Growing Resilience: Water Security for BROOMHILL Sanctuary

BROOMHILL is a regenerative land project in Aotearoa New Zealand focused on strengthening ecological resilience, local food systems, and community connection through direct relationship with the whenua.

Over recent seasons, we have been developing small-scale regenerative growing systems, seed stewardship practices, biodiversity planting, and seasonal participation opportunities that reconnect people with land, food, and ecological processes through lived experience. The project continues to grow through ongoing hands-on care, workshops, volunteer participation, shared harvests, and a growing community engaging with the seasonal rhythms of the site.

A key focus of our current work is the establishment of a new slope garden area with the potential to significantly expand seasonal food production, biodiversity, and community participation. However, the area currently has no reliable water access or backup water security, making it increasingly vulnerable during dry periods and limiting the long-term resilience of the growing systems being established.

Funding support would directly help us develop water infrastructure and backup water storage for the new gardens, strengthening the resilience of the site while supporting future food production, propagation systems, soil development, and educational participation opportunities.

At its core, BROOMHILL is exploring how communities can rebuild reciprocal relationships with living systems through practical stewardship, seasonal awareness, and collective care for the ecosystems that sustain usBROOMHILL: Growing Community, Healing Land

BROOMHILL is a regenerative land project in Aotearoa New Zealand dedicated to rebuilding reciprocal relationships with the whenua through direct, hands-on engagement with ecological systems, seasonal food production, and community stewardship.

Over recent seasons, we have cultivated regenerative gardens, stewarded seeds, expanded biodiversity, and created opportunities for people to participate in the living rhythms of the land. Through workshops, shared harvests, volunteer participation, and our Stewardship Collective, BROOMHILL reconnects people with food systems, ecological processes, and seasonal awareness through lived experience.

A major focus of our current work is the development of a new slope garden area with the potential to significantly expand food production, biodiversity capacity, and community participation on the site. However, the area currently lacks reliable water access and backup water security. As seasonal conditions become increasingly unpredictable, this vulnerability places pressure on the long-term resilience of the growing systems we are establishing.

Funding support will directly help us develop water infrastructure and storage solutions that secure the future resilience of the slope gardens and strengthen the wider ecosystem of the project. This includes supporting regenerative food production, soil health, propagation systems, biodiversity enhancement, and educational opportunities for our growing community.

At its core, BROOMHILL explores how communities can restore ecological resilience and rebuild meaningful relationships with the living world through collective stewardship, seasonal awareness, and practical care for the ecosystems that sustain us.