Te Iwi o Te Roroa

Bicultural in approach and illustrated with lively graphics, this educational video shows why kauri are special, how kauri dieback disease functions and what we can do to stop its spread. We meet tāngata whenua, conservation workers and other New Zealanders who are actively helping to save our kauri forests. Filmed in Northland / Tai Tokerau, Waipoua Forest and Auckland's Waitakere Ranges / Te Wao Nui a Tiriwa.

Meet Heni Matthews from Te Roroa, the iwi who protect Waipoua Forest, the home of Tane Mahuta, our oldest most iconic NZ taonga. 200,000 people travel from around the world to visit this magnificent God of the forest. To stand in his presence is an experience not to be missed. If you visit Waipoua forest, Heni and her team of ambassadors, the kaitiakis of Waipoua forest ask that you clean your shoes before you leave home and again at their hygiene stations. The ambassadors are on site to guide you and share valuable knowledge about the importance of the ngahere and its wider value to the entire ecology of the forest.

As promised e te Iwi….we are proud to present the video (short version) of the Kāinga Roa Papakāinga Development wānanga held @ Te Whakamaharatanga Marae on the 17th March (and it was a great success)! Watch this space for the pānui to the next wānanga, e te whānau! Karawhiua!!!

The Te Roroa Housing and Building teams wish to acknowledge all of our stakeholders who traversed through the challenges & the learnings alongside us, to achieve successful outcomes for our whānau.

Vanessa is a kauri ambassador in Waipoua ngahere. She provides information to visitors about kauri trees and helps them understand the need to use foot cleaning stations when entering and leaving kauri areas.

Iwi Te Roroa : Environmental leadership Te Ngahere o Waipoua is a hauntingly beautiful place and a national taonga. The standing place of Tāne Māhuta, it may look calm, but a battle is being waged here. The discovery of kauri dieback (Phytophthora agathidicida) in the forest, closer to Tāne Māhuta than previously believed, was a catalyst for Iwi Te Roroa. Kaitiaki of Waipoua ngahere, the iwi took action, providing the strong, decisive leadership required to bring key agencies, scientists and individuals together to develop an urgent response plan for the forest. Te Roroa have worked tirelessly on a range of actions aimed at identifying and reducing the risk of spreading kauri dieback in the forest. They have been involved in actions to upgrade the boardwalk, install handrails and improve signs, both at Tāne Māhuta and other entrances and walking sites. The number of ambassadors in the forest has been increased to raise awareness of kauri dieback and ensure people remain on designated tracks. Other initiatives include an intensive vector-led soil sampling regime in and around Tāne Māhuta and a feral pig control programme. Te Roroa leadership continues regarding best practice and the use of both western science and mātauranga Māori to support the health and wellbeing of the forest and the ongoing battle against kauri dieback disease. Find out more about our inaugural environmental awards: www.nrc.govt.nz/environmentalawards

The Waipoua River in Northland is one of 14 priority catchments in our Ngā Awa river restoration programme. The goal for this project is to restore the river and add to the significant long-term restoration work that is already being carried out in the catchment. Waipoua Forest is the ancestral home of Te Roroa, an iwi based on the west coast of Northland. The strong partnership between DOC and Te Roroa underpins the project. Our project partners include Northland Regional Council, Reconnecting Northland, Te Toa Whenua, Waipoua Forest Trust and Native Forest Restoration Trust.