Ngā Hua te Taio

Good news stories (and more) for the planet 

Kia ora, Salient reader! Welcome to our new fortnightly column on the environment, sustainable living, and the small, stubborn act of hope amongst a world on fire! Check in every second week for waste-free recipes, genuinely good news, and practical ways to lend a hand—nudging a happier, healthier Earth a little closer into view.

Waste-free recipe of the week:

Tortillas are a staple of the student diet. Whether you’re going full gourmet with crispy chicken and greens or just melting cheese in the microwave at midnight, it’s hard to beat the simplicity of the humble tortilla. So, what better place to begin than a tortilla you can make yourself—for tuppence, and without that pesky plastic bag. 

The easy, cost-saving, eco flour tortillas (An Edmonds Recipe)

• 2 cups flour

• 3 tbsp oil

• ½ tsp salt

• ¾ cup warm water

Mix all ingredients til well combined. 

Knead for at least three minutes. 

Let rest for at least 30 minutes (this part is key).

Roll into 8 rounds.

Cook in a pan over medium–high heat until done.

Stack and cover with a damp cloth to keep them soft and flexible.

Enjoy—and feel, briefly, like a very competent little chef.

Pockets of hope:

Beat the back to class blues with the Department of Conservation’s live webcams, where you can study alongside baby kākāpō and royal albatross. It is, more or less, a national truth that baby birds bring out the best in New Zealanders.

Search “Doc Webcams” and join the sweet community all fawning over these lil buddys.

Beyond the cuteness, there’s good news here: this marks the first kākāpō breeding season since 2022, with the added bonus of building a wider network of support for conservation efforts. See you online with the chicks.

Get involved!:

Wellington is bustling with conservation initiatives to get stuck in with, but why not start with one right here on the doorstep of Kelburn campus: The Kumutoto Restoration Project.

This is a community led project seeking to restore the mana and the mauri of the Kumutoto awa. They meet through the bush past Club-K on the second and fourth Saturday of every month from 10 a.m.. to 12 p.m. Activities range from running trap lines and monitoring stream health to planting trees, pulling weeds, five-minute bird counts, and, occasionally, an open mic or poetry session.

Expect warm welcomes, good soup, and become a part of the growing community prioritising both connection to each other and the whenua they are nurturing. 

To get involved find them on Facebook: Kumutoto Restoration Project, Instagram: @kumutotorestorationproject or Email: kumutotostream@gmail.com. Stay tuned for an article straight from the source in next week's edition of the Salient!