Tū Mai Taonga, an iwi-led conservation project on Aotea (Great Barrier Island), is not only working towards a predator-free future but also revitalising their cultural and ecological heritage.
The initiative, which includes pest removal and one of the largest feral cat eradications on an inhabited island, supports Aotearoa’s goal of being Predator-Free by 2050. It aims to restore birdsong, biodiversity, and well-being to the whānau of Aotea.
“As well as the project giving our people the opportunity to return home to work restoring Aotea through science and tikanga-based conservation – we are also building and uplifting our whānau to regain the things we have lost. Our language, our culture and economic sustainability as well as the health of our environment,” says Tū Mai Taonga project lead Makere Jenner.
“As we work holistically to regain these things we can achieve our end goal, where both people and place thrive.”
Tū Mai Taonga is led by Ngāti Rehua Ngātiwai ki Aotea and is said to be underpinned by te ao Māori principles that connect people and place. The project, developed over three years, is backed by Aotea community groups and agencies with 20 years of predator control experience.
It aims for a mana whenua-led, predator-free Aotea.
The project has secured $2.6 million in funding over three years from community trust Foundation North. Audry McLaren, Foundation North’s Head of Funding, highlights that the project goes beyond environmental goals.
“It holistically addresses and elevates environment, language and culture, supporting Ngāti Rehua-Ngātiwai ki Aotea as kaitiaki of Aotea,”
“It enhances partnerships between mana whenua and regional stakeholders, embedding tino rangatiratanga and te ao Māori.
The initiative will create long-term jobs and training opportunities along with a flourishing ecosystem with immense biodiversity.”
Makere Jenner highlights the significance of this initiative, saying it’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity.
“Tū Mai Taonga means stand forth, treasure,” she explains.
“We feel a deep sense of responsibility to restore what has been lost for both people and place, so that the taonga of Aotea can be enjoyed by our mokopuna, by future generations.”
