Festival embraces the spirit of sustainable living

JASON OXENHAM

PARTY TIME: Getting ready for the West Lynn street party are, from left, Grey Lynn 2030 steering committee member and event organiser Pippa Coom, art studio tours team leader Jan- laire Hughes and steering committee member Suzanne Kendrick.

Relevant offers

THE Grey Lynn community is getting ready to celebrate its unique spirit with a week of events.

The Grey Lynn 2030 group is holding the inaugural Grey Lynn 2030 Week to bring people together and promote sustainability.

Organiser Pippa Coom says although the community has some regular events such as the farmers market and other features like community gardens, Grey Lynn 2030 decided to bring everything together for a week of celebration.

The event kicks off on Sunday at the Grey Lynn Farmers Market, with ideas for saving water and money in the home.

It continues with activities and events every day, culminating in a West Lynn street party and twilight market on Thursday.

She says the plan is to make the week an annual event, but also use it to kickstart other community initiatives such as teaching people how to keep chickens in an urban environment and working towards sustainability.

Grey Lynn 2030 steering committee member Suzanne Kendrick says the group was formed from the Transition Towns movement, which focuses on communities responding to climate change, resource depletion and a growth-based economy.

Even events like the street party tie into the philosophy by encouraging people to appreciate their local shops they can walk to.

"A lot of what you want you can get from the local shops.

"We want to create a real people space for the street party," Ms Coom says.

Art studio tours leader Jan-Claire Hughes has arranged for people to visit local artists in their studios and watch them work.

"It will be a day of total art immersion."

Other events during the week include a movie screening, a tour of gardening guru Lynda Hallinan's garden, an introduction to meditation and a tour of the Kelmarna Organic City Farm.

World Water Day and Earth Hour will also take place during the week and local residents are being asked to take a pledge to go low-carbon by leaving the car at home during the festivities.

For more information on the week and events, go to greylynn2030.co.nz.

- © Fairfax NZ News