Land StewardshipPeople from across Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world gather at Wilderland to engage in organic farming and land stewardship. Our diverse horticultural practices, orchards, and permaculture projects serve as an outdoor classroom, offering opportunities to explore food sovereignty and regenerative land management.
Education
Regeneration
Community
About Wilderland
Wilderland is a sustainable living and learning centre dedicated to fostering the holistic development of people in relationship with each other and the land. With a legacy of cooperative organic farming, we aim to inspire a regenerative future through hands-on education in land stewardship, biodiversity management, permaculture gardening, orcharding, and local land-based economies.
Our project empowers individuals of all backgrounds to explore sustainable living. Through immersive experiences, we cultivate confidence, curiosity, and connection to the natural world. Wilderland is a vibrant community where people come together to learn, teach, and grow through shared work on the land. From horticulture and building to product-making and mindful living, our programs challenge participants to embrace self-reliance, creativity, and collaboration.
Our Offerings
Building and Off-Grid LivingRooted in a pioneering DIY ethos, Wilderland encourages self-reliance through hands-on projects. Participants learn lifelong skills in building and maintenance, roading and water management, and explore off-grid solutions such as solar power, greywater bio-filtration, and food storage.
For more information on what projects are happening at Wilderland now and how to get involved, check out our projects page
The Legacy of Wilderland
In 1964, founders Dan and Edith Hansen transformed an abandoned farm into a thriving community grounded in collaboration and shared learning. In 1989, they gifted the property to establish the Wilderland Trust, supported by additional land donations from community members.
Our Guiding Purposes
The Wilderland Trust is committed to:
1. Providing holistic education for people of all ages, fostering lifelong learning and harmonious relationships.
2. Promoting practical skills in organic gardening, carpentry, beekeeping, machinery maintenance, and more.
3. Advancing research in organic growing, ecological balance, and sustainable food systems.
4. Developing and promoting low-impact, renewable energy solutions.
5. Encouraging personal creativity, initiative, and self-reliance.
6. Maintaining a drug-free and environmentally pure living space.
7. Protecting and regenerating native flora and fauna on Trust land.
8. Creating a inclusive common ground where people unite beyond divisions of status, nationality, or ideology, fostering global peace and understanding.
Wilderland Trust
An educational charitable trust of New Zealand.
Charities Register Number: CC29221