Introducing our AMI Community Grant Finalists
This is day number eight of showcasing two of our AMI Community Grant finalists to share a bit more about the great work that they're doing in Kiwi communities. You can help support these organisations by voting for them to win their share of $20,000.
Foster Hope Charitable Trust
Foster Hope purchases items to go inside backpacks that are given to children when they go into foster care as sadly, it’s not unusual for a child to arrive in care with only the clothes that they’re standing in. Our backpacks include a book, soft toy, toiletries, a carry all bag and other bits and pieces to let the child know that their community cares about them. We would love to include packs of new underwear in the packs if we had additional funds. VOTE NOW!
Taradale Alleyway Improvement / Beautification project
Taradale has two alleyways that are unlit and therefore unsafe to use in the evenings and due to their rundown appearance and lack of adequate directional signage, they are not working as well as they could to link the community to the center of Taradale. The project includes: installing safety lighting for evenings, painting a mural on the 36 metre long large wall to celebrate the 130th year since Taradale was made a Town District; erecting mural panels; installing better signage. VOTE NOW!
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
Share your favourite main crop potato recipe and win a copy of our mag!
Love potatoes? We will give away free copies of the May 2026 issue to readers whose potato recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite way to enjoy potatoes: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by March 1, 2026.
Loading…
