ll learn how to identify plants and what you can do with them, then we’ll head to Mel’s kitchen to make and sample some culinary treats, such as salads and pesto.

Time: 10.30am – 2.30pm, Saturday 24 August, Omihi. Cost: 4 TimeBank Hurunui credits or $30 suggested. (Location notified on booking). Book early, places limited. To register, contact: 03 314 3406 or tbhlearningexchange@gmail.com

 

 

Healing Herbs: Melany Wright

 

Make your own nurturing herbal oils, salves and creams, with plants you can forage or find

in your garden. Mel will lead us on a forage, then show us how to prepare herbal oil infusions and how to use them as a base for creams and salves. She’ll explain the beneficial properties of the different oils and what products derived from them can be used for, and there’ll be samples to take home. Mel is a well-known local forager and chef who loves helping people appreciate nature’s free bounty all around.

 

Time: 1 – 5pm, Saturday 7 September. Cost: 4 TimeBank Hurunui credits or $30 suggested, plus small ingredients cost tbc. (Location notified on booking). Book early, places limited. To register: 03 314 3406 or tbhlearningexchange@gmail.com

 

 

Gardening for Year-round Colour and Variety: Margaret Horrell

 

Join gardener and floral-artist Margaret Horrell for a springtime talk and tour of her established garden. Margaret loves creating gardens that are colourful and interesting throughout every season. She has a wealth of knowledge about flower and shrub varieties that will embellish your garden and floral arrangements, and how to propagate and grow them in local conditions. She’ll also give advice about saving seeds from your favourite varieties. Margaret is member and tutor of the Cheviot floral art group.

Time: Cheviot, Monday 9 September 10.30am – 12pm. Cost: 1.5 TimeBank Hurunui credits or $15. Registrations: 03 314 3406 or email tbhlearningexchange@gmail.com

 

 

Sustainable Wine Growing: Gwyn Williams

 

Hurunui district is home to a significant wine industry, and environmental sustainability has helped shaped its success.

Gwyn Williams has been at the forefront of this development as a former chair of Waipara Winegrowers, and the NZ Winegrowers Sustainability committee. At this talk, Gwyn will explain how and why the national sustainability initiative began in 1995, and today covers 98% of vineyards and wineries, including 7% that are organic. He’ll discuss the current review of the programme’s scorecards, auditing process, etc, and also talk about the Greening Waipara programme.

7 – 8.30pm, Amberley Library, Tuesday 10 September. Cost: 1.5 TimeBank Hurunui credits or donation appreciated. Registration: 03 314 3406 or email tbhlearningexchange@gmail.com

 

 

Making Lavender Bath Bombs: Charlotte Brown

Give yourself, or someone special, a relaxing treat!Learn how to make gorgeous foamy bath bombs scented with lavender essential oil. Charlotte grows and processes lavender on her property and uses it for her home-made soaps and oils. At this hands-on workshop, she will guide us through the process of crafting a small bath bomb, which we will gift wrap to take home. She’ll also demonstrate how to make a large bomb, and talk about different ingredients and recipes you can use. All molds and materials provided.

Time: 10am – 12pm, Wed. 18 September. Cost: 2 TimeBank Hurunui credits or $15, plus ingredients cost tbc Registration: 03 314 3406 or tbhlearningexchange@gmail.com

 

Screening of Fools & Dreamers

This acclaimed 30-min documentary is about Hinewai Nature Reserve, on Canterbury’s Banks Peninsula, and its kaitiaki/manager of 30 years, botanist Hugh Wilson.
Hugh and the Maurice White Native Forest Trust have regenerated marginal, hilly farmland into native forest, using a minimal interference method that allows nature to do the work, giving life to over 1500 hectares of native forest, waterways, and the creatures that live within them. This strategy includes leaving gorse as a nurse canopy that dies back once self-seeding native plants grow through it.
Hugh’s passion for his life’s project has inspired many. Locally, the success of his vision has contributed to the dynamic Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust. Is it possible to adopt a Hinewai-type approach to parts of North Canterbury? Come, view the movie and discuss. Bruce Hansen from the MWNFT will be at the screening and happy to answer questions.

 

 

 

 

May -  June 2019

 

 

 

Food Rescue and Reducing Food Waste: Phillipa Hunt

Satisfy Food Rescue collaborates with food retailers and community organisations to re-direct surplus perishable food to people in North Canterbury who need it. Phillipa Hunt, chair of Satisfy, will tell how it works to reduce food waste and make good food available to everyone. She’ll also give tips about avoiding wastage at home and in workplaces. Satisfy partners with organisations in Amberley and Waikari, and is open to exploring ways to help in other parts of the Hurunui.

Thurs. 9 May, 7 – 8.30pm, Amberley library. Cost: 1.5 TimeBank Hurunui credits or donation appreciated.

 

Tech Lab: Update your Toolkit: Dean Harliwich

Fed up with squinting at screens to find lost dates, backtracking through emails, or misplacing critical files? This Tech Lab will review some free websites and programs for streamlining personal, business or community projects. Learn about different tech tools (eg Trello, Slack) and how to tie them together in a way that's reliable and accessible. From group discussions to marketing solutions, storing files to tracking tasks, planning meetings to fundraising, Dean will get you thinking about how to use technology better for managing your important tasks and exciting projects! Dean has learned a few ways to make life easier in the IT labyrinth. He is a coordinator for Bridge2Rocks Timebank and Timebanks of Canterbury.

Tues. 14 May 7 – 8.30pm, Amberley library.  Cost: 1.5 TimeBank Hurunui credits or donation appreciated. Registrations essential

 

Making Memories Stitch by Stitch: Jenny Barkley

Memory quilts are a way to celebrate the lives of loved ones, or mark special milestones. They can be precious gifts and keepsakes to pass on. Quilter Jenny Barkley will explain how to make or contribute to a project, using a gifted collection of patches featuring images, mementos and messages. Whether you are a quilter or not, Jenny’s samples and stories will inspire you and help your creative ideas flow.

Wed. 22 May, 10 – 11.30am, Amberley (venue tbc on registration). Cost: 1.5 TimeBank Hurunui credits or $10.

 

Vegetarian and Vegan Cooking: Marina Locke

Learn to create simple, tasty vegetarian and vegan dishes, and design meals that are nutritionally balanced. Marina Locke learned vegetarian, macrobiotic, and vegan cooking at a specialty restaurant in Toronto and loves to grow her own food as much as possible. She will demonstrate making a veggie loaf and a chocolate quinoa mousse. You are welcome to bring a selection of what you find in your garden and be shown how to incorporate it into a delicious dish. We’ll share our meal at the end of the class.

Sat. 25  May, 10.30am - 1pm,  Balcairn Hall. 2.5 TimeBank Hurunui credits or $17, plus ingredients cost $3.

 

DIY Beeswax Wraps: Serina Linton

 

Do away with plastic cling film and try a natural and healthy substitute that you can make yourself! Reusable wraps from fabric soaked with beeswax are easy and fun to make. Serina Linton is a ‘rethink waste’ educator and is passionate about teaching children and families practical ways to care for the environment with reuse and recycling. She’ll share her handy tips at this workshop, and we’ll make wraps to take home. BYO cotton fabric.

 

Time: 4.30 – 6pm, Monday 27 May, Hanmer Springs library. Donation appreciated to cover organising costs.

 

“Problem” Children & How to Help Them: Geoff Winter

Parents, caregivers, educators, whanau members - this is an opportunity to discuss ways of helping children with challenging behaviours. Positive changes are more likely when you involve the child in resolving issues, setting boundaries and making settlements meaningful. Easier said than done!

Geoff Winter has learned effective strategies from his experience as a foster parent specialising in children with behavioural problems, such as non-cooperation and anger, and also as a police detective in the UK where he worked in child protection. Geoff will share his insights and discuss particular concerns you may want to raise.

 

Time: Thursday 30 May, 7 – 8.30 pm, Amberley library