He pitopito korero – Summary
This noho for Te Hiku secondary school students focused on connection with environmental education and science by actively engaging Rangatahi in the environment, with each other and with their wider whānau, hapū and iwi.
Six secondary kura participated: Taipa Area School, Kaitaia College, Kaitaia Abundant Life School, Te Kura Taumata o Panguru, Alternative Education REAP, and Dilworth Senior campus as well as the entire Te Kao primary kura.
Two indigenous university students from the Navajo Nation who are part of university exchange with Whariki (Massey University) joined us also – Rebecca Chee and Mishayla Mitchell. They interviewed some of the participants about why they attend, and what they get out of the Noho Taiao.
The noho was scheduled specifically to support the mahi of Te Hiku Ngā Roto Tapokapoka, a restoration project involving three Te Hiku lakes. Lake Onepu (Bulrush) at Te Kao had recently been fenced to stop stock access and was ready to plant. The project team with the help of Bushland Trust had eco-sourced seed and raised a mixture of manuka, kanuka, ti kouka and harakeke. The weather couldn't have been better and there was a great turnout of community and rangatahi who helped plant 2000 trees.
Three groups rotated around the three workshops: i) water quality testing – Jo Murray and Wendy Henwood ii) tuna ecology/ biology (based on tuna caught overnight), Erica Williams and Darcel Rickard iii) pest control – Lynsday Elliott and Kaio Hooper. Other complementary activities carried out throughout the noho included some wonderful local historical korero – Anaru Reiper, taonga takaaro kemu Māori – Wiremu Sarich, ranga pao (slam poetry) – Te Kahu Rolleston, rongoã Māori - Kylie Simeon, as well as, learning a new waiata composed for the noho by Selena Bercic, Kawiti Waetford, Anaru Reiper. Nikau Reti-Beazley, a Te Rarawa and Te Hiku Hauora scholarship recipient studying Health Science in his first year shared his recent experience of travelling to the United States as part of a youth leadership group and the opportunities for tauira through education and having a strong sense of identity. Ihaka Korewha presented information about the Te Hiku Dune Lakes, their importance and the strategies being used by the project to improve their health.
We wish to acknowledge our Te Aho Tū Roa Tuākana who supported as group mentors actively engaging students in activities, Te Hiku Dune Lakes Team who had done all the behind the scene work to prepare the lake for planting, Bushland Trust for their plant expertise and assistance in growing seedlings, Potahi Marae and whanau for their manaaki and tautoko, Tuia nursery, DoC, NRC … Noho Taiao organising team
Check out the amazing photos taken by Te Rawhitiroa Bosch on:
https://rawhitiroaphotography.pixieset.com/nohotaiao-tehiku/
Tiakina Te Taiao, Tiakina Te Iwi!
Dune Lakes Team prepared holes for tamariki & rangatahi to plant
2000 plants planted thanks to everyone digging in to give a hand
Rangatahi Pūmahara: Sound Bites! Nga Hua – things learnt from various hands-on activities
Water quality
The idea that we planted 2000 trees because the water is terrible -That trees we planted today will help and impact the lakes environment and improve
There’s more than one way to test water quality
Invertebrates in water have a role to play
Angry at farmers who don’t want to fence waterways or move fences back far enough to make a difference
Tuna
Different types of eels in New Zealand and how to tell them apart
How to tell how old a tuna is - How to remove the Otolith from the Tuna so that the age could be estimated
How to measure and weigh and eel
Eels produce more slime when stressed
Tuna travel to Tonga to spawn - Lifecyle - whakapapa to Hawaiki - Only breed once
Recognising tuna health
That tuna live in lakes, not just rivers
Planting
How to dig a hole properly and plant plants lower then ground level for watering purposes
I ako ahau ki te whakato rakau manuka, kanuka
Identify difference between manuka and kanuka; manuka-mean (sharp), don’t mind the wet, kanuka-kind (soft) – can handle dry
Pest control
How to set traps
The population of the pests living in our native forests - There are 70 million possums in New Zealand
Pests impact on ecosystem
Possums, cats are pests too
Ensure humane killing
Games
More awareness
Play kiorahi properly
Additional Pūmahara – Etahi atu o ngā whakaaro!
Kaupapa
Passing on knowledge, it’s for sharing
Well organised
Mix and mingle with new people
Culture and science mix
Learning and helping the taiao
Doing something to benefit future generations
Taiao in good hands with young people being involved and learning
Involving all of Te Kao kura in planting – they will watch them grow
Tuakanaism works well
Importance of knowing about your own environment
Watching young people get excited and interested in te taiao and planting
Identity
Proud iwi initiative
Marae experience
The marae and the rohe
New waiata
Navajo korero resonated - mamae, similarities
Raninikura whakapapa
Tamariki o tenei wahi
Whakapapa to te wai, to te whenua
New waiata composed at the Te Noho Taiao a Ngā Rangatahi o Te Hiku in Te Kao 2018
(Kaitiato Waiata: Selena Bercic, Anaru Rieper & Kawiti Waetford)
He Kūaka i te po
Kāhui waka i raro
Hei oranga te manako
Tiakina ngā taonga
A ō tātou tupuna
E tū kahikatoa
Maranga mai ra
E tu tokongahuru a Waimirirangi
Ki te ora pai te whenua
E whai oranga te tangata
Mai i te rangi ki te whenua
Tai Rehua ki whitirea
Te taiao o te iwi e
Te Taiao o te iwi e
Tiakina te taiao, tiakina te iwi
Dr Erica Williams and Darcel Rickard give a wonderful korero on the Tuna, hands on experience for everyone
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