Portraits for the Tipi

by Mandi Lynn,
Chairperson of Between the Blues -
An Organic Environmental Education Program held at the Blueberry Farm in Upper Hutt

Now as some of you will know I am an American by birth and a Kiwi by choice. However being part Cherokee and part Blackfoot I have always had a strong leaning towards tipis and when we were stumped to figure out how we could provide an environmentally friendly cost effective rain shelter for the Earth Camp, the idea of a tipi sprang to mind quite naturally. That and the fact that my neighbours Cory and Kerry had pitched one a couple of years ago and I loved seeing it when I drove down the valley. I had tipi envy and Kerry was kind and even let me ride James the Clydesdale out to it and sit in it. I just sat there grinning and imagining what a bigger one filled with children would be like.

So we applied for a grant and Hutt Mana Charitable Trust decided we were a good bet and gave us the money to get it. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that we would need a building consent to pitch the thing. So we need to raise an extra $500.00 to get the building consent. We raised some during the Easter Egg Hunt last year but we still need several hundred. So because I wear so many hats and I really want to see this Tipi up before the next Earth Camp starts in January, I will donate $50.00 from every portrait session I do on the farm until the money is raised. So if you have a family and would like to get your portraits done on the farm, and help contribute to the tipi fund give us a call 526-6788.