"There's now this real hunger for this knowledge but there is a lack of knowledge-holders in this region."
Her own rongoā learning took place with Rob McGowan, aka Pa Ropata, in the Kaimai ranges.
"In my spare time, after I finished work, I'd have to have enough time to get there, have enough petrol to get there, so I feel like my journey has been slower than it need be just because of that access issue.
"For the most part, we have to really work to reclaim it and to relearn and to reconnect."
Rongoā Māori was more than a system of healing using traditional balms, tinctures and teas - it was a way of living to maintain wellness, Nelson said.
It was about understanding how to live as part of nature and how nature worked "so that we can find wellness by knowing our place within it and having a sense of peace in that".
"Rongoā Māori in general is a really amazing way for people to find their place here in Aotearoa for Māori and Pākehā ... for anybody that feels Aotearoa is their home."
- RNZ