Wild Dunedin Ōtepoti Mohoao — NZ Festival of Nature returns in April for 12 days of events, activities and entertainment.
Three women are guiding the much-loved festival this year as it celebrates its 10th anniversary.
Festival director Jeanne Hutchison joined the organisation last August.
Coming from a background in conservation and community engagement, including co-ordinating the South Dunedin Street Festival, her new role combines her passions for conservation, events and community.
"I’m really big on community and Dunedin, I’m big on Dunedin."
The theme of the festival this year is "rocks" and she is excited by some of the events organised by the University of Otago department of geology.
"There are some amazing field trips and talks that they are heading and guiding.
"I’m really interested to join some of those trips."
One such trip is the "Wild Seasider Volcano Express", a railway journey on Railway Dunedin’s Seasider that will include on-board commentary by geologists on how the local landscape was shaped.
Event manager Carla Munro joined in December and said it had already been great fun meeting heaps of people and getting out and about.
She was looking forward to events including "Wild Yoga on a Hilltop" and "Wild Yoga on the Beach at Sunrise", Ms Munro said.
"I love anything that is really truly wild and outdoorsy.
"I’m a little bit gypsy, free-spirited."
Other highlights for her were the wild food and dining events.
"I’m pretty excited about those.
"Learning how to forage, learning what plants are out and about that you can actually eat that you might not even know."
One of those events is "Garden to Plate — Dining Experience", which includes a visit to Garden to Market owner Neil Robinson’s vegetable farm followed by a dinner at No7 Balmac featuring locally sourced products .
Festival co-ordinator Leslie Smith also joined in December and has enjoyed being able to hit the ground running.
She was looking forward to "Mountains We Climb — A Reading to Remember Brian Turner", which would feature Dunedin poets reading poems in celebration of the well-known Otago poet who died last month.
"It is remembering Brian Turner, who won many awards for his nature writing and his conservation work."
The event will also include a screening of a short movie about Turner by film-maker Declan Wong.
Other events the trio are all looking forward to include the festival’s annual Wild Night Ball at Larnach Castle, which will pay homage to the region’s gold rush era.
The lavish event aims to raise essential funds for the preservation of the endangered hoiho, whose habitat is found on the Dunedin Peninsula.
A new feature this year is the Nature Dome taking place all day at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Sunday, April 13.
The event will replace the previous community day, and is a "levelled up" event that will showcase local conservation groups as well as food and beverage producers, science groups and interactive exhibits.
A key drawcard at the event will be a world-record attempt for the largest yoga session in New Zealand, aiming to surpass more than 600 people.
Instructor Jo Wooley will lead the attempt, aided by other yoga instructors who will provide options from beginner to advanced, so a wide range of people will be able to participate.
"Bring your rug and your picnic and come and have a wild day in the city," Ms Munro said.
DETAILS
Wild Dunedin Ōtepoti Mohoao
NZ Festival of Nature
April 10-22
Visit wilddunedin.nz for full details.
