If asked to envision a thriving environment, many people might think of a stunning rainforest, a teeming ocean, or African plains.  As for my city dwelling self, well, I'd settle for a walk in a park on most days.  I don't view this as a bad thing; a stimulating social life ranks pretty high on the list of priorities.  I do wish that there were more natural spaces integrated into the city and less concrete.  

Lucky for me, I get the introduction to a 1.5 hectare (3.7 acres) site tucked away in a corner of a university campus in central Auckland.  As I learn, the space not also harbors plants, but also solutions to climate change and many ills of society. 

The Unitec Hortecology Sanctuary (UHS) encompasses many different functions.  At once, it is a learning facility, a testing ground, a food forest, a certified organic garden, and an exemplar of permaculture design.  It contains a rotated 6 section garden bed, 3 trails, student project spaces, compost stalls, and a vertical compost unit (VCU)   that was a world first. 

The UHS was founded in 1999 by lecturer Brendan Hoare and colleague Richard Main.  It evolved from an empty field with lawns and rubble into a facility frequented by horticulture enthusiasts from as far away as the UK and Japan. 

Brendan and Richard set out with the principles of opportunity, inclusion, and abundance when they created the Sanctuary.  With a carefully defined strategy and 3 years of hard work with students, the space took shape, and has since evolved into a lush landscape.  Nearly every corner of the property is filled with plants-some natives, some exotic, and even weeds (yes, weeds!).  The weeds are carefully controlled and viewed opportunistically: when composted, they make a great biomass that gets redistributed to the other food bearing plants. 

While exploring the space with Brendan, he nips off several broad beans from tall stalks, and passes one to me.  "The Sanctuary isn't just about plants," he tells me while multitasking.  He peels the broad bean, eats, and then whips the casing back at the garden floor amongst the greenery, nutrient recycling at its finest.  "This place is about possibilities and a new way forward.  We want to challenge how a city landscape is viewed, challenge what people think of as biodiversity."  

He delves into hortecology: it is one part horticulture, one part ecology, cleverly mixed together in a philosophy that is accommodating of diversity.  It's a place where all plants can be... well, plants, and people can come to experience a terrain less ordinary. 

Thousands have done just that over the years.  Around 300 students have managed the property under Brendan and Richard's guidance, and community groups, local school children, government delegations, permaculture classes, and a myriad of others have filed through the Sanctuary's corridors. 

Of the visitors coming through, Brendan says that for many, spending quiet time with nature has been a first.  "In the busy world with all its distractions, not many people have taken the time to just sit quietly in an ecosystem and contemplate, just be in the space and understand how nature works," he says. 

In the glaring New Zealand sunshine, we walk from the garden space leaving the broad beans behind and move to the quiet canopy of the adjacent food forest.  It is tranquil, and the rest of the landscape quickly melts from view.  It's not surprising to learn that a campus ministry group has recently appropriated the forest as a spiritual retreat space. 

Brandon explains that the forest was built in layers of succession over time, with pioneer species breaking ground and adding fertility.  Now everything from avocados to pawpaws, and yes even some weeds, thrive.  I ask Brendan about the weeds and get more than I bargained for.    

"Everything has their place here; everything is welcome.   Some people view weeds as problems, but they have their uses," he says.  "From weeds to climate change to our energy sources, we need to stop thinking of the planet as a problem.  It is people and their approach to the planet that are the problem.  Out here it's not about the silly economic notion of scarcity; it's not about taking.  Nature is abundance, and we as humans need to get our heads around that.  We need to be opportunistic and start behaving in a natural way, working with the systems the planet made."

Given my editorial focus, my ears perk up and I probe Brendan on the subject of climate change.  Does he see the Sanctuary as one part of the solution?  A way to raise food locally, better understand ecology, and have a smaller footprint?    

"Climate change is part of a much, much larger issue.  There have been many realisations in recent years-- about the climate, about agriculture, about energy, etc.  Climate change is the latest realisation, but basically all these issues are signaling the end of the industrial era," Brendan says.  "It's this new era that we are struggling to grasp.  We have been locked into our industrial mindset, our way of solving problems, and we are only just starting to shake out of it." 

Brendan views behaviour change as key, and places like the Sanctuary as enablers of behaviour change.  "There are any number of capacities that can thrive in this environment," he says.  "Accounting, engineering, biology, and so on-they can all be applied here and find inspiration.  The learning starts here and moves outward, to society, our world, and how we approach it."

He continues as we head back towards the garden.  "We live in an age where people are too much in their heads," he says.  "We need to be outside ourselves, in practice, taking action, making change.  This Sanctuary is about restoring our environment on one level, but it is also about building resilience in the community, about making connections, and developing ourselves."

Getting experience in a place like the Sanctuary has opened my eyes to a number of new approaches and I'm struck by how many good things can come out of one place.  Opportunities abound, and anyone interacting with this kind of place has the chance to grow and eat food, build relationships, develop their own talents, and learn about nature all in one go.  It is a way to tackle climate change and concurrently change the underlying behaviour responsible for it and so many other problems. 

Nearing the end of our walk through, Brendan wraps up.  "The Sanctuary is an expression of this land and this place.  We need to replicate this elsewhere in New Zealand and the rest of the world," he says.  "This is a model that works and that needs to be replicated." 

I ask him if he has any other parting thoughts, and Brendan issues me this challenge as I head out: "Encourage people to get out of their heads.  We analyse far too much.  Get out there and do it."  With those words in my mind, I'm inspired to continue my work.  I also know that I'll be back to be involved with the Sanctuary, so watch this space.

For more information, contact Brendan Hoare:
Mobile: +64 27 2888 618
Email: bhoare@organic-systems.org