The Vision / The Mission / The Strategy
The Vision (Kitenga Whanui)
Vision: The Kaimai Mamaku thrives; hence we thrive.
This is a long held vision of the Kaimai Mamaku Forum and, in turn, the Trust will uphold this kaupapa. The Trust will hold and communicate this vision, providing a shared sense of what the vision looks, feels, sounds, smells and tastes like.
“Whāia te iti Kahurangi, ki te tuohu koe me he maunga teitei.”
- Pursue that which is precious; do not be deterred by anything less than a lofty mountain.
The Kaimai Mamaku is not thriving. The mana of our taonga is declining. The mauri of the ranges is struggling. Forest and stream condition and function is degraded. Pests have consumed both the forest floor and the canopy, and in many places the forest is becoming more open, light and dry than it should be. An open dry forest supports fewer species, provides poorer habitat, and opens spaces for weeds and pests to invade. Our magnificent canopy trees are dying and are not being replaced. Predators are killing our native lizards, frogs, insects and birds, and pests are competing with them for food. Our native species are decreasing in number and diversity.
The need to reverse the decline and improve the resilience of forests and streams in the face of climate change, pest pressures, and pathogen risks is urgent to prevent the irreplaceable loss of our unique biodiversity. That urgency gives momentum to the mission.
The Mission(Te Whakatakanga)
Mission: To restore the mauri of the Kaimai Mamaku.
Restoring mauri means different things in different places. More than a reduction in undesirable characteristics, restoring mauri means that the balance is tipped towards improving condition and upwards momentum. And we know we can do it! In the places where intensive pest control is happening, mauri is returning. This needs to happen across the entire Kaimai Mamaku ranges and extend outwards along rivers and streams to our harbours.
The need to reverse the decline and improve the resilience of forests and streams in the face of climate change, pest pressures, and pathogen risks is urgent to prevent the irreplaceable loss of our unique biodiversity. That urgency gives momentum to the mission.
In the ngahere, it is dark or dappled, damp and mossy, loud with birdsong, buzzing and moving, protective like a korowai, riaka is balanced, layered and diverse, a mushroomy sweet smell, spongy underfoot, soil is damp and alive. In the awa, wai is sparkling and clear or lightly coloured, tastes of minerals, cold to touch, quiet pools and rushing riffles, fish darting, insects crawling on submerged stones and flying above, shaded with mossy ferny banks. It is seeing, hearing and feeling the energy and vibrancy of the place, knowing that te Taiao is bursting with life.
There are simple ways we could measure the return of mauri. An increase in taonga species (like kokako or kiwi breeding pairs, kākahi returning to streams), the volume and diversity of birdsong, the density of understory plants, and the cover of canopy trees. Monitoring and measurement are crucial to ensure our actions are contributing positively to the mission.
We have a vision for the future and a mission to get there, so what exactly are we going to do? (Link this to the MKMT strategic plan)
The Strategy (Rautaki)
Our strategy is simple. Harness the power of shared knowledge and collective action.
What is happening now?
Te Papa Atawhai, Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Waikato Regional Council funds pest control over 44,000 ha of the Kaimai Mamaku Forests. Community conservation groups and local care groups dedicate thousands of volunteer hours to pest control, weed control, and replanting in forest and stream habitats over an estimated 4,986 ha in the wider Kaimai Mamaku Project area.
In 2020, iwi and hapu with Te Papa Atawhai obtained Jobs For Nature funding of $19.4million for the Kaimai Mamaku Restoration Project. This has and will establish iwi- and hapū-led restoration projects, mainly on public conservation land, for intensive pest control. Supported by technical advisors for Health & Safety and pest control methods, these projects will bring progressively greater areas of land under intensive pest management throughout the project area. Importantly, these projects will contribute to re-engagement of the community and iwi and hapū with their whenua and, as a result, will activate a cohort of deeply connected and passionate conservation professionals.
What will happen next?
Using the power of GIS and dynamic engagement with these groups, stakeholders and the community, we will:
- highlight the spatial and operational gaps between projects,
- activate collaboration and integration between groups and ignite new projects
- generate funding to support all projects,
- use the power of shared data and monitoring to maximise the impact of every action
- share data and knowledge freely to raise awareness and upskill all participants.
Starting in the forest with existing projects, we will progressively move outwards until restoration action is happening right across the rohe. From pest control over thousands of hectares to back yard traps and stream fencing, we will advocate for a portfolio of place-based restoration actions, focusing on the most effective and efficient site-appropriate methods with the support and collaboration of everyone else engaged with the mission.
