New Zealand

A wide shot of one of Gentle World's veganic gardens in Shangri-La, New Zealand

Shangri-La’s Veganic Magic

March 8, 2021
Gentle World's master grower Magic Rees has hit a home run with his 2021 veganic ventures. Our readers were given a first glimpse of the new garden last September, and we are now over the moon to see his efforts quite literally coming to fruition.
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Garden Therapy

September 15, 2020
The expansion of Shangri-La's veganic growing will help us to provide even more farm-fresh veganic produce to our future guests and volunteers, as well as those participating in Te Whare Rongoa's plant-based nutrition counseling program.
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Guests attending Gentle World's vegan film screening in Kaitaia, New Zealand

A Vegan Evening in Kaitaia, NZ

March 1, 2020
Gentle World is continuing our summer education program in New Zealand’s Far North, collaborating once again with Te Whare Rongoā for our first event at the Te Ahu cinema in Kaitaia. The evening was a big success, and we have…
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The possum-proof fence around Gentle World's newest garden bed in New Zealand

Farming with Possums

January 20, 2020
With Shangri-La surrounded by native bush, we've had to find creative ways to live and farm alongside these persistent garden explorers. Living with possums presents a challenge, but we focus on finding nonviolent solutions.
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Partnering with Te Whare Rongoā

December 19, 2019
Serving NZ's Far North community with a high percentage of Maori clients, Te Whare Rongoā (House of Medicine) offers well-being services through education in plant-based food and herbal medicine.
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Spreading The Message

March 28, 2017
Thank you for showing me this beautiful place. During these past 11 days, I’ve learned a lot about veganic gardening, communal living and also even more about veganism. I leave here even more passionate about veganism, and more passionate about…
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tree trimming

A Better Reality

March 7, 2017
Three years ago, we were fortunate enough to meet two wonderful people who came to us from Italy, and volunteered in Shangri-La for two seasons in a row, becoming part of our communal family for a time. Sadly, we have…
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Dearest GW Family…

April 3, 2016
Today, it has been one month since I was part of your lovely community and worked in the garden. I felt so calm and at peace in Gentle World and everything felt good. I realized there, in that beautiful spot,…
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White and yellow daisies

A New Path

February 5, 2016
In December of 2015, on a very sunny spring day, I arrived at this hidden valley in the far north of New Zealand. My first week in Gentle World passed by so quickly, as I helped with weeding, cooking, cleaning,…
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pink flower supporting a single buzzing bee

My Vegan Corner of the World

March 5, 2015
My little corner of the world is a memorial garden to my best canine friend. I intentionally mixed in flowers throughou, both to attract pollinators, and because they brings color to my world even when the sun isn't shining.
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Vegan author Will Tuttle speaking on stage

An Afternoon with Will Tuttle

March 4, 2014
Gentle World's latest vegan event was a blend of philosophy and food. Dr. Tuttle provided the philosophy, and Gentle World provided the delicious food that is the reward for living in alignment with that philosophy.
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A black dog with copper markings resting under a bush looks directly at the camera

The Spirit of Kisses

May 29, 2013
It was easy to forget that Kisses had good reason for behaving the way she did. She had been taught to fear. She hadn’t just chosen to believe that humans were dangerous. She had been forced to accept it on a very primal level – she had had it beaten into her.
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An extreme close up of the shimmering pink and white petals of a lily

People Like You

May 1, 2013
When people experience the vegan awakening, it’s awe-inspiring to live alongside them as their thoughts begin to shift. As each of our new friends from around the globe expresses their realizations, we have the opportunity to share in their epiphany.
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I Know I’m Doing the Right Thing

May 1, 2013
I was a vegetarian for two years when I arrived in Shangri-La. But I never really thought about veganism. I didn’t want to give up my cheese (I’m French, you understand?) The first words there were “Vegan is the first…
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Close up shot of a country path surrounded by magical wildflowers

It Must Have Been Lovely

March 2, 2013
43 years after Tom Paxton wrote such poignant lyrics mourning our impending loss, the loveliness of my own garden holds more meaning to me than ever... Will we always have flowers? Will the forest always have trees? Will meadows always be green?
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A monarch chrysalis hands from a stunning red sunflower in a brightly-colored flower garden

Creating Magic…

November 17, 2011
My experiences here have kindled a new fire in me, so instead of story-telling I jumped right to the processing. What am I learning here? The questions keep coming…
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A front view of Gentle World's gold and red farmhouse in New Zealand

Life in a Vegan Community

November 3, 2011
Because we're not willing to accept ‘the world as it is,’ we have joined together from different walks of life in order to work towards the building of a new one; both as a sanctuary for ourselves and as a model of what human beings can achieve.
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Woman Holding A Place With Vegan Food From A Cooking Class at The Herb Shack New Zealand

Sharing the Joy of Vegan Cooking

March 30, 2011
On Saturday, March 12th, Gentle World volunteers hosted a free vegan cooking class at our favorite NZ venue: The Herb Shack. With 22 attendees who showed lots of interest in the vegan culinary techniques, the day was a fantastic success!
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Giant Pear Grown at Gentle World

Gentle World’s Giant Pear!

March 30, 2011
Every now and then, our veganic growing program rewards us with a giant vegetable or piece of fruit… To give you some idea of the scale, the flower to the left is a magnolia, which usually measures between 6 and…
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Fruit and Vegetables from Harvest Time at Gentle World Shangri-La

Harvest Time

February 27, 2011
Here in Gentle World, we sometimes forget that many people don’t have the luxury of enjoying home-grown vegetables, let alone delicious veganically-grown fruit… But in Shangri-La, thanks to the hard work of our team of dedicated volunteers and expert gardener…
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Veganic gardener Magic Rees kneels next to his corn crop at Gentle World's New Zealand center

Gardening with Magic

February 27, 2011
Magic Rees has been an organic grower since 1980. In 1989, he co-founded the Far North Organics Association in New Zealand, for which he served as Farm Certifier for 10 years. In 2000, he became Shangri-La’s head gardener and veganic educator.
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Tabby cat resting on his side on a bench in the garden

Can Cats Be Vegan?

February 24, 2011
Raising cats on a vegan diet requires a commitment to ensuring they are getting all the nutrients they need, including taurine and l-Carnitine. Having said that, we have read and heard claims of many healthy plant-powered cats.
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herb shack catering

Gentle Catering at The Herb Shack

February 24, 2011
From the 9th to the 12th of February, Gentle World volunteers provided healthy, delicious vegan food to participants at a healing convention at The Herb Shack Café in our local town of Kaitaia, New Zealand. With both practitioners and patients…
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The Herb Shack at Kaitaia

Vegan Education in Animal Farming Country

January 23, 2011
In an area of New Zealand that is better known for the farming of sheep and cows than vegan education, Gentle World volunteers shook things up a little last weekend, by inviting the residents of the small town of Kaitaia…
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Closeup of a bright green healthy veganic (vegan-organic) cabbage

Veganic Growing in Shangri-La

December 20, 2010
Around a week ago, the last of the Gentle World volunteers arrived at our Vegan Educational Center in Northland, New Zealand, officially kicking off the 11th summer in our Southern Hemisphere Center, which we call Shangri-La. For over ten years,…
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