Nurturing the environment, nurturing self
Step into any Garden to Table school in Aotearoa, and you’ll see students taking action towards a more sustainable future.
There’s an intrinsic connection between our food systems, our environment, and our personal health.
As tamariki learn to grow, harvest, prepare, and share good food through the Garden to Table programme, they also learn how to nurture Papatūānuku (our Earth Mother). This, in turn, benefits their own hauora (health and wellbeing).
Let’s take a look at what this looks like in action.
From the outside, Garden to Table may look like a simple food education programme, where children learn to grow and cook fresh food. But, there’s much more than first meets the eye.
In the māra kai (garden), students are responsible for turning the compost, mulching the soil, and planting seasonal crops. Through this, they discover how our whenua (land) can produce nourishing seasonal kai.
In the kihini (kitchen), as the garden’s bounty is turned into delicious meals, tamariki build their understanding of where food comes from. No transportation or packaging is required - helping to offset carbon emissions, and save forestry, water, energy, and labour resources.
Finally, as food scraps are turned into compost, tamariki experience the full circular food system in action, and get to understand the environmental impacts of their food choices.
The students have just as much to gain from this as the environment itself does.
A quiet, leafy place to sit, or a chance to nurture a patch of earth might not seem like a huge deal to all - but, for many, it can be transformational.
Gardens and green spaces offer many therapeutic and sensory benefits - and as tamariki spend time in the garden, they gain access to these benefits.
Indeed, gardens are immersive spaces - filled with fragrances, vibrant colours, and varied textures, all of which provide the perfect conditions for slowing the mind, practicing mindfulness, and being present.
Additionally, the responsibility that comes with caring for a patch of land enhances their sense of control and ownership - something which is particularly important in a world that can be overwhelming for some children.
The changes that occur in the garden as seasons move and shift, can serve as a subtle lesson in transformation - helping to equip tamariki with the tools they need to cope with their own changes. The abundance of the garden also enables children to explore their imagination and creativity, and practice gratitude.
This Christmas, you can empower children to whanake (grow), hauhake (harvest), whakarite (prepare), and whāngai (share) fresh and seasonal kai. With your support, tamariki will learn vital life skills - ensuring a brighter future for them, their whānau, and their communities.