PVA back at ASB Polyfest 2024!
20 March 2024
We had the pleasure of being back at the ASB Polyfest this year connecting with all walks from all around the mōtu! Serving up generous slices of our PVA values, missions and projects, we had a nice spot next to the Boundary Road entrance.
Polyfests’ theme/kaupapa for 2024 was: "Me anga whakamuri kia koke whakamua" which translates to “Looking to our past to determine our future”.
Right off the bat this kaupapa already resonates with PVA. As we rely on looking back to the wisdom of our ancestors to restore the future.
Re-using our trusty life jackets which we used to display the word “#KAIWAKA” at the forefront of our gazebo at Polyfest 2023, this year we came up with “#WAKA_AI”.. For PVA is one of many waka that carries A.I or at PVA what we call Ancestral Intelligence.. For we believe it is Ancestral Intelligence that carries us and guides us through the modern and urban environment.
On day 1 we had the honour of receiving time and space on the Kuki Airani stage. Kathleen took the stage to share what we’re all about at PVA and invited the crowd to think deeper about whakapapa. Whakapapa is traditionally used to trace our ancestral blood lines but at PVA we use this whakapapa knowledge to recognise that actually everything in existence has a whakapapa. From the aluminium cans we drink from, the wooden spoons we eat with, the fibres that make up the clothes we wear - they all have a whakapapa.. They all come from somewhere in the environment. We want to encourage thought about where the things we use in everyday life come from and how the sourcing of the materials affect our environment. And our gazebo had a beautiful flow of this ancestral intelligence: do you know the whakapapa?
In the first corner Ana showcased where life begins.. A glimpse of our Ko’anga nursery. We displayed seeds harvested from our gardens in their most natural forms and seeds tucked away from our seed sanctuary. We also had a few of our new seed packets and a bunch of healthy seedlings that were grown in our Ko’anga. For a fun hands-on activity we set up a ‘Sow the seed’ station and the kiddies and adults alike enjoyed sowing their favourite in-season veges, herbs and flowers to each take home and nurture.
This flowed into Kat’s first station: Polynator Kaiways. People were shocked to hear about the need for flies in order to have avocados and the even lesser known bat who pollinates in the night time. We ran a prize draw for participants who could successfully name just one pollinator! We had over 100 entries and announced the winner on our Facebook! Well done Awatea Heke who won the prize of some flash, brand spanking new Skull Candy Bluetooth Headphones!
Of course we set up the life saving composting systems - worm farm, hot compost and bokashi, sparking interest in others to save the lifeforce and essence of our food scraps through composting. Whakapapa - know where food comes from to know where your food scraps go, knowing where your compost comes from and knowing fully what went in it. It was interesting to see how many people are still on the fence about composting but we were so stoked to connect with a couple school reps who are keen to get composting systems put in place with our help. These small steps that just one person takes, become a domino effect opening the door for many others to walk through. If you missed us at Polyfest and are keen to join the composting journey follow our Facebook page to see upcoming workshops or flick us a message manava@pva.co.nz
Our compost system set up flowed into a space where we shared kai. Herbs with all their benefits, fresh fruit for all to enjoy and our Boundary Honey which was harvested a couple days prior.
Sera put on a beautiful corner of thrifted clothing supporting the ‘slow fashion’ movement which is the opposite of what clothing production is today. Simply by looking at your clothings composition, you can know the whakapapa of that piece. E.g Polyester which is one of the most prominent materials in today's fast fashion scene, is actually plastic that mostly comes from petroleum and is completely unsustainable and unhealthy for ourselves and the planet. You could feel the passion burning in Sera’s heart when raising awareness about these trends. And she was thrilled to meet some super awesome slow fashion superstars who share that same passion, showing off their thrifted outfits. Sera has some crafty things in the planning phase but if you are interested, throw her a line sera@pva.co.nz
And in the last corner Kathleen took the initiative to provide guidance around the new recycling rules which have introduced a ban of detached lids and changed the numbers of what can be put into the recycling bins. A lot of people admit there was a lot of confusion around it but it was also awesome to meet the recycling champions in workplaces ensuring that their team are aware of the do’s and dont’s and found Kat’s suggestions helpful.
PVA is proud to be leading ASB Polyfest to become Plastic Free in 2025. This year we noticed that although there were guidelines on the different coloured bins, people still got it wrong which unfortunately is natural human error. We believe that by eliminating the use of plastic altogether there will be no room for confusion, leading us closer to a plastic free society. The ASB Polyfest is just one event but when you think of the amount of people that come through grabbing food and drinks, the huge bins fill up quite quickly. It was eye opening to see the emptying of the bins at the end of day, seeing the cross contamination throughout despite the clear labeling on bins. A huge mihi to Clean Events who took the time to go through and sort the colossal aftermath of rubbish at the end of each day ensuring each bit ended up in the right place.
The weather was absolutely beautiful up until Day 4 where it bucketed down and I’d describe it overall as an eye-opening yet wholesome and fun experience. Wondering what words we will come up with, with our life jackets next year for ASB Polyfest Plastic Free 2025!
- Ana Ung