There are many signs in the taiao (natural world) if you look close enough. Like when the tōrea (oystercatcher) strikes at low tide looking for food; these birds love shellfish, crabs and tuangi (cockles). But how long does it stay? And what is the relationship of the bird to what’s around it?
Dr Kura Paul-Buke (second from left) and her team at Waihi estuary, Pukehina. Photo: Justine Murray
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That’s just a glimpse into the tohu surveys (observations) that Professor Kura Paul-Burke and her research team are carrying out as part of the research project ‘Tāwharautia te wahapū o Waihi – Protect the Waihi estuary’ supported by Our Land Our Water and lead by Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whakahemo.
For generations this estuary was used as a mahinga kai (food gathering place) but over the years the water quality has declined, due to increased pathogens and sedimentation, much of which comes from four neighbouring water canals. Kura, the country’s first wāhine Maori Professor of Marine Research argues the straighter the canals are, the more likely pollutants or paruparu makes its way into the estuary.
As the water quality declines, the loss of species also means the loss of mātauranga Māori. Kura and her team draw on both western science and Māori knowledge systems in this study.
To learn more
- Listen to the full episode on Our Changing World
