Ngāti Tumutumu Kaitiaki Taiao
He maunga, he taiao, he iwi – kotahi te mauri.
Our Taiao Team leads the environmental kaupapa of Ngāti Tumutumu Trust, working to restore and protect the mauri of Te Aroha Maunga and the wider rohe. Guided by the mātauranga of our tūpuna and the kōrero tuku iho of Te Ruinga and Tumutumu, our role as kaitiaki is to heal, regenerate, and safeguard the natural world for future generations.
What We Do
Kaitiakitanga of Te Aroha Maunga
We carry out ongoing cultural and ecological restoration across our maunga, focusing on bringing back the health, life force, and balance of the ngahere. This includes species protection, eco-sourcing of native plants, pest plant and animal management, habitat restoration, and alignment with Tumutumu tikanga for the care of our taiao.
Kauri Protection & Biosecurity
Our team is actively involved in Kauri Ora and Tiakina Kauri mahi, including PA (Phytophthora agathidicida) testing, decontamination protocols, and research partnerships to safeguard our remaining kauri and support long-term forest resilience.
Cultural Monitoring & Mātauranga-Led Science
We combine traditional knowledge with modern environmental science to monitor water, soil, biodiversity, and the wellbeing of significant sites such as Tūi Mine. Cultural monitoring ensures that decisions around the maunga reflect the values, worldview, and aspirations of Ngāti Tumutumu.
Restoration Planning & Nursery Development
We are developing restoration plans that reconnect the whenua with the species that once thrived on Te Aroha. With a focus on eco-sourcing and whakapapa-aligned planting, we are growing local seedlings and building pathways for community-led ecological restoration.
Education & Rangatahi Pathways
Our taiao mahi creates learning and employment pathways for our rangatahi—building skills in conservation, monitoring, planting, whenua restoration, tikanga, and kaitiakitanga so they can become future guardians of the maunga.
Our Purpose
At the heart of our work is a simple truth:
When the maunga thrives, our people thrive.
Through every trap set, every seed grown, every test carried out, and every wānanga delivered, our Taiao Team is restoring the mauri of Te Aroha—breathing life back into the lands that have sustained our people for generations.
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