Fun With Flax

Tui drinking nectar from a flax flower.

 Flax is just one of the many amazing plants you can find here in New Zealand. Known as harakeke among Maori, flax is an important plant to human and animal life alike. Flax provides shelter and food to a number of animals including birds, bats, geckos, snails, and insects. Some insects go through their entire lifecycle on this plant alone! The Maori understood that they needed to treat the plant properly in order to keep it alive and subsequently support the surrounding ecosystem. This proverb shows their conservation-mindedness:

Hutia te rito o te harakeke, Kei whea te komako e ko?

If the heart of harakeke was removed, where will the bellbird sing?

The Maori view the harakeke as a family unit,
 with the child at the center.

When gathering flax for a project, only the outer layers are removed. This keeps the plant alive and allows it to regenerate over time. If the center, or heart, was removed, the plant would die and would no longer be able to be used by anyone. In this way, the flax bush was seen as a family. The outer layers are symbolic of the "outer" or older members of the family. The inner leaves represent the parents while the center symbolizes the child. The rest of the "family" shelters and nurtures the child at the center. When cutting the outer leaves, make sure to cut at a downward angle so that water won't pool inside and cause the plant to rot.

Maori usually say a karakia, or prayer, when harvesting leaves from the harakeke. In this prayer, thanks is first given for the plant. The harvester also prays that no harm may come to the plant or whoever will work with the material or finished product.

Flax makes strong fiber to work with. It is traditionally used for making whariki (mats), kets, paraerae (sandals). The stringy fibers are used for making kakahu (cloaks), rope, fishing line, and nets. The nectar was used as a sweetener and the dried flower stalks lashed together as mokihi (rafts). Lastly, the pia (gum) and boiled roots were used for medicinal purposes. Additionally, the "gel" that oozes from a cut leaf has similar properties to that of Aloe vera. Truly a useful plant! 

For homemaking this past week, our friend Ailsa came over to teach us about flax and how to work with it. She took us out to the yard to each cut our own leaf to work with. After we all chose and harvested the leaves, we sat out on the deck and began our project. Working with flax is tapu, or sacred. Because of this, where and how you weave it is important. It shouldn't be done at a table where you normally eat because that causes a mixing of different parts of life. For this reason you also shouldn't eat while weaving. And wash your hands after finishing because it contains the compound anthraquinone, a known laxative. Weaving should be done in a quiet, focused atmosphere. It is also custom that your first creation should be given away. 

Ailsa taught us all the ins and outs of weaving with flax.

Once we were all educated about the versatile harakeke plant and its value, we began our first weaving project. We would be weaving the flax into a flower design. First, you rip the leaf blade into long strips. You can pinch out the midrib as it is very tough and harder to work with. It can also be useful later on to add support. The inner strips should be thinner because they are tougher than the outer ones.  Once this is completed, you're ready to weave! It's over, under, over, under, always starting from the same side (left or right, just choose before beginning and stay consistent). Keep everything tight for a clean look.  Once you get to the last free strip, you'll be changing direction (follow the photos in row 2). As you continue, it will begin to form a spiral shape (row 3). Every flower will look different based on the individual's technique. Mine turned out to be very square, but others were round. Once you are nearing the end of your pieces, take one strip and split it in half. Wrap it around the others in opposite directions and tie it off. From there, you can separate the strips into fine threads and cut them to the desired length. You can also attach shells or other items to personalize it further. Have fun with it!

Steps in weaving a flower out of flax.

All of the girls did a wonderful job. They were natural-born weavers! We are hoping to have Ailsa back with us again to learn to weave baskets.

Environmental Literature I

This week, we had Drew and Nancy Ward with us for Environmental Literature I. The students explored what makes a piece of writing "environmental literature" while reading and discussing short stories and poems by authors like Wendell Berry, Aldo Leopold, and Mary Oliver.

We celebrated Briana's (Westmont) birthday on Monday.

On Monday night, we had a special belated birthday "art gallery opening" party. Everyone was assigned a student or staff member to represent in a piece of art of their choosing. The results covered the board from paintings to poetry. Regan's (Dordt) chicken poo sculpture of Emma (Messiah) engaged not only the sense of sight, but the sense of smell. Katie (Dordt) actually became Brian (staff) herself, facial hair and all. The art was accompanied by some fancy cheeses and sparkling grape juice. Everyone dressed in formal attire made it a classy evening. Happy birthday Bri!

Just some of the highlights from Briana's (Westmont) birthday party.

On Wednesday, a group of students prepared a musical performance for the patients at the hospital and rest home. They sang hymns, Edelweiss, and even One Direction's "That What Makes You Beautiful" while Regan (Dordt) accompanied on guitar and Rachel (Bethel) on the violin. The audience was great and really appreciated us coming to play for them.

Katie (Dordt), Megan (Gordon), Regan (Dordt), Kelsey (Messiah), Becca (Gordon),
and Rachel (Bethel) performing for the patients at the hospital.

Friday evening, instead of lecture, we had a special worship service organized by the students. The service focused in on the theme of awakening. They chose beautiful songs and scripture to share pertaining to the theme. Megan (Gordon) recited a poem beside the fire, and we were invited to pray while transferring soil from one pot to another that we'll be planting a seed in. It was a nice way to end the week of Environmental Literature.

Top: Rachel (Bethel), Joy (Hope), and Richelle (Messiah) led us in worship during the student-led worship service.
Bottom: Megan (Gordon) recited a poem she memorized as part of the service.

Marine Ecology

NZ White-capped Mollymawk seen on Whale Watch

It's not too often a professor gets welcomed by her class with a rap! That's exactly what happened when my (Kristen, SLC) small group and I went to pick Laurie up from the airport in Christchurch after a weekend of camping. Megan (Gordon) performed the rap while Hannah (Messiah) laid the beat. They concluded their performance by offering Laurie Furlong, our professor, a muffin. It was a good start to Laurie's stay with us.

We spent a few days out in the tidepools searching for all sorts of creatures. We encountered an abundance of anemones, sea stars, crabs, fishes, and molluscs, and some of the most beautiful seaweeds you've ever seen. Chaetomorpha coliformis, otherwise known as cucumber seaweed or sea emerald, was one of everyone's favorites (in collage below near top left corner). Another favorite was the sea hare that Megan found. During our last trip to the field, students performed a survey of all the organisms they found on their transect of the shore. Combined with data from other semesters, this will help us to see how the intertidal community changes over time. 

We found some amazing creatures during our time in the field.

On Wednesday, with shouts of hallelujah for calm seas, we went out on Whale Watch. It was amazing to see the marine mammals that make Kaikoura so special. We were able to watch three sperm whale breathing at the surface before waving a goodbye fluke and diving down, down, down. We sighted a number of sea birds out on our trip as well. Cape pigeons, mollymawks (pictured at beginning of post) and other albatrosses, petrels, and shearwaters seemed to hug the waves as they whizzed by us. On our way back, we were surrounded by hundreds of dusky dolphins. They put on quite a show of leaps and flips. It was an incredible morning.

Sperm whales seen during our Whale Watch trip.

The dusky dolphins performed some amazing acrobatics!

Everyone pitched in to give Rachel (Bethel) a seaweed makeover after our shore survey. This is CCSP NZ's version of haute couture. I've never seen algae look quite so chic!

Rachel (Bethel) was given a seaweed makeover.
Just call her Hinemoana, Maori for sea woman.

I think one conservation issue we talked about in class that really affected us all is the effect of plastic on marine ecosystems. Laurie brought a few videos that enabled us to see what the Giant Pacific Garbage Patch looks like, how plastic is destroying an albatross colony in the Pacific, and what we can do to make a difference. The video showing what albatross chicks are eating and causing them to die of starvation affected me the most (Definitely worth seeing for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yom6zlm5VqE). If you don't know anything about this startling issue or want to learn more, you can visit http://www.plasticoceans.net.

We would like to reduce our plastic consumption by as much as we can, starting with plastic bags. Colin (Bethel) has made the commitment to bake as much bread as he can on our own so that we don't need to buy it from the grocery store in plastic bags. This is a goal Brian (Sustainable Food Coordinator) would like to reach as well. I can smell some loaves baking in the oven at this very moment. Sustainable, warm, and delicious!

Sustainability and Shearwaters

How do you sum up a week with Mick Duncan? For a start, students called it motivating, inspirational, thought-provoking, challenging, mind-blowing, and life-changing. What's the best thing you can take away from a week with Mick Duncan? The students' answer: practical wisdom. In week two, Mick showed us how to put our ideas into action and what sustainable community develoment looks like in real life. We opened up Mick's last lecture to the community again, then said goodbye. It was another great week.

The CCSP Spring 2013 class with their professor Mick Duncan.

 If you've never heard of a Hutton's Shearwater before, here's your chance to be formally introduced. Meet this amazing little, endangered bird that only breeds in Kaikoura! Also known in Maori as the tītī, it's the only New Zealand seabird that breeds in a sub-alpine environment, naturally nesting in the Seaward Kaikoura mountain range. However, with only 2 colonies left, the population is at risk of predation by invasive mammals. So, beginning in 2005, chicks have been brought down from the mountain burrows to a new predator-proof colony on the Kaikoura peninsula.

We were lucky enough to witness the chicks' translocation this spring! The chicks arrived by helicopter on Monday afternoon. Brett Cowan of DOC performed a traditional Maori greeting for the baby birds. They were each weighed, hydrated, and transferred to a burrow that they'll call home for the next few weeks. We were able to see some of the chicks up close and observe the whole process. In the coming weeks, both staff and students will be helping to feed the chicks until they fly off to Australia.

We hiked up the peninsula on Monday to see the Hutton's shearwater chicks get translocated from the mountains to the predator-proof breeding colony. What a unique opportunity to see an endangered species up close!

Parliament, Pinto Beans, and Passionfest

Our group outside the Beehive, NZ Parliament building, in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand.

Along the coast, over rolling hills, through the Marlborough Sounds, and across Cook Strait we went to reach Wellington. As part of Sustainable Community Development, we go to the Wellington area to see how community development is being put into action. We heard from a number of people working to connect community members and solve social issues. It was neat to hear how people from different walks of life are able to use their skills and talents to affect change. Whether it's in a boxing gym, a wetland, or the office of the Hutt City mayor, each person can contribute to bettering the community in some way.

During the week we visited a nature reserve right in the city of Wellington itself called Zealandia. Our tour guide began by quoting Jared Diamond that, "If you want to experience life on another planet...go to New Zealand." Students were able to get an introduction to just how unique, and in need of protection, the wildlife of NZ is. With 70% of its forest birds being endemic, but 33% of the most recent bird extinctions coming from NZ, that fact begins to be more clear. The Karori Sanctuary is closed in by a 8.6 km, mammal-proof fence. This protects the many rare birds living inside from predation by nonnative species like cats and stoats that they don't have natural defenses against. We were able to see and hear some beautiful, and rare, birds. A very eerie experience was walking up the staircase in the educational center, lined with memorials to a staggering number of extinct NZ species. Even more of a reminder that we need to take care of the life that surrounds us today.

Top Left: We were able to see takahe, a bird species with only 250 left in the wild. Top Right: The staircase in the educational center is lined with memorials to a staggering number of extinct NZ species. Bottom Left: A display showing the maximum jumping height of various mammals helps to explain how difficult it is to predator-proof areas to keep native birds safe. Bottom Right: The human impact on NZ is shown on these maps comparing forested areas 1,000 years ago and today. 

The waiata, or Maori song, playing in the staircase provides a beautiful illustration of how we can work to better the environment:

Whakarongo ra

Whakarongo ake au

Ki te tangi a te manu

E rere runga rawa e

Tui, tui, tui, tuia

Tuia i runga

Tuia i raro

Tuia i roto

Tuia i waho

Tui, tui, tuia

Kia rongo te ao

Kia rongo te po

Tui, tui, tuia

I listen

I listen, where up high

A bird flies

Its cry rings out

Sew, stitch, bind it together

From above

From below

From within

From outside

Sew and bind it together

During the day

And the night

Sew, stitch, bind it together

We can take a lesson from the tui, a bird who weaves other birds' songs together to make its own melody whole and one, that we also must stitch back together the fragmented pieces of the creation and restore it to a state of wholeness.

Adi Leeson also spoke on a similar theme of recreating wholeness in the world. His talk was geared towards peace and activism and listening to the voice of the Lord in discerning how we are being called to live radically for the kingdom of God. Not only did he keep our minds working, but also had our hands busy shelling pinto beans!

Top Right: The group listens to Adi Leeson tell his story out in the backyard.
Bottom Left: Adi provided our group with a fresh snack: hand-picked apples!
Top Left and Bottom Right: Adi kept us busy shelling pinto beans during his talk. 

Towards the end of the week we went out into the country to spend time at Ngatiawa. Upon our arrival, we helped set up for Passionfest. We constructed a large marquis, washed windows, chopped vegetables, and did whatever else we could to lend a helping hand. After helping to welcome guests, the festivities began. There were guest speakers all speaking on the theme of "local heroes". Many little talks and workshops filled in the rest of the schedule. We were even able to get creative with copper enameling and pottery wheels provided for everyone. Our time there closed with a barn dance on Saturday night. From Scottish line dance to the macarena, it was a good time!

Top Left: The group helping to set up the marquis. Top Right: Everyone hanging out at Ngatiawa during Passionfest.
Bottom Left: Brian's Valentines made another stunning appearance during Open Mic. Bottom Right: During Passionfest there were worship sessions in the marquis, followed by talks about "local heroes".

Check out what Messiah College student Janine Coelho took away from the trip: 

"Our trip to Wellington was all over the spectrum. We traveled over the water and into the concrete jungle, highly contrasting the farms that we are surrounded by here in Kaikoura. It was really great to be able to take everything we have been learning in class and envision it in different settings. We all gathered together in the marae and basically bonded while having a giant slumber party which was really fun.  While exploring the streets of Wellington, we got to go to the Te Papa museum and Parliament which proved both educational and interesting. One of the highlights of the trip, in my opinion, was searching for birds in Zealandia. It was amazing to actually get to see the birds that we’ll be studying with our own eyes all in one place. I think I speak for most of us when I say that meeting Adi Leeson was a great experience. His stories of protest and imprisonment were both fascinating and challenging. They called us to evaluate our faith and urged us to stand for what is right. The end of our trip took us to Passionfest at Ngatiawa. The various speakers continued to challenge and encourage us to love the least of these.  My favorite speaker was Andrew Jones who reminded us that we can’t love the poor and hate the rich. It was really great to be with everyone, laughing together and learning more about our calling as Christ followers over the week away."

It was a great week, but it's also good to be back in Kaikoura!