Planting the land to restore the health of te taiao
Te Rūnanga o Koukourarata is restoring the health of te taiao by planting trees across its takiwā. Its work is connecting past, present, and future generations in caring for the land.
The people of Te Rūnanga o Koukourarata are undertaking restoration work to heal their land.
Duration: 05:13
[Video opens with a tauparapara specific to the people of Koukourarata. The video shows a drone shot of Horomako Island. The words “He Tauparapara mo te tu takata whenua o Koukourarata nā Matiu Payne” are superimposed over the shot. This is an incarnation of the people of Koukourarata – an acknowledgment of connection to our natural and ancestral worlds.]
[Opening drone shot of Koukourarata | Port Levy. The words “Planting the land to restore the health of te taiao” are superimposed over the shot.]
[The caption Koukourarata, Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū | Port Levy, Banks Peninsula are superimposed over the drone shot. Upbeat guitar music plays in the background.]
[Narrator is Carl Crofts, Projects Manager, Te Rūnanga o Koukourarata. Carl is sitting on the deck of a building talking to the camera.]
I’m Carl Crofts. I’m employed by Te Rūnanga o Koukourarata as a Projects Manager.
[Drone footage of the bay, then a sign that says, “Te Waharoa o Kakanui: The Gateway to Kakanui”.]
My projects include climate change, which is basically linked to all our environmental works.
The area we’re in used to be covered by native forests and then once settlement happened…
[Carl sitting on the deck, talking to camera, then to shots of the Koukourarata pier and landscape.]
… there was a big push to produce from the lands by creating farms, which meant more clearance – cutting down timber and burning, and what actually resulted in a lot of erosion issues from the late 1800s…
[Carl sitting on the deck, talking to the camera.]
… and that’s something we’re trying to fix.
[Carl and Ricco planting on a hillside, then close-ups of plants.]
What we’re currently doing is starting to do plantings – both native and exotics.
It’s aimed at erosion control and storm water control…
[Carl sitting on the deck, talking to the camera.]
… ahh, which is all linked. For us, it’s linked to water quality.
[Fly-over drone shot of Koukourarata.]
We don’t have drinking water – we’re not like anywhere else…
[Carl sitting on the deck, talking to the camera.]
We wait for the rain, that becomes our water.
[Drone footage of the farm hills and riparian planting.]
What’s coming off the hills is something that’s not safe for us to drink so really, we want good streams, which then have a good effect on the sea.
[Carl sitting on the deck, talking to the camera.]
Talking to our kaumātua who knew certain plants and trees in the area would be the best thing to bring back in.
[Landscape view of the bay stretching out to sea.]
But we also referred to reports written by Hugh Wilson who did a lot of work and studies around the peninsula…
[Carl sitting on the deck, talking to camera, then Carl looking out over the bay and a close-up of a seedling.]
… which, for us, was specific to our areas and worked in with the knowledge that we already had.
We quickly realised the time it takes for those natives species to take off. Time’s ticking, the hills are eroding, it’s effecting our seabed.
So, we actually have to look at exotics hand in hand. Maybe once those natives...
[Carl sitting on the deck, talking to camera, then a shot of a fantail perching on a fence.]
… have all actually taken off, then we can remove those exotics.
[Footage of a cabbage tree, and people discussing the plantings.]
When we first started this work and we realised that the plants and trees are taking off…
…once we confirmed that we had a lot of pests that are actually thriving in those areas, we carried out a trial just to see what would be required…
[Carl sitting on the deck, talking to camera, then a shot of Ricco checking a trap
…the amount of time and costs to actually do pest control and that’s when we realised it has to be somebody doing it full time.
[Carl sitting on the deck, talking to camera, then a drone shot of the bay.]
We have a succession plan. It’s not written down or anything, but it’s encouraging our young ones and exposing them to what we’re doing.
[Footage of people reading a sign and looking out to Koukourarata bay, then a shot of Ricco working on the hillside.]
Some years ago, we started to bring some of our young ones with us. Ricco was one of those.
As a primary school boy, he came out with us and 10 years later, he’s come back around…
[Carl sitting on the deck, talking to camera.]
… and now working with us in that environmental space.
[Narrator is Ricco Robertson, Kaimahi Taiao, Te Rūnanga o Koukourarata. There’s a following shot of Ricco walking through native bush, then sitting on the deck and speaking to the camera.]
Ko Ricco Werata Robertson tōku ingoa. Nō Koukourarata ahau.
[Footage of Ricco checking traps surrounded by native bush.]
I’ve been working for the rūnanga for almost a year now – coming up to a year now.
My main kind of roles are pest control, native planting, and weed control, which is under the pest control really.
[Shot shows Ricco paddling out in a kayak to Horomako Island in the middle of the bay.]
Well, today was kind of a perfect example. I’ve never really had anything like that, kayaking over and seeing all those oyster catches, baby chicks learning to fly and that.
Carl was saying to me that there hasn’t been much chicks coming off from the island…
[Ricco sitting on the deck, speaking to the camera.]
… so I think my traps are working and so I think I’m doing a good job.
[Footage shows people standing and walking across the land, then Ricco sitting on the deck, speaking to the camera.]
I get told almost every time that there’s a rūnanga meeting here: “Oh true bro is it you doing all this mahi around here?”
And I’m like: “yeah, it’s me.” And they’re like: “oh, yeah, mean.” So, people are real proud, eh.
[Close-up shots of new seedlings, then Carl and Ricco walking through the landscape.]
Well, I like to see all my trees. I planted about 6 weeks ago, something like that, and I want to see them in 20 years and see what it looks like then and I’ll be like to my kids…
[Ricco sitting on the deck, speaking to the camera, then a drone shot of birds flying from the island.]
… “me and your uncles planted them, yeah”. But, um, yeah, just like that, eh.
[Narrator switches to Carl Croft. Carl is sitting on the deck, speaking to the camera.]
I think with the younger generation that’s, they’re the key.
[Footage of horses near a fence with the bay in the background, then Ricco talking to someone off camera.]
For our way of thinking, we don’t think of, ah, short periods. It’s inter-generation, so the work we do, we know it’s that long-term work.
[Drone shots looking down on a river flowing into the bay, then the island in the bay.]
Ideally, what we’d like to see here is the native bush back and linked up in corridors throughout our takiwā and you can still have farms in amongst that. It can be hand in hand…
[Carl sitting on the deck, talking to the camera.]
… ah, we just need to change the way we’re doing things and work together.
[Closing footage of Carl and Ricco looking out onto the bay.]
[A green background appears, text on it says: Visit the Canopy website to learn more about planting trees. Canopy.govt.nz.]
[Logos for the Ministry of Primary Industries and Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service appear in front of a green background. Text on the screen says: Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service is part of the Ministry for Primary Industries.]
Background
Native forest and bird life once covered Koukourarata/Port Levy on Banks Peninsula. When European settlement began, the land was cleared for farming, with trees cut down and burned to create paddocks.
This clearance caused serious erosion problems from the late 1800s onwards. The erosion continues today. Sediment runs off the hills into streams and waterways, affecting water quality and the seabed.
The community at Koukourarata doesn't have a town water supply. They rely on rainwater for drinking, so clean streams and healthy water are essential for their wellbeing and day-to-day life.
How trees can help
Trees can protect and stabilise erosion-prone soils. This improves water quality by reducing runoff into waterways. Trees also create habitat for native birds and wildlife.
The people of Te Rūnanga o Koukourarata are now undertaking restoration work to heal their land. This includes planting native species and managing pests. The goal is to restore native forest across the area and improve water quality for current and future generations.
Carl Crofts, Projects Manager at Te Rūnanga o Koukourarata, leads its environmental mahi including climate change and restoration work.
"What we're currently doing is starting to do plantings – both native and exotics," Carl says. "It's aimed at erosion control and storm water control, which is all linked. For us, it's linked to water quality."
The approach
Te Rūnanga o Koukourarata spoke with kaumātua to learn which plants and trees grew in the area in the past. They also used research by Canterbury botanist, Dr Hugh Wilson, who studied vegetation on Banks Peninsula. This combined mātauranga Māori with scientific knowledge.
Choosing the right species
The rūnanga wanted to plant native species to restore the natural environment. But native trees take time to establish and grow, and the hills are eroding fast.
"We quickly realised the time it takes for those native species to take off," Carl explains. "Time's ticking, the hills are eroding, it's affecting our seabed."
So, they decided to use both native and exotic species. Fast-growing exotic trees can provide quick erosion control. Once the native species are well established, the exotics can be removed.
Managing pests
As plants and trees began to grow, the rūnanga discovered pests were starting to thrive. They ran a trial to understand what they needed to do to get pests under control.
The trial showed them that pest control needs dedicated time and resources. The rūnanga now employs someone full-time to manage pest control, native planting, and weed control.
Restoring Horomaka Island
The rūnanga is also working to restore Horomaka Island, a thin, rocky 400-metre-long island that stretches across the bay. The island provides important habitat for native birds like oystercatchers. Pest control on the island is helping bird populations to recover.
Ricco Robertson, Kaimahi Taiao at Te Rūnanga o Koukourarata, manages much of the hands-on restoration work. He sets traps, plants natives, and controls weeds.
"Kayaking over and seeing all those oystercatchers, baby chicks learning to fly, I think my [predator] traps are working – I think I’m doing a good job," Ricco says of his monitoring visits to the island.
For our way of thinking, we don't think of short periods. It's inter-generational, so the work we do, we know it's that long-term work.”
Carl
Passing knowledge to the next generation
The restoration work is connecting generations. The rūnanga involves young people like Ricco in the mahi, teaching them to care for the land.
Carl remembers when Ricco first joined them as a primary school student. Ten years later, Ricco returned to work in environmental restoration.
"I think with the younger generation, they're the key," Carl says. "For our way of thinking, we don't think of short periods. It's inter-generational, so the work we do, we know it's that long-term work."
Ricco, who’s been working at the rūnanga for just over a year, takes pride in his restoration work. Community members at rūnanga meetings are taking notice of his efforts.
“I get told almost every time that there’s a rūnanga meeting here: “Oh true bro, is it you doing all this mahi around here? And I’m like: “yeah, it’s me.” And they’re like: “oh, yeah, mean.” So, people are real proud, eh.”
He looks forward to one day showing his own children the trees he planted.
"I want to see them in 20 years and see what it looks like then, and I'll be like to my kids, 'me and your uncles planted them'," Ricco says.
Outcome
The community and its rangatahi are taking pride in the restoration work. They can already see the changes in the landscape and the return of native species.
This rūnanga’s project shows how combining mātauranga Māori with practical action can heal damaged landscapes. The work at Koukourarata offers a model for other communities wanting to restore the health of their whenua, awa and moana.
More information
For more information on Horomaka island and the surrounding bay, see the Department of Conservation web pages: