September Update No images? Click here An update from Lou SansonTēnā koutou, It gives me great pleasure to share our conservation stories and give you an inside look at the work of Te Papa Atawhai, as well as the efforts of others contributing to the important mahi of conservation. Conservation Week 2020Conservation Week is now finished for the year and the results are coming in. I’m thrilled to see the excellent performance of our content across channels. Although COVID-19 meant that most Conservation Week events were not able to be held, some were able to continue, including quizzes, library displays, art and photo competitions. Many planned events will run at a future time. The Wellington and Christchurch stakeholder functions were cancelled, but the Auckland function was replaced with a livestream digital event, which had 380 attendees. The event was recorded and is available to view at https://www.doc.govt.nz/auckland-livestream. If you haven’t seen the Conservation Week online material yet, it’s still available to enjoy. The Virtual Nature Experience and night-time/mountains to sea soundscapes are a fantastic example of the creativity and talent of our DOC team. Conservation Week posters. Image: DOC Congratulations to all who helped make this year’s Conservation Week a success! Thanks also to all our partners and stakeholders who supported Conservation Week with social media posts, virtual events and other actions. We appreciate your support. New Kaupapa for Te Papa Atawhai/DOCOver the past ten months, we have undertaken a major reset of our organisational strategy. The outcome of this gives Te Papa Atawhai a new purpose, principles, roles and behaviours. The new purpose of Te Papa Atawhai is Papatūānuku Thrives. This provides us with a unifying direction for our mahi. These are the words that will drive all our projects and programmes of work, show what we stand for and explain why our work matters. It is the foundation that underpins our organisation and all that we do. Jinty MacTavish (Kākāpō Ranger November 2019). Photo Lou Sanson Te Kaupapa reflects what our people are already doing. It encapsulates what is so special about our Te Papa Atawhai whānau – a deep commitment and connection to Papatūānuku and the communities of Aotearoa. Creating Te Kaupapa has been a journey, which couldn’t have happened without the input of many people. We developed Te Kaupapa together with Māori leaders, the New Zealand Conservation Authority, the PSA, the Minister of Conservation, as well as our Directors. Kahurangi Marine Reserve. Photo Andris Apse Te Kaupapa puts te teo Māori and te ao Māori at the centre of the purpose and strategy of Te Papa Atawhai. It is an important step in the process of bringing Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the relationship with our Treaty Partner into all that we do. The symbol of Papatūānuku – the earth mother, the bringer of life – is one we can all relate to, regardless of our cultural background. Papatūānuku is the land, sea, sky, ocean, freshwater, plants, animals, us. The words Papatūānuku Thrives highlight the interconnectedness of nature, as expressed in the following whakataukī: Toitū te marae a Tāne, toitū te marae a Tangaroa, toitū te tangata. If the land is well and the sea is well, the people will thrive. Mount Kendall, Kahurangi National Park. Photo Ray Salisbury
Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiversity StrategyIt was very exciting to see Te Mana o te Taiao, the Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy progress through cabinet. Tāne Mahuta. Photo: Natalia Volna, itravelNZ Back in 2018, our Te Papa Atawhai team worked with local and central government, Treaty Partners, communities and organisations to understand the challenges and opportunities for a new biodiversity strategy. This led to the release of the public discussion document in August 2019. As part of the consultation late last year and earlier in 2020, our Policy team travelled around the country seeking the views of iwi, hapū and whānau on priorities for protection, restoration and use. Powelliphanta, Heaphy Track. Photo: Kathrin and Stefan Marks The team’s key focus was working creatively and collaboratively to develop an inclusive strategy – one that would reflect the needs and values of everyone involved in biodiversity work. Collaboration and partnerships are at the heart of the strategy. This landmark document will guide how Aotearoa works to protect and restore nature. It is an outstanding achievement and everyone involved can be very proud. Giant petrels, Enderby Island. Photo: Jack Mace Hokitika Gorge launched as a new Short WalkI was thrilled to be at the opening of the Hokitika Gorge Track as a new Short Walk. It joins a collection of New Zealand’s best Short Walks from around the country, including several other stunning walks on the West Coast. The beautiful blue waters of Hokitika Gorge. Photo: Lou Sanson This $5 million project has been carried out in partnership with the Westland District Council, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and Waka Kotahi/NZTA. 80,000 people a year visit the track currently; the aim of the new 60-minute loop walk is to encourage visitors to explore the area beyond the glaciers – and so to spend another night on the Coast. Hokitika Gorge is a key meeting place of Ngāti Waewae and Makaawhio and has strong symbolism. It was great to see such a good turnout from iwi at the opening ceremony. Bishop Richard Wallace and Minister Damien O’Connor at the blessing and ribbon cutting ceremony for the new 90m bridge in upper gorge. Photo: Lou Sanson It was very special for me to be there with my mother Alison, who used to drop me at Hokitika Gorge to go tramping when I was 13. In 1972, a group of us from Westland High School led a ‘Save the Hokitika Gorge’ conservation campaign to stop the NZ Forest Service from bridging the gorge to log rimu on the southern side. The Short Walk opening paid off in droves on our vision as students nearly 40 years ago! Our fantastic West Coast team also welcomed two special visitors recently – the Governor-General, Her Excellency The Rt Hon Dame Patsy Reddy, and His Excellency Sir David Gascoigne. They were briefed on DOC operations on the West Coast, visited Treetops Walkway, one of DOC’s local concessionaires, and walked to the new Hokitika Gorge bridge. Dame Patsy took a genuine interest in the different streams of work that DOC is involved with in the District and across the wider Region. Sir David Gascoigne, Nicole Kunzmann, Dame Patsy Reddy, Tony Thrupp and Mark Davies. Photo: DOC Congratulations to everyone involved in the project – this walk will be a delight for visitors and a great asset to the Coast for years to come. Sentinel A Nuku Conservation Careers Programme LaunchedMichelle Hippolite and I joined the Amorangi Komiti of Ngā Whenua Rāhui and prominent Māori leaders from across the North Island in Turangi on 7 August. We launched Sentinel A Nuku – a training programme that looks to draw on the best of both worlds, te ao Māori and te ao Pākehā, in the better management of the environment. The programme is open to all young people from Aotearoa New Zealand and grounded in tikanga through Ngā Whenua Rāhui’s ‘Te Tūāpapa Ahurea’. Developed by Maui Te Pou, Te Tūāpapa Ahurea is a practical framework that looks to protect and enhance indigenous biodiversity through the use of Māori cultural concepts and practices. Left: Tauira (students) at the Sentinel A Nuku programme. Photo: Lou Sanson. Right: Maui Te Pou, the principal author of Te Tūāpapa Ahurea. Photo: supplied by Eileen Brown The first cohort of 23 tauira were inducted at Hirangi Marae in Turangi, under the mana of Te Ariki Ta Tumu Te Heuheu of Tūwharetoa. Initial funds have been provided by the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF), with Te Papa Atawhai committed to continuing the programme as the PGF funding phases out. It was a privilege to have the previous Director-General of Te Papa Atawhai, Al Morrison, representing the PGF at the launch. Al, along with iwi leader and Ngā Whenua Rāhui Komiti member Kevin Prime, spoke of the need for the programme and wished the tauira every success in their careers. With Te Ariki Ta Tumu Te Heuheu of Tūwharetoa and Al Morrison. Photo: Supplied by Lou Sanson In the years ahead, Sentinel A Nuku will become an important part of providing future managers, leaders and experts in conservation and environmental work across many iwi entities and agencies, including Te Papa Atawhai. The tauira are Department staff. During the two-year programme, tauira will take part in a wide range of work-based training opportunities with the ability to specialise in their second year. The programme is led by Clifford (Speedy) White. Speedy began his career as a teacher at Te Aute college and has worked in both Corrections and Health. Iwi support for the kaupapa has been very strong as the programme developed. It was pleasing to see a large number of iwi leaders and whānau of the tauira present at the launch day. Te Arawa/Tauranga tauira. Standing from left: Alexandra McDonnell; Corban Radford; Mahue Dewes; Niao Leonard; Soweta Fort D Ath and son. Seated: Mariana Te Rangi. Photo: Shayla Kora Predator Free goals get a boost in ŌpōtikiThe town of Ōpōtiki is embracing Predator Free 2050. Since an initial classroom education project on rat trapping and Predator Free, the predator trapping enthusiasm has spread throughout the town. Locals have now built and set over 480 homemade rat traps in backyards, schools and marae. Building a trap. Photo: Mithuna Sothieson Ōpōtiki is one step closer to its Predator Free 2050 goals and is an example for how predator trapping can take off in communities, leading to strong biodiversity gains. Inspired by the Ōpōtiki example, marae further up the East Coast are now also holding rat trapping workshops. One of the best locations so far to hold a trapping workshop – Omaio Marae, where locals from this small coastal community came together to learn how to play their part. Photo: Mithuna Sothieson This story is an excellent illustration of mahi related to two of the PF2050 strategic pathways: Whānau, hapū and iwi expressing kaitiakitanga and Communities taking action. Whānau, hapū and iwi play a key role in the movement towards a Predator Free New Zealand – both in designing, deciding and delivering predator management projects and also playing a central role in broader regional collaborations. Congratulations Ōpōtiki! Visiting conservation areas around AotearoaWhakapapaI visited our staff at Whakapapa, where I saw the fascinating work they are leading. They have recently introduced a new parking system in the village and ski areas to help cope with record numbers of New Zealanders visiting the National Park. Over the school holidays, more than 10,000 people visited per day! Traffic management has been a critical skill for our rangers. Te Papa Atawhai staff at Tongariro National Park Visitor Centre, Whakapapa. Photo: Lou Sanson They are also leading the largest infrastructure upgrade we have ever done at Te Papa Atawhai. After 50 years of deferred investment in water, waste and village infrastructure, the upgrade is well overdue – particularly as Whakapapa village can hold up to 2,000 people per night at peak times. We have a dedicated project team in our Taupō Office led by Patrick Harvey to support this work. Te HikuBruce Parkes, Michelle Hippolite and I were hosted by Ngāi Takoto, Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri and Te Roroa during a visit to understand their collective aspirations as Treaty Partners for conservation in the far north. This included hui on Jobs for Nature, Predator Free 2050, freshwater, cultural significance and protected species. We also had the opportunity to host Te Hiku iwi leaders for dinner in Kaitaia and participated in a Saturday morning tree planting event with Ngāi Takoto, Bushlands Trust, Te Papa Atawhai and Northland Regional Council at Lake Ngatu, one of many freshwater dune lakes across Te Hiku which are considered environmental gems nationally and internationally. Ngāi Takoto Kaitiaki Rangers, Lake Ngatu planting day. From left: Ray Pivac, Hayden Taylor, Kiao Hooper (DOC Biodiversity Ranger) and George Hooper. Photo: Lou Sanson It was an honour to participate in a ceremony to unveil a new Te Rarawa pou whenua, named Waimahutahuta, at Ahipara in a very moving dawn sunrise event – celebrating the significance of water resources along the Ahipara takutaimoana (coastline). The new Te Rarawa pou whenua Waimahutahuta at Ahipara. Photo: Lou Sanson At Te Puna Tōpu o Hokianga Trust Offices in Reena, a small valley between Panguru and Mitimiti, we were delighted to meet six of our new “Jobs for Nature” Te Rarawa kaitiaki who are implementing the Warawara Whakaora Ake restoration plan. Their speeches were inspirational as they spoke of their love for the ngāhere and what Jobs for Nature has done to change their lives. They now have a living relationship with their ancestral lands, and in this area with high unemployment (north Hokianga), Jobs for Nature now provides them with training in First Aid, Growsafe, orientation, monitoring and technology. The kaitiaki have constructed 1,000 DOC 200 stoat trap boxes in preparation for deployment. We heard from two kaitiaki, one had discovered a new location of tītipounamu in the Warawara Forest, and other had found rare “forget-me-nots” near their home. Both were over the moon with their discoveries. Incredible! The next task is to pull out all the old trap boxes and replace them with new ones, to protect these special species. At Waipoua Forest we were updated on the programme with Te Roroa’s wish for Rakau Rangatira, kauri dieback control and a significant upgrade to visitor infrastructure and the visitor experience in the Waipoua Forest. Mataketake HutI met with the team building the new Mataketake Hut in South Westland. The hut is beautifully sited, built on a tussock plateau to the north of Lake Dime on the Mataketake Range. Mataketake Hut at sunset. Photo: Rob Brown The hut’s construction was supported through a donation of $200,000 from the estate of Andy Dennis. Andy was a keen tramper and conservationist. He was author of The Paparoas Guide (1981) and was an important figure in the creation of the Paparoa and Kahurangi national parks. He passed away in 2016. Support for the remaining budget for the build was through Te Papa Atawhai and the Backcountry Trust. The new hut sits in one of the most spectacular huts sites in New Zealand, with views of Aoraki/Mount Cook, alpine tarns and dramatic sunsets over the Tasman sea. Built by the Backcountry Trust, the hut will be a 5-6 hour loop walk off the Haast to Paringa Cattle Track. Mataketake Hut. Photo: Rob Brown We have given the Backcountry Trust $2.5 million in DOC partnership funding since their establishment in 2014. Last year alone they completed 52 hut and track projects, with 280 volunteers contributing over 10,000 hours of their time. The average cost to restore a small DOC backcountry hut is around $10,000. As there are 956 DOC huts, with more than half of those having fewer than 10 bunks, the work being contributed by volunteer groups funded by the Backcountry Trust is invaluable. The model helps Te Papa Atawhai to look after the complete network of facilities. During the construction of Mataketake Hut over the past year, the building team faced the challenge of heavy rain, extreme storms and the COVID-19 lockdown. The main builders for the project (Mark Harry, Eric Saggers and Ben Midgely) worked through some rough conditions to get the foundations and frame done before a group of Wanaka builders took over for the cladding and internal finishing. I am keen to be one of the first trampers to hike in there! Left to right: Wayne Costello (DOC), Rob Brown, Jordon Lawrence, Jack Goodsell and Vitek Kocandrie. Photo: Lou Sanson If there is anything you wish to discuss, please feel free to contact me directly on Director-General@doc.govt.nz. Also, you can follow updates and DOC news at your own pace by following me on social media #DOCBoss . Hei konei rā, Lou Sanson DOC onlineBe sure to check out our DOC website and follow us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, Instagram and more. |