NZ Projects
After helping out in Africa for many years, Peter started to realise there was also much to be done within New Zealand. He became aware of crucial issues like the proposed Seabed Mining off the coast of Taranaki, and knew he needed to support KASM. He also supports Greenpeace & The Green Party Aotearoa, has started looking at ways to rebuild the native forest in NZ, and has funded the opening of an educational facility at Zealandia in Wellington.
Work is picking up steam in ZEALANDIA’s Centre for People and Nature, with around 80 national and internal research projects and collaborations now underway.
Launched last year, the Centre leads and facilitates research on how to enhance the role of nature in cities. Researchers across areas of health and wellbeing, the science of nature,
and connecting people and nature, can and do draw on the ZEALANDIA sanctuary, the green heart and living laboratory of Wellington.
Supported by New Zealand philanthropist and conservation advocate Peter Eastwood
through his Tanglewood Foundation, the Centre encompasses nationally, and internationally leading-edge research focused on understanding and enhancing the role and value of the
natural world in the places where people live.
“Having the Tanglewood Foundation as a key partner enables us to focus on this critical work and create a hub for the Centre for People and Nature,” says ZEALANDIA Chief Executive Paul Atkins. “Thanks to his generous donation, together with a grant from the Wellington City Council, we will be able to create a physical centre for this work to continue and grow.”
The first step in building the Centre’s work has been to grow multidisciplinary research
partnerships that are designed to learn from ZEALANDIA programmes, and to enhance New Zealand’s knowledge of both how to create nature-rich cities and the benefits that people gain from nature.
“We know that the impact of ZEALANDIA on the Wellington region and beyond is growing, and the Centre provides a mechanism to share the research focused on this transformation.
The Centre will benefit organisations who are working to connect people and nature, such as councils, government, policymakers and providers of health services,” says Centre Director Dr Danielle Shanahan. “Through this work, we will help deliver our purpose of connecting people with our unique natural heritage and inspire actions that transform how people live with nature.”
"Being Wellington born and bred, I have always had a keen interest in Zealandia. Seeing this environment evolving and becoming a world leading facility has encouraged me to contribute. My business started in the Wellington suburb of Petone so it is rewarding to be able to give back to the region in the field of conservation that I am passionate about.
I just love that Zealandia have a 500 year vision."
KASM is working appeal the EPA's decision to grant TTR's application to the High Court. This is an expensive process, so financial help is more important now than ever. KASM works with an excellent legal team, and we do have the legal grounds to win. Tanglewood Foundation is very pleased to be able to help.
“This is the worst kind of business proposition the country could ever consider, with extensive environmental damage guaranteed, few jobs on offer, and very little income for the country. Sure we invest nothing in it, but it would still be a dumb use of our natural capital.” - Josh Kronfeld,
Former All Black & KASM Ambassador
Tanglewood Retreat
Peter and his daughter Stacey have started Tanglewood Retreat in Waimauku.
Tanglewood Retreat was born out of a dream to create a space for relaxation, contemplation, creativity, social interaction and environmentally sustainable change. All buildings were consciously designed to minimise environmental impact, using natural and/or recycled materials.
We take group bookings, host weddings and conferences, regular yoga classes for locals and travellers alike, and offer our own workshops as well venue hire for other workshops and get togethers. For every booking made Tanglewood Retreat will plant a native tree. So far we have planted more than 3500 trees.
Earth Building Standards NZ.
Earth building is a concept that is very close to our hearts at the Tanglewood Retreat as we have our much loved Aroha Cob house.
Building these Cobb, Straw Bale or Mudbrick houses has been fraught with difficulty due to a lack of building regulations around them. Tanglewood Foundation help fund a set of Earth Building Standards that have now been accepted by Standards NZ allowing building inspectors to approve new Earth Buildings based on the Standards rather than case by case interpretations that varied widely across the country.