Public Lecture: Biodiversity Lectureship Series

‘rethinking our urban green spaces’

When: 3 Nov, 12.30-1.15

Where: ECAN, Waiau Theatre, 58 Kilmore Street.

For more information: TB-Biodiversity Speaker Series

Tessa Bunny is presenting Wild the City in Invercargill 1st Sept

4:00-5:30 Environment Southland Council Chambers

Coner of North Road & Price Street, Invercargill

All Welcome 

Graphics By Sophie Curtis & Jessie McKay, Design Studies Department, University of Otago

The Eco vertical wall is a matrix of colours, textures and smells. Instead of an art work in the office why not have a vertical green wall, a living tapestry. 

This living wall is at Lincoln University, Christchurch NZ. 

Here are some ideas for green walls and how to create them. They can even be a vertical veggie garden

An unusual act or a piece of art like a sculpture can draw peoples attention demanding people to think about public space that they would otherwise walk through unaware. This stunt in the University campus did make me chuckle. ‘No cycling in campus‘  modified into a more positive message - genius.

Even if it lasted just for a moment. 

Seed bombs otherwise known as ‘green grenades‘ along with midnight watering missions are a great adventure with a positive spin of community action.  Seasoned and savvy guerilla gardeners know to pick hardy, drought tolerant plants that require little maintenance and have great visual impact.  

Guerilla Gardening is essentially gardening on someones land without permission and is generally used as a means for people to reclaim and regenerate public spaces.

This group of people have a range of different motives.  Some guerilla gardeners aim to beautify, add interest and some are motivated to produce food.  Others may be solely focused on planting natives, making a statement to local council.  Whatever the reason, arguing to create complexity in our public spaces, provide habitat for native birds or celebrating local plants to create a sense of place, Guerilla Gardening is happening.  

Guerilla gardeners usually find neglected areas, spaces void of plants or unimaginative plantings to work their magic. Good guerilla gardening opportunites are street traffic islands, under street trees or in the ever boring biennial flower plantings.  

Richard Reynolds is well-known guerilla gardener in London and has led the high-profile Elephant and Castle Guerilla gardens.

How to Guerilla garden?

Why not throw in a bit of spinach and mix it up? Not only would it create more visual interest but also some kai for the ever hungry university student or some native plants as a food source for birds.  All it takes is a good throw of a seed bomb from the bus or from your bike on the way home from work or school- easy as. 

While guerilla gardening is a great concept with lots happening in Europe, it has been slow to take off in New Zealand. Perhaps the councils are too diligent in attending and defending the annual planting of salvias in the traffic islands. 

Tessa Bunny is giving a public lecture about Wild the City this Thursday 22nd July at 4:00 CSAFE, 547 Castle Street, University of Otago. All Welcome.

 Attempting to stimulate thought about possibilities for our cities to be transformed in more vibrant and livable places.

Tessa Bunny is giving a presentation about Wild the City in the St Davids Lecture Theatre complex 3:30 Saturday 10th.

The ‘Wild the City’ installation will inspire you to think about possibilities that could transform our cities’ green spaces, and about how we can create complex green spaces that encourage wildness in our cities. 

Come and experience ‘Wild the City’, a visual and sound exhibit at Wall Street Mall in Dunedin.

The Wild the City concept aims to transform cities to provide:

• habitat for native birds and insects
• spaces for food production
• areas for unstructured, imaginative play
• There are so many opportunities for psychological, spiritual health benefits from experiencing nature in urban places.

Don’t miss this display 6-11 July, Wall Street mall. The Wild the City exhibit is part of the NZ Science Festival.

This poster was designed by Sophie Curtis & Jessie McKay. A big thanks to these graphic designers. 

Click here to listen to Wild the City soundscape

As people tune into their iPods they tune out of nature - they don’t seem to care what is around them. Some city centres are dominated by the sound of cars- they are a hum of frenziness.  When you are in these streets you are unable to hear little else.  It is no wonder we attempt to block out all sound.   

Joey Bania’s ‘Late Reflections’ blog focuses on the importance of sound.  Joey discusses ‘Saving our Sounds‘ a website the BBC have set up ‘to raise awareness of acoustic ecology, soundscapes and the decline thereof’.  He has also created a  very cool soundscape highlighting the importance of sound and acoustic ecology- check it out.