A little winter rain didn't stop 40 volunteers from local churches and youth groups planting 1,000 native trees at the Regenesis Project in Ōtautahi Christchurch. A day of conservation, connection and community spirit brought people together to care for creation and one another.

The story of Te Ringatini began in 2018 during one of my runs along the river. As I was going through the Donkey Track reserve, I was struck by the stark contrast between the established riparian planting and the invasive tradescantia weeds that were choking the understory. At that moment, amidst the beauty and the brokenness, I felt a divine nudge - a sense that God was calling me to help restore this piece of creation. I felt myself saying “Someone should do something about this” and I felt God respond “You should do something about this”. Yet I felt totally unprepared for the task that I sensed God was calling me into.