Whakapapa is the foundation of Te Ao Māori, and this spans outside of them, to their Taiao. Being able to see what life forms exist in their awa would be invaluable.
This project will create an awareness for their hapū to see what taonga species still exist, and which have been lost over the years. This will create a baseline for marae to know which taonga species need help to return.
The team within this project aims to test the eDNA of all awa belonging to their 23 Marae.
This project will impact the many communities that reside within their rohe. It will build capacity within their iwi by educating their hapū about the various lifeforms in their awa, and how these can indicate the health of these awa. Each species we identify in the awa can tell us a story about their awa and can inform them as kaitiaki, what needs their Taiao has.
For example, if all they find are pest species, they can respond accordingly. If all an awa has are taonga species, they know that awa does not require as much attention/resources.
Maihi Makiha
IWI: Te Rarawa
Te Runanga o Te Rarawa
Project Lead
Sheena Penwardan
IWI: Te Rarawa
Te Runanga o Te Rarawa
Operations Manager
Sophie Doyle
IWI: Te Rarawa
Te Runanga o Te Rarawa
Project Co-ordinator
Maia Dunn
IWI: Te Rarawa
Te Runanga o Te Rarawa
Project Co-ordinator