Learning to use our new gear

Buying the gear - Panavision Auckland NZ

Background - objectives

To document and share the wisdom of farmers regarding climate change, focusing particularly on adaptation and the contribution of sustainable farming systems.

Our primary focus is to:

• Document relevant issues regarding climate change in the countries we visit, from the perspective of local farmers.
• Document things that positive, proactive farmers are doing towards a sustainable future.
• Take the opportunity to interact and share with as many like-minded people as possible.

Background

We've heard about climate change from scientists, politicians, environmentalists, celebrities. What about the true grassroots people, the farmers of the world?

In my work with New Zealand farmers I targeted people who were forward thinking and making positive moves towards a sustainable future, farmers who are providing leadership for others. It has become even clearer to me than ever before that there is a collective wisdom among these people that we all need to be hearing and acting on, even those of us who live in mega cities.

We have invested in a professional digital video camera and with the support of an experienced cinematographer and others are learning to use this gear.

Our website will have a dedicated blog (online diary), which is being developed by my cousin Michael Jeans.

A link to this online diary will be provided at:
www.earthlimited.org/worldtrip.html. (pending)

The Plan

The last six years has instilled a belief that there is a collective voice from future thinking and acting farmers throughout the world that needs to be brought into very sharp focus with the climate change issue.

For over a year now I have been trying to get support to document the wisdom of farmers from different parts of the world regarding climate change. Despite my considerable experience this has not been an easy task. With the aid of an inheritance my family and I have decided to fund a trip ourselves. In early February 2007 we are beginning a journey as follows:

February and March 2007
Thailand and Viet Nam
Late March to early May 2007
India and Nepal
Early to mid May 2007
Egypt
Mid May to mid June 2007
Through Italy to eventually meet up with our middle daughter in Lugano, southern Switzerland.
Mid June to July 2007
Overland to Paris, across to London, back to NZ via the US.

In Thailand we will be hosted by Tuenjai Deetes, founder of the Hill Area Development and Community Foundation in Chiang Rai and now a Senator on the National Legislative Council.

In northern Viet Nam we will have some assistance from former students who came to study in New Zealand in the late 1990s.

We are presently working on contacts for India, Nepal and Egypt. We have some good connections in Italy who will hopefully help us along the way and a number of good contacts in the UK.

Any assistance with local accommodation, travel, contacts with farmers would be greatly appreciated.

Meet the team - Michael

Michael Jeans is Gavin's cousin. Michael will be editing this blog. Michael is a photographer based in Cambridge working in the Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Auckland and Taranaki regions of New Zealand's North Island. With Michael in the photo are Lena, Alice, Emma, Karen and Karen's parents Bill and Barbara.

Meet the team - Emma

Emma Kenny (16) will be on exchange with a school near Lugano in southern Switzerland while the rest of her family undertake this journey. We are calling Emma our ‘anchor’ as we will be travelling towards her.

Meet the team - Alice

Alice Kenny (13) is the youngest in the family. She is a very determined and focused young lady and is very excited at the opportunity this journey will provide. She is likely to become our sound technician when we are filming.

Meet the team - Lena

Lena Kenny (18) has just finished High School, graduating from Taikura Steiner School in Hastings at the end of 2006. Lena has interests in art, the environment, people and is thinking of pursuing a BA in Environmental Studies. For now she is dedicated to working with her family on this project and then spending some time in the UK.

Meet the team - Karen

Karen Kenny has a BA in Art History, is a qualified state teacher in New Zealand and also a trained Steiner teacher. Karen gave up her first teaching job to dedicate herself to being a mother. Along the way she developed and followed her interests in pottery, homeopathy, and herb growing.

Karen came back to teaching in the late 1990s, leading to a year training as a Steiner teacher in 2001. She spent a year teaching at Taikura Steiner School in Hastings and subsequently has spent 3 ½ years working with special needs children. Karen is a very dedicated educator.

Meet the team - Gavin

Dr Gavin Kenny (48) has a background in horticultural science and agricultural meteorology. Gavin has been a labourer, student, traveller, husband, father, scientist, small farmer, facilitator and communicator.

For nearly six years now Gavin has been interacting with New Zealand farmers to develop and document - a grassroots perspective on climate change and adaptation. The outcomes of this work can be found at earthlimited.org.

Gavin’s focus since the early 1980s has been to develop and refine his holistic worldview and the fundamental role of healthy agricultural systems in sustaining healthy societies and economies.

Prior to developing his grassroots approach to climate change with farmers in New Zealand Gavin had spent a decade working on climate change projects in Europe, New Zealand, Bangladesh and the Pacific Islands. He was also involved in a sustainable development project in northern Viet Nam. This background in research and capacity building strongly influenced his subsequent work with farmers.