He Kāinga Taurikura o Tangitū: Treasured coastal environment

“Ka tuwhera a Maungaharuru, ka kati a Tangitū. Ka tuwhera a Tangitū, ka kati a Maungaharuru” 

When the season of Maungaharuru (the mountain) opens, the season of Tangitū (the sea) closes. When the season of Tangitū opens, the season of Maungaharuru closes. 

This hapū based project is helping support coastal hapū and our expression of kaitiakitanga by assessing and accessing high-quality ecosystem data produced by technological tools. 

Mātauranga-a-hapū underpins this project, which is situated within the Tangitū rohe moana (northern Hawke’s Bay) and on a kuku (mussels) reef which is under threat due to anthropogenic pressures and the impacts of fragmented management. 

Our project has four key phases: 

1. Cultural environmental assessment framework: Conceptualise a framework to guide and communicate the hapū assessment of environmental taonga, ensuring its relevance and applicability into the future.
2. Wānanga: Wānanga facilitating knowledge sharing among kaumātua, pakeke, kairuku and kaitiaki of our hapū to share mātauranga tuku iho, describe the current state, pressures and goals for Tangitū, Kuku Reef, and kuku. One of these wānanga is to introduce hapū members to various science tools, methods and technologies, such as underwater drones (Remotely Operated Vehicles, ROV) and environmental DNA (eDNA).
3. Apply science-based tools, methods and technologies: Complete a pilot field study and analyse ecosystem data to develop seafloor maps (visualised via Story Map) and inform the development of a Hapū Implementation Plan and an i-Pou Concept Design Plan, particularly in the context of ongoing impacts and restoration efforts following Cyclone Gabrielle in February 2023.
4. Final report: The final report on all phases of the research project for Maungaharuru-Tangitū Trust (MTT).

This project will benefit coastal hapū kaitiakitanga alongside an ecosystem-based management approach in a practical and accessible manner.