Celebrating a decade of community conservation in Ōtautahi

This year, through the WWF-New Zealand Community Conservation Fund in partnership with the Tindall Foundation, we are proud to support Richmond Community Garden Trust’s Riverlution Eco Park & Ōtākaro Urban Resilience project. 

Riverlution runs a wide range of projects, from composting and garden sessions to its monthly Repair Café. Its focus is circular and sustainable - creating spaces where knowledge, resources, and care are shared.

“Ten years on, this space has become so much more than a garden. It’s a place where people find connection, confidence, community and purpose - where we build practical climate resilience together,” says Project Lead Morgane Honore.

This November, the team gathered to honour the garden’s 10-year milestone and its café’s first anniversary. 

Christchurch City Councillor Pauline Cotter told the group that community gardens are more than spaces for growing food: “They are places where relationships and friendships grow, where knowledge is shared, where confidence is built, and where hope is literally planted in the soil." 

Beyond the speeches and festivities, the day was about connection. Guests explored the different projects, chatted with volunteers, and shared stories of what Riverlution has meant to them over the years. It was a reminder that the space is living example of community resilience, environmental stewardship, and the power of coming together for a shared kaupapa.

Riverlution is also celebrating the launch of its Riverlution Precious Plastic initiative, which produces recycled plastic from materials collected by the community. This not only reduces waste but also gives people hands-on opportunities to engage with sustainability in a creative way.

From volunteer gardening sessions and corporate days to education, biodiversity planting, and sustainable waste initiatives, Riverlution continues to grow and evolve. Every seed planted, every workshop run, and every volunteer hour contributes to a resilient and connected urban community.

The WWF-New Zealand Community Conservation Fund supports communities to run projects that conserve and restore Aotearoa’s natural environment, while also educating New Zealanders about its importance.