We were one of 18 organisations picked to feature in Acorn Foundation’s celebratory photographic exhibition ‘Enduring Connections’. The shot was intended to capture our focus on restoration and freshwater quality. What we got was a soggy volunteer…

2023 marks the Acorn Foundation’s 20th year as the WBOP’s local community foundation. To celebrate this milestone, the foundation wanted to showcase the extraordinary generosity of Acorn’s donors and the lasting impact of their gifts on our local community. And so, on Tuesday 4 April, they unveiled a photographic exhibition in the heart of Tauranga, created in partnership with UNO Magazine and their award-winning photographer, Alan Gibson. The exhibition, Enduring Connections, featured 18 of the more than 290 charitable groups in the WBOP who have received funding from Acorn over the years, spanning groups focused on the arts, environment, youth, food insecurity, homelessness, health, diversity and more. The images celebrate the enduring difference Acorn donors seek to make, and the enduring support Acorn is then able to extend to our community.

Project Parore are one of Acorn’s newest ‘community group funds‘ and were delighted to be chosen as one of the images. Two volunteers grabbed some seedlings from the Base and dragged the photographer into the magnificent restored streams and wetlands that are a feature on Pukekauri Farm.  The aim was to get a shot to represent our environmental kaupapa. The image chosen for the exhibition was actually on the ‘bloopers reel’ – who knew that slippery rocks, walking backwards and gumboots don’t make a good combo?!