Omā Collective

10/10/2026

❤️

09/10/2026

A beautiful early morning hīkoi, taking in the fresh air after the lovely rain 🌿

There’s so much mawe growing around us. A gentle reminder to notice and appreciate what’s growing in our taiao. Nature is in tune with what we need: as spring arrives and we start thinking about a “spring cleanse”, mawe appears.

A lovely time to appreciate what is naturally growing around us ✨

09/10/2026

We hope you’ve been enjoying time in your māra over the school holidays ☀️🌱

Our watercress is beginning to sprout, and it’s lovely to see little seedlings appearing. Every stage of growth teaches us patience and care and an appreciation for the kai we eat.

Tending to our mārakai is part of learning to be self-sufficient. It’s a small beginning, but every seed planted is a step towards having fresh kai to share🍃

Many whānau already have access to watercress, but growing your own can be another option for those who don’t and if buying watercress you have to be careful, if not knowing where it is picked from, with sprays alongside the roads or contaminated water.
A packet of seeds was around $4. Watercress likes a moist spot, so choose somewhere it won’t dry out. You could use an old bath, tub or another container that holds moisture. Flowing water is ideal, we use a simple irrigation system to keep ours continually moist.

These were planted 12 days ago, so we’re hoping to see more growth over the coming days 🤎 Would be good to hear some tips!

29/09/2026

Whether you’re growing kai, flowers or rongoā, as the days get warmer it’s a lovely time to be outside, care for our māra and enrich with compost, clear away weeds, and make space for new growth 🌱

With the rising cost of kai, growing even a little of our own can be a cheaper and healthier option and a meaningful way to care for whānau.

It’s a good reminder that a māra doesn’t have to be big to be useful. Every seedling and every bit of kai we grow is something to appreciate and be proud of 🤎
As we care for the whenua, it continues to care for us 🌿

24/09/2026

There’s only a short window each year when kūmarahou is covered in their beautiful yellow flowers 💛 so loved being able to capture a photo as it got dark and see the colour stand out in our light.

To continue on about its beauty. Kūmarahou is associated with joy, abundance, renewal and healing.

It is known for growing in poor clay soils and can be among the plants that establish themselves as the whenua regenerates after disturbance.

There is also a beautiful traditional seasonal tohu associated with kūmarahou:

When the kūmarahou flowers, it is time to plant the kūmara 🌱

Another reminder of the wisdom of our tīpuna and their deep connection to our Taiao 💛💛

21/09/2026

❤️🌼

20/09/2026

Kōanga/Spring 🌼 a time of new beginnings 🌱

There is something beautiful about watching the whenua come alive again.

After the quieter months, suddenly there is new growth everywhere. The māra comes alive 🌿🥦🥔

These simple things are some of the richest parts of life.

A busy time. Putting our hands into the whenua. Growing our own kai. And remembering the people who taught us along the way.

Our taewa, māori potatoes was given as a koha by our neighbour, Koro John Flavell when we moved beside them 22 years ago. When we moved again we took some with us and all these years later, they continue to grow, and give us enough to share with others.

A reminder that what is given and planted with aroha will flourish 🌱 The more we give, the further aroha spreads 🤎

13/09/2026

Last day to sign the petition e te whānau. Stand together and help stop this Government from continuing to exploit Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Share with your whānau. Let our voices be heard ❤️🖤🤍

Petitions are addressed to the House of Representatives and ask that the House do something about a policy or law, or put right a local or private concern.

11/09/2026

Kūmarahou 🌿💛

Our kūmarahou is flowering beautifully so today we gathered the rau and putiputi to prepare a fresh wairākau.

One of the beautiful things about kūmarahou is its natural saponins when the leaves and flowers are worked through water, they create a gentle soap like lather.

Traditionally kūmarahou was also used by our tīpuna as a natural cleanser for the body, making use of these naturally occurring saponins long before commercial soaps and body washes became part of everyday life.

A simple reminder of the taonga that grow around us 💛

04/09/2026

❤️🌱