blog

Aug 15, 20221 min read

aruhe - second only to kumara

Aruhe is the root of the rahurahu (rārahu or rauaruhe) bracken fern, a tough ground fern with reddish-brown stems, which grows up to 2...

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Aug 3, 20223 min read

kumara - the maori sweet potato

Kūmara was brought from the Pacific islands by our ancestors. This tropical vine had much smaller tubers and was widely grown, especially...

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Aug 2, 202211 min read

Indigenous nuclear waste management

Nuclear Semiotics [dɪˈsɪdjʊəs] ADJECTIVE Nuclear semiotics refers to the study of how to warn people atleast 10,000+ years from now about...

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Jul 31, 20222 min read

celebrating world ranger day & earth defenders

More than 200 land and environmental activists are murdered every year. My first experience working with a community whose leader had...

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Jul 31, 20222 min read

taewa - the maori potato

Māori have grown potatoes for hundreds of years, and taewa refers collectively to some traditional varieties, including Karuparerā,...

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Jul 31, 20222 min read

taro - the food of chiefs

Taro is believed to have been one of the earliest cultivated plants. It is considered as a kai rangatira (the food of chiefs).Taro is a...

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Jul 31, 20221 min read

turutu - the native blueberry

Turutu is also known as New Zealand blueberry, however it is not so palatable as the Turtle Island blueberry! It is a very attractive...

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Jul 31, 20222 min read

puarangi - the native hibiscus

Hibiscus diversifolius, the native (swamp or prickly) hibiscus, Puarangi, our native hibiscus is a part of the mallow family. It is...

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Jul 30, 20221 min read

puha - the super green

Puha is a superfood! It is nutritionally rich in Vitamins A, B1, B2, Niacin, very high levels of Vitamin C & minerals including calcium,...

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Jul 30, 20221 min read

HAKEKE - THE black fungus

Hakeke, otherwise known as black fungus, was once collected and exported by our ancestors, as it is used in Chinese traditional medicine....

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Jul 28, 20221 min read

toi - land cress

Land cress have full of great nutritional value! These tender green leaves have peppery spinach kale like flavor when cooked and they can...

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Jul 28, 20222 min read

karo -the mosquito repellant

Karo is an evergreen shrub growing to 5m by 3m (16ft by 9ft). Like pōhutukawa, a fellow coastal tree of the north, Karo has leathery...

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Jul 28, 20221 min read

ti kouka - THE CABBAGE TREE

On our papakainga, whānau are allocated an area where they would be able to harvest the resources available from the lakes, rivers,...

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Jul 28, 20221 min read

biocultural indicator monitoring

The concept of utilizing environmental indicators to assess environmental health has been around since the early 1990s, and the use of...

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Jul 28, 20221 min read

whiro - the new moon of hereturikoka

Today's new moon is a great time for reviewing our dreaming for the new year ahead. Winter has been cold and wet but the days are...

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Jul 28, 20222 min read

kowhai - the sign of spring

This stunning yellow blossom has a lot to share. In the spring season, these flowers bloom on the kōwhai tree, standing out among the...

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Jul 27, 20221 min read

karamu - the first planted by tane

Coprosma robusta, commonly known as Karamu, is a small tree or large shrub species in the Rubiaceae family. Here are just some of its...

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Jul 26, 20221 min read

mamaku - the symbol of life

Mamaku is one of the tallest tree ferns in the world, potentially soaring 20 meters above the ground. In fact, it’s the tallest and...

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Jul 26, 20222 min read

kamokamo - the maara staple

Kamokamo is a staple food source. It’s a type of squash that is closely related to marrows, courgettes, and gourds. Like a courgette or...

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Jul 24, 20222 min read

kumarahou - the winter elixir

Did you know this beautiful ornamental shrub Kumarahou was the first choice traditionally when an expectorant was needed to help with...

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