Mātauranga Māori and science are coming together in a big collaboration to help improve water quality of the Puarenga stream, and the process is now under way.
The Puarenga stream – where Queen Elizabeth watched tamariki diving for pennies – has been vacant of swimmers since 2018 due to severewater pollution.
Tiaki Mauri o Puarenga is a collaboration on behalf of the mana whenua and Whakarewarewa – The Living Māori Village – which aims to restore the Puarenga waterways so local iwi can once again enjoy living off the awa's once plentiful supply of traditional foods, and even see tamariki dive for pennies which had been part of the village legacy for more than 135 years.
Whakarewarewa has undertaken science research projects with partners such as GNS Science, MacDiarmid Institute of Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, and Scion Research Institute to provide modern research techniques and technologies with the aim of improving water quality to the Puarenga.
Tiaki Mauri o Puarenga has created a five-year plan, and will restore a 4.18km2 stretch of land and 481m of waterways along the Puarenga catchment.
The stream's restoration will include a combination of pest, plant, and wildlife control; native planting, including taonga species; development of education and community engagement sites and increased land research.
(From left) Ringahora Huata, Geoff Willmott, Franck Natali, Nicola Gaston, Mark Waterland, Robin Fulton, James Warbrick and David Barker at Whakarewarewa Village. Photo / Andrew
On Thursday a team of scientists gathered together at Whakarewarewa, and were taken around the village so they could see the different parts of the catchment, understand where its water sources come from, and where they could take water samples.
A key resource will be volunteer students from Te Whakarewarewa Kura and Rotorua Intermediate schools, co-ordinated by Te Kura Taiao Eco Warriors, with support from Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology.
Chief executive of Whakarewarewa, Mike Gibbons, lobbied for Tiaki Mauri o Puarenga to take shape after hearing the importance of the stream for local iwi and Rotorua's biodiversity community.
A special advisory group has been formed with key members of the community who have already seen how community collaborations and sharing of key data and research can benefit the restoration of our at-risk ecosystems.
"Whānau used to swim and gather mahinga kai from the Puarenga stream every day," Gibbons said.
"Unfortunately, in 2018 locals realised the waters were causing tamariki to fall ill, and blotchy patches started to appear on their skin.
"It was the intuition of the mana whenua that kickstarted this kaupapa, we like to call it mātauranga metrics," Gibbons said.
He said it was absolutely critical that they had got to this stage of the project's implementation, which had been in the planning since February/March last year.
"To have the quality of partners here in Rotorua sharing the technology and innovation that they can bring to support the water quality is absolutely amazing."
Gibbons said it was important to have tamariki and the education sector involved because a lot of them had connections with the area.
"This is also something where they will get the rewards as they become adults, and for future generations ... this is a hands-on project they can be part of while also seeing the rewards."
"The environment and conservation are becoming stronger in curriculum in schools."
The collaboration combines multiple knowledge systems to bring together mātauranga Māori, putaiao Māori and science.
For Nicola Gaston, co-director of MacDiarmid Institute, mātauranga Māori is a knowledge source they want to grow the awareness and validity of within the science community.
She said, "Mātauranga Māori is a valuable knowledge source that we want to preserve within the research world.
"An abundance of knowledge has been contributed to this project by local whānau and iwi.
"We are glad to assist this Māori-led initiative and excited to follow the people of this land's lead."
She said the tour of Whakarewarewa and the discussion had on Thursday was really positive, and was a chance to engage with other partners in the collaboration around what water data was needed and ideas of which technology would be best to explore.
Community participation toward this restoration project will include Whakarewarewa School, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, Te Maioha o Parekarangi Youth Justice Residence, and Ngā Hapū e Toru, Hurunga te Rangi, Taeotu and Ngāti Te Kau.
The Puarenga stream has historic, social, and cultural significance to the people of Tuhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao and Ngā Hapū e Toru, Hurunga te Rangi, Taeotu and Ngāti Te Kau.
