Pegasus Post: January 18, 2024

Thursday January 18 2024 3
Organic college
puts down roots
at old school site
GROWING: Climate Action Campus Ōtautahi is spread
across the former Avonside Girls’ High School site and an
adjoining 1.8ha.
THE FORMER Avonside Girls’
High School site is the new base
for the Biological Husbandry
Organic College.
The college, first established on
Lincoln University farmland in
1976, will move to Climate Action
Campus Ōtautahi and offer its
tertiary courses from late February.
College trust chair Penny
Platt said the move will make it
easier for more people to access its
hands-on training and classroom
education.
It will be supervised by the
Southland Institute of Technology
and deliver level 3 and 4
programmes in organic primary
production.
Platt said joining the Avonside
Drive campus opens up a new
era for the college, which over the
decades has trained hundreds of
leaders in New Zealand’s burgeoning
organics sector.
“We will be more central and
accessible for everyone who seeks
knowledge and skills to grow food
in the most natural and sustainable
ways, whether they’re working
in local food systems or bigger
organics industries,” said Platt,
who is co-founder of Canterbury’s
Untamed Earth Organic Farm.
“We provide a solid grounding
in the practice and theory of organic
growing, delivered by tutors
with a wealth of knowledge and
experience and all in a friendly,
supportive environment.”
Former mayor Vicki Buck, who
founded the campus, said the college
provides innovation opportunities
for the city.
“Food security
is one of our top
priorities. The
more knowledge
and skill people
gain on growing,
soil, composting
and all other
Vicki Buck aspects of local
food production and supply, the
more we will be able to withstand
the shocks that come more
frequently and severely with
climate change,” she said.
“Christchurch now has a
vibrant local food culture with
its many community gardens,
bigger organic growers nearby
and farmers’ markets . . . it has a
tradition of growing and sharing
food.”
The campus, which sits on
the former school site and an
adjoining 1.8ha, is designated as
a state school for primary and
secondary students. It is managed
as a satellite school of Ao Tawhiti
Unlimited Discovery and is used
by a growing number of other
schools.
Said Buck: “Students come with
their teachers to take action on
climate change. There’s a range of
options we can provide, or they
can think themselves of anything
which they want to do related to
climate change.”
The campus will provide a
former sports field for food
growing and plans to use the
adjacent red zone land to create
an enlarged urban organics farm.
Christchurch
Bridge Club
Do you enjoy cards, like challenges & want to
stay mentally alert?
….then learn to play Bridge
The Christchurch Bridge Club, established in 1952, is the largest in New Zealand with a
membership of approximately 800 members. Our modern clubrooms are centrally located in Nova
Place, off Barbadoes Street, with extensive off-street parking and consist of three large rooms and
excellent catering facilities.
The club offers lessons which are provided by professional teachers utilising the latest technologies
which enable practice and review at home on the internet. After 11 weeks you will be ready to
set out on your bridge journey armed with enthusiasm and skills to last a lifetime. Opportunities
to represent your club, province or country in a variety of grades will be open to you. In addition,
the enjoyment of social interaction and friendship with like-minded people of all ages cannot be
underestimated, especially in these challenging times. Playing bridge has helped many of our
members to survive the tedium of lockdown with the club arranging on-line competitions to allow
people to keep in touch. Now that we are playing face-to-face, vaccination certificates are required
for entry to the club as the safety of our members is paramount. We look forward to meeting you!
11 FREE Beginner
Bridge Lessons
Starts Wednesday,
January 31 @ 7.30pm
The next beginner’s course commences on Wednesday, January
31, 7.30pm at the Christchurch Bridge Club, 21 Nova Place.
Back to Bridge classes for 4 weeks starting Wednesday March
4 at 7.30pm. Cost $25. Three further beginners courses will start
on Wednesday, May 8 and August 28 at 7.30pm and Sunday,
June 23 at 1pm.
For further details or to enrol, phone 366-1516 or email office@
chchbridge.co.nz website: www.chchbridge.co.nz
Phone: 366-1516
21 Nova Place,
Christchurch
Email: office@chchbridge.co.nz
www.chchbridge.co.nz
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