The Noho Taiao programme gets teenage students out of the classroom into nature to spark excitement for science and discovery. Photo / Supplied
The Noho Taiao programme gets teenage students out of the classroom into nature to spark excitement for science and discovery. Photo / Supplied
A science programme teaches Far North teenagers how to understand and care for their environment, combining both Māori and mainstream knowledge.
Noho Taiao o Te Rarawa has been running successfully for over 10 years and is engaging Crown agencies as well as tohunga (experts) to teach 13-18 year-olds how to observe nature.
"Noho Taiao is about getting children into the environment, particularly teenage group," Mina Pomare-Peita, one of the initiators and Te Kura Taumata o Panguru principal, said.
"It's not really cool for them to go into the environment. So the first part is the get them to love the environment. Only when they love it, they get to look after it properly."
As part of the science camp, which is usually run out of a Te Rarawa marae, the students engage in a range of learning activities, including bird monitoring, water testing, reading the stars and planting.
Students learning all about the fish living in Lake Onepu. Photo / Supplied
Noho Taiao is engaging both tohunga such as Rereata Makiha, a veteran broadcaster, and Rangi Mātāmua, an indigenous studies academic, as well as staff from the councils and the Department of Conservation.
"Most of the science knowledge comes from Crown research institutes or Crown agents such as DoC or Northland Regional Council," Pomare-Peita said.
Mina Pomare-Peita (left) is one of the initiators of Noho Taiao and Te Kura Taumata o Panguru principal. Photo / Supplied
But she says with its clinical approach, conventional science doesn't teach youth well how to observe and connect with the environment.
"That's where mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) comes into play alongside science and pākehā knowledge.
"We come from a culture of pūrākau (stories) where we're claiming or knowledge around stories," Pomare-Peita explained the Noho Taiao concept.
The success in the programmes lies in the combination of mātauranga Māori with its pūrākau and mainstream science which together create a holistic understanding of the environment.
"It is not for us to say what is right and what is wrong, it's for the next generation to work with what we're giving them.
"My colleagues and I felt that our children were only getting one side of the science."
Noho Taiao was born out of concern that future generations wouldn't know how to look after their land.
"As part of our land claims, our land came back to us but our children had never been outside to plant the garden or dig a hole," Pomare-Peita said.
Doug Te Wake who works for the regional council and teaches at Noho Taiao says caring for land has to be taught from a young age.
"What does it look like to be the managers? If you miss out a couple of generations and you need to start an age where you can influence learning and plant that seed to aspire to be leaders within the environmental field," Dough said.
"We need to teach our young people to be the managers on assets that will forever remain."
Noho Taiao receives overwhelmingly positive feedback from students and several graduates return to teach and support the programme.
Students are planting around Lake Waiparera. Photo / Supplied
'Take a moment for Nature' theme of this year's Conservation Week
This year's Conservation Week encourages Kiwis to connect and interact with nature for their wellbeing.
Saturday kicked off Conservation Week which will run with Covid-related changes until September 12 and is asking Northlanders to join an amateur photo competition.
"Our personal wellbeing and nature's wellbeing are interconnected," Bronwyn Bauer-Hunt, Department of Conservation Pēwhairangi/Bay of Islands operations manager, said.
"Our health and wellbeing are strengthened when we connect with nature."
To celebrate this year's Conservation Week theme "Take a moment for Nature", DoC is running an amateur photo competition for Northlanders who are asked to capture lockdown in their backyard.
There are three sub-themes; nature in your backyard, nature close-up and people in nature in three age groups (19 years and older, 13-18 years and 12 and under).
Contact conservationweeknniregional@doc.govt.nz for entry details.
Conservation Week is also a time to celebrate conservation success and all the people who have contributed to the protection and enhancement of nature.
"Conservation Week is a fabulous platform to say 'thank you' to these conservation kaitiaki and the work they do week after week to protect and enhance Northland.''
Heke said DoC would love recognise people's efforts.
"So, if you know someone doing the mahi now, or who has done so in the past, contact me on dheke@doc.govt.nz for nomination details."
