A farm in the Horowhenua has been undergoing an environmental transformation over the past three decades and research from NPM has helped hasten the shift.
NPM researchers Professor Huhana Smith (Ngāti Tukorehe, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga) and Moira Poutama (Ngāti Tukorehe, Ngāti Wehiwehi, Ngāti Kikopiri, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga) both whakapapa to the Tahamata Incorporation coastal lands in Kuku. Over the past 30 years they have worked on a variety of projects to uplift the farm’s mauri regarding its fresh water and wetland resilience, using an holistic approach for long term environmental and economic progress.
“While we were implementing strategies such as wetland, and freshwater revitalization, other things occurring on the farm such as sand dune management and farm drainage were areas that could be improved,” says Huhana.
The dairy farm is on coastal land, and features a salt marsh, an estuarine region, sand dunes and the Ōhau River, all interconnected and impacting each other. To get the best out of the whenua economically and environmentally, Huhana and Moira decided - in a very literal sense - to get a bigger picture of what was happening on the farm. Previously, they had commissioned large-scale aerial photos. This time they opted for a very different approach that involved walking, talking, and technology.
To gain greater insights Moira enlisted the help of a trainee GIS mapping specialist, artist and ecologist Hayden Fowler. Landscape architect Nathan Galluzzo offered his skills and Derrylea Hardy continued as a long-term collaborator on the project.
Armed with equipment and harnessing the hundreds of hours of kōrero tuku iho that had been undertaken with hapū members over the years, researchers and members of the hapū undertook hīkoi covering every corner of the farm. This enabled the research team to gain the footage they needed. Large scale, highly detailed 3D maps using the photogrammetry/drone camera requirement and LiDAR data were created, and this information has proved to be a game changer, says Huhana.
The 3D topographical renders enable people to understand how the climate, hydrology, farm geology, as well as farming practices relate and impact each other. Nathan used sophisticated software to virtually ‘fly’ people over the farm, enabling the Tahamata Board and its shareholders to visualise what future transition to a more climate resilient farm might look like. “While we are lucky not to have been hit hard like some areas, it is coming here eventually, and so we wanted to help our farm become more environmentally and economically resilient to this”, says Huhana.
To really tackle climate change challenges, Huhana and Moira had to get their heads around how carbon credits and emissions reduction practices would work on the farm. As well as learning about the mapping technologies, the entire project has been a huge amount of up-skilling and learning for them.
She says Tahamata Incorporation’s Board is future focussed and are part of Massey University’s Whenua Haumanu Programme which encourages the nurture of land through pastoral farming practices. “Tahamata has accepted these findings with interest and the mapping technology is a huge asset with other resources to build capacity and drive future decisions for the benefit of the farm and its shareholders,” says Huhana.
“One of the beautiful things is that we have a board who want to do what is right for the whenua as well as help the farm be socially and culturally astute, environmentally sustainable and economically viable,” she says.
“The board has said to keep moving forward, but they also want to be involved and kept up to date. This path will be a win for everyone, and it will be a massive transformation of our coastal whenua. Ultimately, our research team, as an active kaitiakitanga research group, are enabling our people through this process to be whole with the whenua, our awa, our ngutu awa and repo once again.”