He wawata takitini
He rau ringa ka oti
He waipuna ka ora
He Wai Tuwhera o te Taiao
A collective aspiration
A collective effort
Life giving waterways
An enduring connection to the environment
Wai Tuwhera o te Taiao is an Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) initiative designed to support community, iwi, hapū, and whānau-led eDNA testing projects in Aotearoa. The programme aims to support the aspirations of mana whenua and local communities by recognising the importance of mātauranga and local knowledge, and its contribution to understanding the environment.
We support iwi, hapū, and whānau to design and lead eDNA projects that seek to better understand, monitor, and identify important aspects of their local environment, such as mahinga kai, taonga species, and pests. Taking time to listen to and acknowledge te ao Māori perspectives, particularly issues related to Māori data sovereignty has informed our programme design and subsequent protocols for data protection both within the programme and the services provided by our partner, Wilderlab.
Kathryn Gale from Ngāti Pāhauwera Development Trust has participated in Wai Tuwhera o te Taiao and will share how receiving eDNA testing kits and access to science expertise helped them to build capability and capacity. Their eDNA project provided them with a way to explore mātauranga, with new test results contributing to existing knowledge. For example, their eDNA testing confirmed the presence of kōura (freshwater crayfish) in the Putere Lakes. This discovery led to Ngāti Pāhauwera members learning traditional techniques for monitoring kōrua populations in that area.
Te reo Māori terms
iwi – tribe
hapū – subtribe
whānau – extended family, family group
kaupapa – purpose
mana whenua – iwi with territorial rights/local people from the land or region (within a Māori cultural setting)
mātauranga – indigenous knowledge
mahinga kai – food-gathering practices
taonga – treasure
kōura – freshwater crayfish
Wai Tuwhera o te Taiao – Two members of the EPA’s Te Herenga network, Haupai Puke and James Doherty, gifted the name Wai Tuwhera o te Taiao to capture the concepts of “the waterway where the current carries you along” and “an enduring connection to nature, to the environment”.
Ngāti Pāhauwera Development Trust – Ngāti Pāhauwera is a confederation of hapū with historical interests in northern Hawke’s Bay. Ngāti Pāhauwera Development Trust (NPDT) is a post-settlement governance entity representing nearly 8000 registered members of Ngāti Pāhauwera.
Kathryn Gale, Kaiwhakahaere Taiao (Project Manager Environment), Ngāti Pāhauwera Development Trust
Kathryn Gale has been the Kaiwhakahaere Taiao (Project Manager Environment) at the Ngāti Pāhauwera Development Trust for three years. She has ten years of experience working for iwi and local government and has a background in Environmental Management with a particular focus on freshwater science. Kathryn facilitated NPDTs Wai Tuwhera o te Taiao project and is excited about the opportunity eDNA provides for mana whenua to learn more about the species living in their rohe.
Vanessa Crowe, Principal Community Engagement Lead, Environmental Protection Authority
Vanessa Crowe (MFA), is the Principal Community Engagement Lead at the New Zealand Environmental Protection Authority, where she oversees the Wai Tuwhera o te Taiao programme. With ten years of experience in local and central government, Vanessa has been instrumental in fostering community involvement in environmental protection and impact reduction. Her background as a creative practitioner and lecturer in Fine Arts and Design is reflected in her innovative use of visual communication and design thinking.