What I really wanted to achieve with Karaka Tree was to give the public new tools to find previously unseen value in the environments around us, that we otherwise may not find in the normal hustle and bustle of our days. For me, the path to finding value in something is paved with stories. Walking into the space, it was overwhelming how many stories were whispering up in the trees, under the soil, in the crushed Corona can just off the path. This unbelievable karaka tree, with little love heart tattoos carved into her arms, sits proudly in the center of Gribblehirst, and from there her story just tumbled out! Imagining her parents as Owairaka and Maungawhau who erupted thousands of years ago, sewing the bedrock beneath to support her. The rich swamp waters fostered her, while she grew tall and strong. And now, we walk past her on our commutes or maybe she’s a shrine for young romance, where sweethearts sneak off to meet by the tree.