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Whakahokia te mauri o Oporoa – a documentary on Lake Oporoa

The Whakahokia te mauri o Oporoa documentary tells the story of Lake Oporoa. It celebrates the commitment of Rangitīkei iwi to enhancing the life force and ecological health of Lake Oporoa. Ngāti Hauiti kaumātua Neville Lomax draws upon oral history in recounting the journey taken by Matangi—an early Māori explorer who traversed and named places in the Rangitīkei. Following the flightpath of a huge flock of tūī, Matangi came upon Lake Oporoa—located close to the Rangitīkei River. Two of his children remain in the lake as kaitiaki (spiritual guardians), taking the form of raupō floating in search of the taonga (treasure) located within.

Partnering with Ngā Puna Rau o Rangitīkei, Lakes380 scientists have analysed lakebed sediment cores taken from Oporoa, producing a reconstruction of the lake’s environmental history through to its present degraded state. For manawhenua, imagining the future of Oporoa resembling the ‘abundance of life’ in which Matangi encountered it is only possible through renewing cultural and social connections and with full knowledge of the lake’s ecological health.

The Whakahokia te mauri o Oporoa documentary was produced by social scientist Charlotte Šunde (Cawthron) and videographer Bruce Foster (Airplane Studios) with guidance and input from Reece Martin (Ngāti Whitikaupeka).

Read more about our work with Ngā Puna Rau o Rangitīkei.

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Whakahokia te mauri o Oporoa

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Lakes Appreciation Month – What do we value about our lakes?

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Sampling for fish eDNA in lakes

Check out these new eDNA posters! eDNA is an ama Check out these new eDNA posters! 

eDNA is an amazing new tool that can help us understand and protect the taiao (environment) - but it can't do everything. It needs to be used to complement other techniques and aligned with Indigenous and local knowledge. These new posters highlight these benefits and provide suggestions on some questions to ask before launching into an eDNA based project!

Email us for a high resolution PDF that you can print out. eDNA@cawthron.org.nz

When working with eDNA projects we like to co-design the project with our partners. We also love sharing our knowledge and helping train the next generation of scientists to become sentinels of the taiao.

#lake #eDNA #ecology #molecularecology #freshwater #lakes380 #cawthron #gnsscience #instaScience⁠ #NZscience
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About

  • The Project
  • The Science
    • Field Sampling
    • Laboratory Analysis
    • Student Projects
  • Science Aims
  • Rohe Studies
    • Rangitīkei Iwi Rohe Study
    • Wairarapa Moana iwi rohe study
  • Virtual Experience
  • Social Science
  • Iwi Relationships
  • The Team
    • Lakes380 Team
    • Advisory Groups
    • Lakes380 Co-lead Institutes​
    • National Collaborators
    • International Collaborators
  • Partners

Resources

  • Contact & Links
  • Blog, News & Publications
  • Video Gallery
  • Results
  • Glossary