1.1.1. Raglan Field Trip:
Enterprises for Sustainability of Environment & Community
Description:
Te Mauri Tau - setting up a new enterprise
We visited the Whaingaroa Environment Group in Raglan to learn about some of the Kaitiakitanga projects in their community. Rusty helped organise the trip and eighteen of us went to Raglan, including some parents and friends. It was a hot Friday and Saturday in January and we didn't really know what to expect. When we arrived we were welcomed to the area by the Te Mauri Tau and some members of the Whaingaroa Environment Group including Mary and Liz. We had a powhiri welcome from Kataraina Wirangi Mataira and Maioha Kelly, followed by a delicious organic kai. Te Mauri Tau have just got this area for their marae and they have formed a cooperative, are already keeping chickens, and starting to grow their own food. Ati Tepa showed us amazing videos they produced to record stories and for EnviroSchools. Kataraina used to be a teacher and she believes you need to nourish your spirit and your body as well as the land and the people around you. Tipu Ake.
X-treme Waste Centre - Recycling Whaingaroa
We had a talk at the X-treme Waste Recycling Centre from Rick who told us how they had started with a small shed. They realised their landfill was full up and didn't want to burden another community with their waste. It took a great deal of courage to keep going. They now recycle 70% of what would have been landfill, and recover rubbish worth about $100,000 every year which would otherwise have been buried. They are now a profitable business and everyone in Raglan has a great respect for them. They keep the community thinking about the waste they create and have a column in the local paper. Rick told us that plastics are graded and most things have numbers on but that only numbers 1,2, and 5 can be recycled at the moment. X-treme Waste action now keeps about 23 people busy. Some of us had a go on the video camera and we interviewed the site manager PJ Harworth while others looked around the shop and picked up some great bargains.
Raglan Beach - surfing fun
We got pretty hot nosing around the tonnes of cardboard and plastic so we when we got the next stop, the beach, we didn't waste any time jumping right into the waves!

It was a small hike to our lodge for the night which was at the foothills of the Karioi mountain. They had a confidence rope course and a flying fox which was very fast... 
Raglan Community Centre
The next day we had a big breakfast of bacon and eggs and we made sure the plates and foil went back to the cafe for recycling. Some of us visited the Raglan Community Centre.
Raglan HarbourCare - River restoration for a clean water harbour
We visited Boyd at Harbourcare. Here they are planting native bush along the waterways to help keep the soil in place and to keep the animals away. The plants also act as a filter for runoff from the land. Boyd showed us around the nursery where they grow natives from seed and keep them safe from pests (like insects and people). He also told us about some of the uses of plants and gave us his views on making the land well again. He really made us think differently about a lot of things.
Kaiwhanua Organics Trust - Growing Organic food for local businesses
We visited the Kaiwaka Riki and Lynette Lovini at the Kaiwhenua Organics Trust. Kai told us how while on the dole they had started growing vegetables on a small patch of land and now they supply the local shops who buy everything they can produce. They do not use chemicals on their land and they experimented and listened to nature for the best ways to grow things. It must work because we all thought the strawberries were deliciously sweet! They are very worried about proposals to drop 1080 poison to kill possums on their Maunga Karioi, as the water running down from it is used in their garden so will effect their organic status. We asked Uncle Malibu (a lifetime surfie) what Kaitiakitanga meant. He said it is a rich concept that governments can never define at an official level and that it was not just about the land but also embraces people - He told us that it was something that must start first within ourselves.
Dune Care Raglan - Protecting our land and sand dunes from erosion
We were very lucky also to be greeted by Hinemoa Rossi of the mana whenua involved in Dune care. Hinemoa is the niece of Eva Rickard. Eva was a strong campaigner for the reclaimation of local Maori land. It was very controversial at the time but she succeeded in getting the land back. Now Hinemoa and others work hard to protect the dunes which are under threat from soil erosion. She gave us a tour around and showed us some of the community activities near her house. She also told us a bit about her life in London as an investment banker and she told us about leasing land. It was interesting to hear that she felt gaining trust was an important part of Kaitiakitanga - in a world where everyone is "out for themselves", people have a lot of trouble believing that anyone can be doing things for the future interests of all and our world.
Thank you!
After a full two days we were pretty worn out, but we know we learnt alot and had a fantastic time. We are very grateful to Liz and Rusti for orgnanising the trip for us and getting us to meet so many different people. A big thank you to those dedicated people in Raglan, all so passionate about what they are doing, and to everyone who helped make our trip possible.
Watch this space for the Kaitiakitanga field trip video we will soon have available. Our thanks to the volunteer media crew including Maraea Davies (Southern Cross Film and Television School), Surav Purkayastha and Teresa Liu (AUT Multimedia Studies) and Madeleine Mauwer (visitor from AccountAbilty, UK) who shared so much with our Te Whaiti Children.
Outcomes expected:
We (students, parents, local community, and wider community) will:
See successful projects in Raglan and think about what we can apply to our own area.
See first hand how others have gone from an innovative idea to making it work in practice
Deepen and share concepts of Kaitiakitanga
Broaden our communications skills through meeting new people, asking questions, and conducting interviews
Learn some multimedia skills through taking digital photos, handling camera and sound equipment.
Have a video record of this field trip to share with others wanting to become kaitiaki.(guardians)
Have fun in a different environment
Start Date: 16-17 January 2004
Expected Completion: January 2004
Budget:
Nominal Project Leader: Rusti Rangi
Project Team:
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Progress Log
| Date |
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| 10.5.03 |
Ran Tipu Ake workshop for the Whaingaroa Environment Group |
PG |
| 17.5.03 |
Follow up workshop for the Whaingaroa Environment Group applying Tipu Ake in their environmental context. |
PG |
| 16.1.04 |
travel to Raglan, visits to Te Maori tau & X-treme waste, outdoor activities |
RR |
| 17.1.04 |
visits to Raglan Comunity Centre, Harbourcare, Kaiwhenua Organics Charitable Trust, Dune care. Return to Whirinaki |
RR |
| 19.1.04 |
Review media footage 6 hours and compress to a 3 hour tape |
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| 20.1.04 |
Update website |
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| 18.2.04 |
Visit Raglan and deliver copy of tape with all video footage to Te Mauri Hau, WEC, Kaiwhaenau Organics, Xtreme waste, Harbourcare, Dunecare, Rick and Liz for inforrmation/feedback re future use. |
PG , AM |
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Complete editing and provide copies of completed tape underway |
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