Te Wai Maori, Māori Freshwater Fisheries Trust supported Mangaparae mahi.
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Mangaparae papakainga feeds into the Waipaoa and also the Mangatu and contributes to their overall health and wellbeing. Tuna and watercress are returning which allows kai for marae activities. We have been able to achieve important elements of our overall vision: to restore the land, waterways and all that are nurtured by these. The planting is filtering and cleaning the waterways and life is slowly returning evidenced by our DNA testing results. Also networking with others in our region doing the same mahi as well as informing our marae Taiao awareness under Te mana o Te Wai legislation. With continued and sustained pest control, weed control and maintenance of fencing we will be able to sustain the project.
To give strength to our Wai Māori supported mahi, we participated in the Environmental Protection Authority's Wai Tuwhera o te Taiao – Open Waters Aotearoa, and the Wilderlab's eDNA (eDNA mini kit) training. In addition we identified water sample sites of interests for carrying out testing and considered the potential cultural significance of the waters and protection issues around I.P. and sample/data sovereignty and sharing. This training contributed to our understanding toward protecting and monitoring our waterways. The week of Matariki wānanga re-energised our commitment to the kaupapa, wellbeing and whanaungatanga especially since it was a Matariki holiday weekend that brought whānau home. The cousin, Mere Tamanui, lent us her taiao expertise and a couple of eDNA mini kits enthusiastically guiding us through the water testing process of collecting the tiny traces of genetic material in our water. It was more than delightful to have had our children and grandchildren, and other whanau there to share the experience of the taking of the first samples drawn from our wai at Mangapārae and Omāpere. |