The Karioi Project

As a component of our Raglan Aro Day project I got in touch with Kristal through the Karioi project, which is an environmental education initiative that aims to inspire youth to participate in the restoration of the native bird species that call Karioi Maunga home. In and around Karioi and the Raglan coasts, the project was designed to promote kaitiakitanga and behavioural transformation in our indigenous communities.

The Karioi initiative consists of four programs that are offered to all age groups and include outdoor education and activities as well as environmental education.

The highlights of the project over the past year and how they have managed this were shared with us during our bush hikoi. As part of the project, Kristal's role is to set traps, check them, reset them, and maintain them regularly in order to protect the Maunga's native wildlife from pests like possums, foxes, and weasels. Additionally, they inspect the burrows and nests of offshore birds that visit the ground to lay their eggs and raise their young. Give them the attention and assistance they require to live in their native habitat without disturbing the ecosystem's delicate balance.

We had the opportunity to inspect traps and reset any that required attention as part of our trip. We were given a brief overview of the history of the native birds that formerly inhabited the Karioi Maunga, the significance of their work at the Karioi Project, and how they collaborated with Manawhenua to protect the Maunga's natural flora and fauna. Additionally, the significance of kaitiakitanga, collaborating with tangata whenua, and how they are able to adhere to tikanga while performing their services to save the environment and offer community education programs. Additionally, we had the opportunity to visit some burrows where Kristal demonstrated how they maintain the spaces and how they can determine when they are being used by placing popsicle sticks in front of the burrows, which will show us whether there has been movement there or not.

We are preserving the natural habitat of our bushes and the maunga by safeguarding the wildlife that calls the native trees and shrubs on Karioi home. Our native trees and wildlife contribute to the preservation of their natural habitat. Each ecosystem supports the others to preserve the natural balance that takes care of the land, and the birds, plants, trees, and ocean all cooperate to keep the natural environment in harmony. Before lunch and the end of the day, a small group of six or seven of us cleaned up the beaches of Raglan. We collected about three tubs of trash from the beaches and other playground areas. All and all it was a great day to be outdoors doing our small piece to help preserve our environment.