Growing Kaitiakitanga - A Whole-Community Initiative
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Kaitiaki: First Steps
First steps make a difference!
Right from the beginning, our youngest rangatahi can be environmental ākonga learners. It’s never too early to start learning about our native plants and animals. What are they? Why do they matter?
> Recognise local native species
> Gentle hands practice
> Predator and Prey
> Seeing the details, counting, taonga hunts
> Tell, show, celebrate what we’ve learned
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Junior kaitiaki
Environmental action!
Identify predators and their prey:
> DIY chew cards and tracking tunnels
> Mapping sightings, logging resultsWhy do we need biodiversity?
A healthy environment: what does it look like?Taking small steps to achieve big goals:
> Do - Review - Celebrate
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Kaitiaki Leaders
Explore - Investigate - Act
What is biodiversity in our district?
Predator impacts,
Intersecting ecosystems.Correcting the environmental balance:
> Using technology to help us
> The many ways to save a species
> Informed decisions - Planned actions -
Community Kaitiaki
Share - Show - Mentor - Grow
Share your knowledge.
Take part in activities built around your strengths, skills and interests
Encourage our young people
Weave a strong network of environmental support through our community.
How it Works:
The Growing Kaitiakitanga programme is designed to be flexible and inclusive, supporting a wide range of people, interests and learning needs.
Predator Free Cromwell (PFC) has developed a suite of activities and resources across a variety of environmental topics, using an inquiry-based learning approach. Participants explore local issues, design investigations, and share and celebrate their findings.
Groups can choose topics and use the resources in ways that best suit their learners. Topics can be explored in depth or adapted to fit alongside existing programmes and interests. New topic ideas are also welcome and can be developed over time.
The PFC team is here to support you. We can help design a programme and develop resources that work for your setting, building on what you’re already doing and responding to your group’s interests and abilities.
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Select from our range of local environmental topics, or suggest one that matters to your group and we’ll develop the resources.
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Each activity begins with a question or problem to explore - a question directly relevant to our local area.
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Research, observe, test ideas and build understanding through a wide range of hands-on activities.
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Apply what you’ve discovered by taking practical action that supports our local environment.
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Recognise and reflect on the difference your actions made. Build confidence, connection and pride.
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You made a difference - however small! Share your achievements with others, because collective impact matters.
A Little Inspiration For You!
Leila Franklin wrote and sang this wonderful song for a school production when she was only 11 years old.
This is Tiki Taane and Ria Hall’s official video of the 2016 song that celebrates being Kiwi - our environment, community and people.
This video was produced as a special project by Christchurch-based TOCK.earth to inspire young tamariki to care for all the animals, plants and environments that make our world so special.
PEOPLE MAKING A DIFFERENCE
That’s you and me! We began as an initiative of the Cromwell & Districts Community Trust to encourage everyone in our community to help re-balance our environment and keep it healthy for the good of all of us. It’s what we all said was important when we gave feedback for our Community Plan.
This hard-working community group is making a difference by planting natives to increase the overall plant biodiversity in our area - providing shelter and food sources for the local native animal species we are working to bring back.
This group of local people is successfully building and maintaining a series of trails, including the Lake Dunstan Trail. They work hard to ensure our environment remains healthy, balanced and native species are protected and thrive - including regional natives the Kawarau gecko Woodworthia Cromwell and the Cromwell broom Carmichaelia compacta, both classified At Risk.
Pest Free Pisa Moorings
This group of Pisa Moorings residents, employing an ongoing control programme, has successfully restricted the rabbit population in their area to a point where rabbit sightings are rare. Residents now enjoy Pisa Moorings’ natural green spaces and native plants, free from the destruction rabbits previously caused.
Cromwell Menz Shed
This amazing group of men has made it possible for us to provide pūteketeke nesting platforms and other tools to schools, individuals and community groups for koha only. They use recycled and donated materials and have donated their time and skills so cost is not a barrier to environmental mahi in our community.
With 1,050 volunteers and projects covering 201,000 hectares, this amazing organisation is actively restoring nature at scale. Some of their volunteers also helped us get started here in Cromwell!