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City/State: Kaikoura |
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Country: NEW ZEALAND
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| WorkingAbroad Projects |
PO Box 454, Flat 1
East Sussex
UNITED KINGDOM
BN1 3ZS
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Program description: |
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An opportunity to live and work with the Te Runanga O Maori tribe of Kaikoura on New Zealand's South Island. The project directly links the traditional spiritual connection between people and sustainable natural resource use with a groundbreaking model for sustainable communities in the 21st century.
New Zealand is an amazing country. Very beautiful, scenic and a strong favourite with outdoor types. It is half a world away and yet you are made to feel at home. Christchurch is influenced greatly by British settlers with familiar street names throughout. By contrast Kaikoura is a wonderful combination of forward thinking environmental action and traditional Maori culture. Kaikoura is located on the East coast of South Island NZ. The population is 3400 and the community is situated on Kaikoura peninsula, a small rocky outcrop between the Seaward Kaikoura Ranges (2600m) and the Pacific Ocean which 500m from shore drops to depth of 1300m into the Kaikoura Canyon.
This canyon attracts wide variety of marine life - plankton, fish, whales, dolphins, sharks, and seals. Abundant food supply attracted Maori and Europeans settlers for 1000 yrs. Today Kaikoura is famous for watching its marine life. Estimated 1.3 million tourists a year visiting the town to watch whale, seal, dolphin, shark and marine birds in their natural environment.
This project takes place in the settlement of Oaro situated on the banks of the Oaro River. The work site is next to the Pacific Ocean with the Seaward Kaikoura Mountain Range as its backdrop. In 2001 Kaikoura adopted Green Globe, an international tourism standard, which enables Kaikoura to measure the environmental and social performance of its residents and tourists and to manage this performance to improve it. In 2004 Kaikoura became the first community in New Zealand and the first local authority in the world to achieve Green Globe 21 certified status. BTCV has worked with the Kaikoura community on a range of projects to further the sustainable community goal.
What is the nature of the work?
The work is a continuation of a project to develop a wetland area on the Oaro riverbank; the objective for Te Rununga O Kaikoura is to restore an area of wetland for conservation purposes and also as an area for the collection of food for the local people. Food collection is a traditional Maori activity and is carried out in a sustainable way. This site is a historic collection site for the Rununga (Local tribe) and the work is being carried out in a partnership between Te Rununga O Kaikoura, Kaikoura District Council, Environment Canterbury, and the Department of Conservation.
This is part of a five year plan to establish a wetland area through planting of wetland plants, possibly constructing footpaths to the site as well as simple boardwalks and bridges. Time will also be spent at the Takahanga Marae (Maori village) gaining an appreciation of traditional Maori activities and their approach to sustainability, while assisting to protect culturally significant sites while preparing planting sites for native species.
Volunteers will be involved in developing a wetland area on the riverbank. The objective is to restore wetlands for conservation and reestablish a traditional food collection area. Digging work is done by machine beforehand. Work is required to re-establish the wetland and ensure correct water flows. This will include planting of wetland plants, construction of footpaths, simple boardwalks and bridges. Time will also be spent at the Marae (Maori village) gaining appreciation of traditional Maori activities and their approach to sustainability. A typical working hour day will be from 9.00 am until 4.30 plus 2 x 15 min breaks and a 1 hour lunch break.
As volunteers, you will have the benefit of a programme leader present. These leaders are highly trained and experienced and help to ensure the volunteers get the most out of their experience.
Volunteers stay at the Takahanga Marae - the traditional meeting place of the Te Runanga O. Its not generally open to the public, so very few have the chance to experience living there. The Marae has all facilities such as kitchen, bathrooms and laundry. Bedding is on mattresses on the floor. Food is usually local produce - please ensure to notify us of any special dietary requirements beforehand.
You should be 18 years old and over and capable of carrying out manual work in most conditions. No specific skills are needed, but those with previous experience of manual conservation work, trail work, and gardening would be particularly useful, as well as those who are self-motivated, as you will get more out of the project if you are. The project will especially appeal to those with an interest in indigenous rights, conservation, anthropology and so on.
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General program information: |
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Program open to: Everyone
Travel to site: Independent Travel
Is opportunity more independant or group orientated: Group
No. in group: 8-10 volunteers
Living arrangements on the program: Group living
How long does the program last?: 1-2 weeks
What are the dates of this program: 26th February to 12th March 2007
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Benefits and advantages of the program: |
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Kaikoura is well known for its marine eco-tourism operators with whales, dolphins, seals, and birds watching available from the town.
This project is contributing to redeveloping wetlands within Kaikoura District, which have in recent years been in decline. This will have the benefit to improve the indigenous biodiversity of Kaikoura which is a key objective of the council, as well as the other partners to this project. In addition the project will enable the reestablishment of a traditional collection site for food for local people, which is something that is of some significance to Maori with the number of traditional collection areas declining.
The work is also beneficial as it will enable the sharing of experience with our volunteers and BTCV volunteers working with people from Te Rununga O Kaikoura as well as workers and volunteers from Kaikoura enabling the broadening of horizons and understanding and learning new ideas and ways of working towards a sustainable future.
Local people will be involved and this will be organised by Te Rununga O Kaikoura who have volunteers assisting them in their work as well as employees from Environment Canterbury and the Department of Conservation, with whom you are working during your stay. It is also anticipated that other local community groups will be involved such as the Kaikoura Coastal & Marine Protection Society.
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Cost or price of this program: |
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650 GB pounds
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Application process Involves: |
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Please apply via our website
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