Ms Ham Davidson1, Ms Vanessa Crowe1, Ms Avalon Adams1
1Environmental Protection Authority, Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand
The Wai Tuwhera o te Taiao community science programme is designed to empower community and iwi/hapū-led environmental protection at the flaxroots. The EPA developed the programme to shine a light on best practice, empower communities to raise the bar for place-based environmental protection, and highlight the importance of environmental data when making decisions that impact upon the receiving environment.
Wai Tuwhera o te Taiao aspires to support connections within local environments by offering community groups, iwi/hapū, and schools/kura access to eDNA science technology to enable local connections to empower community and iwi/hapū-led environmental protection. Accessible eDNA data can provide participants with evidence that can catalyse community action and provide pathways towards enduring partnerships and collaborations. Over the past 18 months, we have supported over 200 groups to begin their journey with eDNA.
Co-leadership is provided to the programme by EPA’s statutory Māori advisory committee, Ngā Kaihautū Tikanga Taiao, helping the programme to support further opportunities for iwi, hapū, whānau and kura to explore the usefulness of eDNA as a tool for kaitiakitanga and education, and explore connections with whakapapa and mātauranga Māori.
The EPA have worked closely with Wilderlab NZ Ltd to develop the programme. Their scientific expertise is supported with science communication and design approaches to help participants in finding meaning and relevance to them and their communities in their results. We are working towards establishing a storytelling platform alongside the interactive web-map, and engaging particpants in both place-based and virtual hui and wānanga (meetings and workshops).
Biography:
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