The Great Plant Swap: March 20-30, 2021
Welcome to Neighbours Day Aotearoa!
The kaupapa of Neighbours Day Aotearoa is to encourage people to get to know your neighbours better! It is as simple as that!
Neighbours Day Aotearoa 2021 runs from March 20-March 30th this year. This year's theme is The Great Plant Swap as we want neighbourhoods to grow stronger together.
Previous years have seen people joining Neighbours Day Aotearoa to hold BBQs, community movie nights, street parties, beach clean ups, and even small acts like sharing a cup of tea or running errands for our neighbours. Whatever you choose to do, big or small, from reaching out for a friendly conversation to holding a community event we would love you to register your event or even your intention to hold an event with us.
This year, we are offering even more ways to be involved in Neighbours Day! You can join any, or all of them (you over-achiever, you) by clicking on the red buttons. The first 200 people to register their events will receive a packet of seeds to get you started, generously donated by Kings Seeds.
The Great Plant Swap
You could get involved in The Great Plant Swap by doing any of the following, or you might even have a better idea - let us know about it at kiaora@neighboursday.org.nz or when you register your event with us.
swap seeds with a neighbour
make a plant gift for your neighbour with something you have grown
take some flowers to a neighbour
organise a produce swap
share garden tips or recipes for food in season
create community gardens or berm pollinator pathways together
a working bee in the garden for those with mobility issues
a friendly neighbourhood BBQ and encourage people to bring something homegrown
Here is a wonderful ‘notes for neighbours’ from a poet from Aotearoa, essa may ranapiri.
Notes for neighbours
Do you have an amazing Neighbour? Neighbours Day Aotearoa wants to hear about the random and wonderful acts of neighbourliness across Aotearoa.
We know 2020 has been a tough year for many people, but some of us found out when things were hard our neighbours were there for us!
Notes for neighbours is a way for us to celebrate those people who kept us connected during COVID. Maybe they dropped off some groceries, called to check on you or are just that person who never fails to smile and wave and you would like a way to acknowledge them. Here’s a way to do that.
Create a note for us in 30 words or less that captures your message to your neighbours.
We are collecting all the notes and publishing them on our website and 5 will be printed as posters and pasted over Aotearoa!
Register for Neighbours Day 2021 today!
Let us know if you are planning an event for Neighbours Day Aotearoa 2021 by registering your event today!
Whatever you choose to do, big or small, from reaching out to a neighbour to holding a community event like a neighbourhood BBQ, pool party or movie night these are all ways you build more connected communities. This year you might even want to add a seed or plant swap or just bring a homegrown salad to your yearly BBQ!
I want to hear more!
Join our newsletter and stay updated with ways you can join in.
Maybe you are interested but not ready to hold an event yet? That’s okay, there are lots of ways to stay in touch. Join our newsletter or you can simply like us on Facebook or even get in touch to have your say, ask questions and find out more.
Meet the team!
This year Neighbours Day have people all around Aotearoa. We will feature them each week so you get to know who your local Neighbours Day ‘activator’ is. Check out your local Neighbours Day activator below.
Ange | Hutt Valley
Kia ora, I’m Ange, the Neighbours Day Activator for Lower Hutt!
I grew up in a market garden and orchard in the Nelson area and moved to the Hutt 18 years ago.
I work and buzz for seeing vibrant communities connect, mainly through food, music and art. For the past 7 years through "The Petone Depot" - a community venue, kitchen and gallery, I have helped create an accessible space in the heart of Petone that enables and encourages various community enriching events and activities.
Recently I have been part of founding ‘Seeds to Feeds’, a charity that runs a summer long project activating various Wellington neighbourhoods into growing more local food, forming stronger community connections, and culminating in a ‘Feed’ event during a festival week at the end of summer.
I’m really excited to be part of Neighbours Day Aotearoa, to get stuck into lending a hand, and seeing even more neighbourly goodness and connections grow and flourish in the Hutt Valley.
Marlène | Tasman
Kia Ora,
My name is Marlène, and I recently moved to the Tasman area, coming from Europe not so long ago.
Being involved in the community and growing stronger together is one of my passions alongside gardening to grow food. This activity is for me really powerful, as it allows people to reconnect with nature, eat healthier with less expense, share with others, and develop food resilience. These are all things I believe benefit our planet and our communities.
Working alongside with Neighbours Day Aoetearoa was a logical step for me and I’m really delighted to be part of the activator team to promote the campaign in my area!
Cath & Shayne | Hawkes Bay
Kia ora from Cath & Shayne @ Jaffa Media! We are super duper happy to be part of Neighbours Day 2021. We are both “old skool” Hawkes Bay and know how awesome our little home can be. We reckon sunny Hawkes Bay can really get behind neighbours day and see lots of caring, sharing and giving. And seriously with the amount of sunshine our town gets, the 2021 theme of “Growing stronger communities” means harvest time should be a true celebration of all the mahi we have all put into our gardens! If you have an idea, even a tiny bubble of one or think you would like to be part of Neighbours Day then give us a holler! We look forward to getting to know you...
Jan | Otago
I live near Duntroon in rural North Otago and am involved in our local district actively connecting people and groups to work together and collaborate.
I joined the Neighbours Day Aotearoa team as I see the 2021 Neighbours Day theme of the great plant swap as a perfect fit with my passion for gardening and helping communities grow. It also means I get to collaborate with people who have similar values to mine.
One thing I have learned through the year that was 2020 is that humans need social interaction and community to thrive. And I know that we are the greatest role models for our children and our values and behaviour will be reflected by them as they grow older; I’m not only doing this for the near future, but am hoping it will also benefit the long-term future.
Benefits of Neighbours Day Aotearoa
When we connect with our Neighbours good things happen! Here’s our top five benefits of connected neighbours.
Ngā painga o Neighbours Day Aotearoa
Ka tūhonohono te hapori, ka puta ngā hua! E ai ki a mātou, anei ngā painga e rima o te hapori tūhono.
Image by Pepper Raccoon
Wellbeing
When our neighbourhoods are connected and spiritual, physical and emotional health are taken care of, we feel comfortable, happy and healthy.
Image by Ash Spittal
Caring and Safety
When we start from a place of neighbourly caring and generosity, feelings of trust, safety and belonging increase.
Image by Pinky Fang
Empowered
We feel confident to take action when we feel supported by strong social networks and relationships.
Image by Huriana Kopeke-Te Aho
Inclusion
We feel accepted in the community when we are allowed to be ourselves, can stretch outside of our comfort zones, and are included in other people’s worlds.
Image by Gala Hesson
Resilience
We can recover quickly from difficulties when we are prepared, we know our neighbours and can ask for and offer support.
Neighbours Day Aotearoa 2021 supporters!
Neighbours Day Aotearoa would like to thank Kings Seeds for their generous sponsorship for our 2021 campaign. They really are helping us grow stronger together by donating seed packets for us to use as giveaways and for our local activators to hand out. Thanks Kings!
