Giving voice to taonga in the Waitao catchment and beyond

Te Ririki o Te Taiao: Giving Voice to the Living World

Our ecosystems are under pressure, yet their voices remain largely absent from the decisions that shape them. Te Ririki o Te Taiao aims to change that.

This iwi-led initiative empowers people to become Te Taiao (ecological) advocates – reconnecting with the natural systems we depend on while gaining the knowledge and confidence to influence environmental decision-making. Across our region, choices about land use, biodiversity, freshwater, and coastal environments profoundly affect the living world. Yet local communities, Indigenous knowledge holders, and Nature itself are often sidelined.

We're bridging this gap through innovative workshops and engagement initiatives based on the Interspecies Council framework focused on giving taonga (endemic species) trying to survive in our forests, estuaries, and streams a voice in decision-making. Participants will discover local species and habitats, understand ecological relationships, and learn how to advocate for Nature in governance processes alongside cultural experts and community leaders.

Your support funds educational resources, facilitation guides, community workshops, youth engagement, and multimedia content – all freely available for schools, tribal members, environmental groups, and decision-makers.

By project's end, we'll have trained environmental advocates and kaitiaki, created practical engagement tools, and developed a replicable model. Together, we're ensuring Te Taiao has a stronger voice in decisions about its future.