Te Tapu o Tāne to kickstart 100,000 tree planting project

On 16 May 2022 the Government announced its commitment to planting 100,000 trees around Aotearoa, in a new partnership with Project Crimson.

Project Crimson, the charitable trust responsible for nationwide planting project Trees that Count, recently hit the funding milestone of one million trees. In the month since, they raised enough for another 185,000.

Projects will be supported from the top of the North Island to the bottom of the South.

Leading the way will be Te Tapu o Tāne in Murihiku.

The Commemoration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is marked at Government House with a ceremonial planting of a kauri tree by Minister of Conservation Kiri Allan, left, chief executive of Te Tapu o Tāne Jana Davis, Project Crimson chairman Joris De Bres and Chief Justice Helen Winkelmann on behalf of the Governor-General.

Conservation Minister Kiri Allan said this planting would cover areas from “the tips of mountain tops, into urban areas and down through riparian planting – and that’s just in one small area”. Other projects include native trees being planted anywhere from farm land to existing forest landscapes.

Project Crimson chairperson Joris De Bres said the group particularly valued its relationships with iwi and community groups – those on the ground, with knowledge of the land, who were best placed to carry out the work. “We can’t plant them from here,” he said.

Find out more from Stuff.

Posted: 20 May 2022

LEARNZ online field trip

By Tegan Ramage

Hokonui Rūnanga Taiao team, along with Toitu te Whenua – Land Information New Zealand, Longford Intermediate, Te Tapu o Tāne, and our Kaitiaki tauira have been very privileged to be part of the latest video additions to the LEARNZ online field trips website, about the Hokonui restoration: Tech in te Taiao.

This filming opportunity allowed Kaiārihi Taiao Environmental Lead, Riki Parata to give an overview of what the Hokonui Rūnanga Kaupapa Taiao programme aim to achieve alongside their partnership with Toitu te Whenua – Land Information New Zealand. This involves current project activities like pest control, restoration planting increasing the ngahere, seed collection, and monitoring of taonga species. Paired alongside new location-based apps created by Toitu te Whenua (LINZ) that help locate, identify, and collate data for pest control, seed collecting and weed control projects.

LEARNZ powered by CORE Education filming crew Shelley Hersey (LEARNZ Kaiārihi) and Andrew Penny (LEARNZ videographer) spent three days in our takiwā uncovering what the Hokonui Rūnanga Kaupapa Taiao programme has to offer.

Find about more about LEARNZ Hokonui Restoration: Tech in Te Taiao and how your kura can get involved!

Check out the field trip videos here.

Day 1

Filming began in the Hokonui Rūnanga Wetlands, where footage was taken of the Longford Intermediate ākonga, who have participated in the Wetland Restoration project to restore native plants that can be found within the Mataura/Gore takiwā.

The ākonga explained the process of planting, how protective barriers are used to shield plant life until maturity and the importance of weeding to encourage future growth.

Ravi Pitchika GIS Analyst for Toitu te Whenua (LINZ) offered a walkthrough of the weed control app. This technology has outdated the pen to paper method by allowing real time data input of invasive species, chemicals used, control methods, and the ‘track me’ button that pinpoints the areas that have been controlled. This data keeps time and date logs, allowing data to be sent to a web-based viewer where the data is stored, viewed, and collated.

We later made our way to the Mataura Falls where the kaitiaki tauira demonstrated the process of setting and releasing hīnaki.

Day 2

Riki Parata explained the significance of the Mataura falls to mana whenua and how Hokonui Rūnanga Taiao are working with the Industry to restore this area. This involves Tuna (eel) surveying and Elver trap, track, and transfer, Kanakana (lamprey) monitoring, and the possibility of a bridge being built that can assist Kanakana making it over the falls.

The tauira then gathered the hīnaki set from the previous day, showing their capture of a longfin eel, which is an endangered taonga species. They measured and weighed the tuna, whilst Riki talked about the 8km stretch of Mataura Mātaitai reserve where tuna surveying will be carried out by our tauira, indicating tuna present within and outside of the Mātaitai.

Later in the day, tauira team leader Raniera Smyth discussed the importance of pest control, and how this mahi can protect our native plant life and native species. He mentioned how the Field Maps app created by Toitu te Whenua (LINZ) was helpful for him and fellow tauira while doing pest control in the Hokonui Hills. The app allows the tauira to track lines, mark hazard points, mark trap placements, and image taking of traps and hazards. This data is then synced to all other tauira devices, providing an easy way to share and keep records of trapping data and more.

Ravi added to this, by mentioning Toitu te Whenua partnership with GIS Australia, with their joint project SBAS – Satellite-based augmentation system. Here they are working on improving location-based apps to improve the location accuracy which currently stands at a 5-10 metre radius and aim to improve this by narrowing down the radius to 1 metre or under.

Mollie Lyders Kaitiaki Taiao (Environmental Assistant) explained the process of seed collection, how the seed collecting app created by Toitu te Whenua is utilised to track seeds via GPS. Once seeds are matured and sold, the owner can trace the plant back to its origins, the species name and who collected them and at what time. She explains the importance of eco-sourcing, which provides the owner with information about which specific areas native species can thrive, and areas where they may be considered an invasive plant. Through seed collecting, Mollie mentions the large seed bank which has been collected, processed, and will be passed onto Te Tapu o Tāne the nursery project.

Day 3

Jana Davis, Chief Executive of Te Tapu o Tāne nursery, gave an overview of their goals they aim to achieve, like regenerating our whenua, working with communities, providing pathway for rangatahi, to name but a few.

Jana went on to explain the importance of eco-sourcing, as he states, “plants thrive better when they go back to where they come from”.

The Hokonui Rūnanga Seed Collecting crew send seeds to the nursery where Te Tapu o Tāne will log, catalogue and on occasion clean seeds that need further cleaning before processing them. It is important to track these batch numbers, the area the seeds were collected, serial numbers, species type and its taonga, common and Latin names, which is where technology plays a huge role with its web-based viewer. Jana voiced how he would like the App to be able to be interactive, so the community can log in online and see where the plant has come from, who has collected them, and who has grown them.

He finished the day off with his closing remarks by encouraging future generations to educate themselves, absorb the knowledge in order to give back to and improve our whenua.

Posted: 19 May 2022

LEARNZ online field trip - Hokonui Rūnanga

By Tegan Ramage

The Hokonui Rūnanga Taiao team, along with Toitu te Whenua – Land Information New Zealand, Longford Intermediate, Te Tapu o Tāne, and our Kaitiaki tauira have been very privileged to be part of the latest video additions to the LEARNZ online field trips website, about the Hokonui restoration: Tech in te Taiao.

This filming opportunity allowed Kaiārihi Taiao Environmental Lead, Riki Parata to give an overview of what the Hokonui Rūnanga Kaupapa Taiao programme aim to achieve alongside their partnership with Toitu te Whenua – Land Information New Zealand. This involves current project activities like pest control, restoration planting increasing the ngahere, seed collection, and monitoring of taonga species. Paired alongside new location-based apps created by Toitu te Whenua (LINZ) that help locate, identify, and collate data for pest control, seed collecting and weed control projects.

LEARNZ powered by CORE Education filming crew Shelley Hersey (LEARNZ Kaiārihi) and Andrew Penny (LEARNZ videographer) spent three days in our takiwā uncovering what the Hokonui Rūnanga Kaupapa Taiao programme has to offer.

Find about more about LEARNZ Hokonui Restoration: Tech in Te Taiao and how your kura can get involved!

Check out the field trip videos here.

Day 1

Filming began in the Hokonui Rūnanga Wetlands, where footage was taken of the Longford Intermediate ākonga, who have participated in the Wetland Restoration project to restore native plants that can be found within the Mataura/Gore takiwā.

The ākonga explained the process of planting, how protective barriers are used to shield plant life until maturity and the importance of weeding to encourage future growth.

Ravi Pitchika GIS Analyst for Toitu te Whenua (LINZ) offered a walkthrough of the weed control app. This technology has outdated the pen to paper method by allowing real time data input of invasive species, chemicals used, control methods, and the ‘track me’ button that pinpoints the areas that have been controlled. This data keeps time and date logs, allowing data to be sent to a web-based viewer where the data is stored, viewed, and collated.

We later made our way to the Mataura Falls where the kaitiaki tauira demonstrated the process of setting and releasing hīnaki.

Day 2

Riki Parata explained the significance of the Mataura falls to mana whenua and how Hokonui Rūnanga Taiao are working with the Industry to restore this area. This involves Tuna (eel) surveying and Elver trap, track, and transfer, Kanakana (lamprey) monitoring, and the possibility of a bridge being built that can assist Kanakana making it over the falls.

The tauira then gathered the hīnaki set from the previous day, showing their capture of a longfin eel, which is an endangered taonga species. They measured and weighed the tuna, whilst Riki talked about the 8km stretch of Mataura Mātaitai reserve where tuna surveying will be carried out by our tauira, indicating tuna present within and outside of the Mātaitai.

Later in the day, tauira team leader Raniera Smyth discussed the importance of pest control, and how this mahi can protect our native plant life and native species. He mentioned how the Field Maps app created by Toitu te Whenua (LINZ) was helpful for him and fellow tauira while doing pest control in the Hokonui Hills. The app allows the tauira to track lines, mark hazard points, mark trap placements, and image taking of traps and hazards. This data is then synced to all other tauira devices, providing an easy way to share and keep records of trapping data and more.

Ravi added to this, by mentioning Toitu te Whenua partnership with GIS Australia, with their joint project SBAS – Satellite-based augmentation system. Here they are working on improving location-based apps to improve the location accuracy which currently stands at a 5-10 metre radius and aim to improve this by narrowing down the radius to 1 metre or under.

Mollie Lyders Kaitiaki Taiao (Environmental Assistant) explained the process of seed collection, how the seed collecting app created by Toitu te Whenua is utilised to track seeds via GPS. Once seeds are matured and sold, the owner can trace the plant back to its origins, the species name and who collected them and at what time. She explains the importance of eco-sourcing, which provides the owner with information about which specific areas native species can thrive, and areas where they may be considered an invasive plant. Through seed collecting, Mollie mentions the large seed bank which has been collected, processed, and will be passed onto Te Tapu o Tāne the nursery project.

Day 3

Jana Davis, Chief Executive of Te Tapu o Tāne nursery, gave an overview of their goals they aim to achieve, like regenerating our whenua, working with communities, providing pathway for rangatahi, to name but a few.

Jana went on to explain the importance of eco-sourcing, as he states, “plants thrive better when they go back to where they come from”.

The Hokonui Rūnanga Seed Collecting crew send seeds to the nursery where Te Tapu o Tāne will log, catalogue and on occasion clean seeds that need further cleaning before processing them. It is important to track these batch numbers, the area the seeds were collected, serial numbers, species type and its taonga, common and Latin names, which is where technology plays a huge role with its web-based viewer. Jana voiced how he would like the App to be able to be interactive, so the community can log in online and see where the plant has come from, who has collected them, and who has grown them.

He finished the day off with his closing remarks by encouraging future generations to educate themselves, absorb the knowledge in order to give back to and improve our whenua.

Posted: 19 May 2022

NZ Hydrogen Summit 2022 - Murihiku Regeneration attendance

The New Zealand Hydrogen Council hosted New Zealand’s first international hydrogen conference - H2 2 Zero Summit – at Te Papa, Wellington on 3-4 May 2022.

The event attracted international and national industry leaders, interested companies, and participants to discuss the development of a renewable energy ecosystem in Aotearoa and share progress. See the list of speakers here.

Murihiku Regeneration Portfolio Director Terry Nicholas attended on behalf of Hokonui Rūnanga and Ngāi Tahu. Terry is the Ngāi Tahu lead for the development of green hydrogen/green energy projects to help support long-term community development for Hapū and the region.

During the Summit, Terry was able to meet up with a number of developers, the generator representatives and companies wishing to consider participation in the future Murihiku-Southland renewable energy ecosystem.The need for hydrogen in the transport sector was discussed in a section featuring Neeraj Lala, CEO of Toyota New Zealand, the Summit’s lead sponsor.

Terry confirmed that, “there was a lot of interest in what we are doing and what Murihiku has to offer as a centre of development for a range of green hydrogen related projects”. A number of key contacts were made and follow up hui have been scheduled.

Terry also noted “the exponential growth in interest in green hydrogen projects in Aotearoa – particularly from places like Europe where the Ukraine War had forced countries to look at new markets and suppliers”.Toyota’s display car showing the latest in hydrogen technology.

Posted: 16 May 2022

Murihiku Regeneration reaching out globally for green energy solutions

Murihiku was described as the “Saudi Arabia of wind” with regard to wind energy potential, by Siemens CEO Paul Ravlich at the German Green Energy Solutions webinar on Thursday night.

Hosted by the German-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce (GNZCC), the webinar was a first step in an exciting collaboration between New Zealand (Murihiku Regeneration) and Germany to build a clean energy future for Murihiku and New Zealand more generally.The German-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce Network in Numbers.

Murihiku Regeneration thanks the German-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce for organising the event, and we give particular thanks to the following speakers:

Hon. Dr. Megan Woods - Minister of Housing, Energy and Resources, and Research, Science and Innovation

Tā Tipene O’Regan - Ngāi Tahu, Upoko o Awarua, 2022 New Zealander of the Year

Paul Ravlich - CEO, Siemens NZ Ltd., Regional Manager NSW Siemens Ltd.

Dr Nils Goseberg – Professor Technische Universität Braunschweig , Managing Director of the German Coastal Research Center

Dr Michael Feiner - Deputy Head of Mission, German Embassy

Dr. Carola Kantz - Deputy Managing Director of the VDMA Power-to-X for Applications

Murihiku Regeneration first shared green energy ambitions, goals, and initiatives with the GNZCC in 2021, cementing a relationship that lead to this webinar event.

In his opening address, Tā Tipene O’Regan highlighted the commitment of Ngāi Tahu in decarbonising Aotearoa, and his support of building connections with Germany:

“Tribally – there are a whole 70,000 of us – a part of a general movement for New Zealand to decarbonise and make our contribution to climate change”

“I am particularly positive and enthusiastic about the discussions that are beginning to proceed between our two nations in this connection.“

An important role of the GNZCC is to bring together stakeholders from NZ and Germany to get project initiatives ‘off the ground’, and to assist with trade development and market entry. A key role of the GNZCC is to connect opportunities between Germany and New Zealand – with 4.5 million member companies in Germany, this is a great partnership opportunity for Murihiku/Southland.

Hon. Dr. Megan Woods highlighted the important role Ngāi Tahu has played in driving conversations in the clean energy and decarbonisation space:

“The national and global move to a low emissions economy, powered by renewable energy is a once in a generation opportunity for us all – and for Iwi to fulfil their aspirations for their whenua and their people. Ngāi Tahu has been at the forefront of this conversation in recent years.”

Energy efficiency and renewables are a key focus for the GNZCC, with Minister Woods highlighting that:

“Germany is one of New Zealand’s leading science and innovation partners, and together we are working to support innovation that can help develop the bright new ideas to help us meet global climate objectives.”

See the presentation from the webinar below:

German Green Energy Solutions

Posted: 14 May 2022