Northland REGIONAL COUNCIL Te Kaunihera a rohe o Te Taitokerau Aupõuri locals protect landscapes from wilding pines A dazzling sandspit, sacred to Te Aupouri, is one of Northland's treasures that's now better protected from the threat of wilding pines. Northland Regional Council (NRC), Te Aupouri, community groups and private landowmers have worked together since mid-2020 to remove wilding pines from locations around Aupouri Peninsula. PM's award for Oruaiti A small Far North school with a keen sustainability focus has added a Prime Ministerial award to its list of accolades. Wilding pines are self-seeded, unwanted pine trees that spread from plantation forests, shelter belts or legacy plantings. At Kokata Spit, wilding pines were spreading across the white silica sands, choking out native vegetation. Oruaiti School near Mangonui has won the 2021 PM's Education Focus category for Excellence in Environmental and Sustainability Education. This prize celebrates teaching and learning that empowers children and young people to develop critical thinking skills, as they explore the impact that people have on the environment and take ac- tion for a sustainable future. Niki Conrad, pou takawaenga taiao (environmental manager) for Te Aupouri, says Kokata Spit is culturally significant to Te Aupouri, because it's an ongoing food source for the iwi and also contains wahi tapu sites. Oruati School has been on an environmental sus- "Kuaka (bar-tailed godwits) return here from Asia and Russia, and Te Aupouri have a deep historical affinity with these birds," he says. tainability journey for many years which has also led it to recently achieve coveted green-gold status via the nation-wide Enviroschools programme. Pine control at Great Exhibition Bay "Having those noxious wilding pine trees growing t's a legacy you want to leave, You can say, Yep, The roughly 170 student school has also produced a range of physical products including duck eggs, a published book, hinaki to catch eels for smoking. pest traps to protect its ducks and trees, its own we're a part of that. Im very proud of it." out there, then getting it back to what it used to be like - it means a lot to our people." The mahi has been funded by the Ministry for Primary Industries' community partnership fund and the National Wilding Conifer Control Programme. It created employment for locals NRC's Te Hiku representative Colin Toss Kitchen says during the 2020-21 financial year, local contractors and operators killed 98,114 wilding pines at 61 Northland sites, kawakawa balm, furniture from recycled oyster farm and pallet wood, honey, beeswax wraps, recycled wood cellphone stands, a growing fruit orchard, rejuvenated wetlands area, and an outdoor learning space designed by its students. "Widing pines are considered a $4.6 billion threat to New Zealand's economy - and for Worx, and helped him take on and train new crew every year they're left to spread and grow, the cost of control increases by around 30 percent. Removing wilding pines means more space for such as Simon Job, owner-operator of Suseco New flood maps released members. He and his crew whakapapa to the Aupouri Peninsula, and are passionate about restoring the the best of Te Taitokerau: our unique landscapes, environment. Newly-released regional maps aim to help Northlanders better understand areas at risk biodiversity and cultural sites. of flooding and the potential impacts it could have on communities. "Going back over the landscapes we worked on, there are no wilding pines, and 's a nice feeling. Tü i te ora Scholarship - Applications are open NOW! River flooding is the most common natural hazard in Te Taitokerau and climate change means we'll likely see flooding events become more frequent and more intense. The scholarships aim to provide a springboard for future environmental leaders and Council some time ago produced river flood hazard maps for 28 Northland catchments (dubbed 'priority rivers') that were identified as having the highest level of potential flood risk; the latest maps cover the region's remaining rivers. champions in Northland, build Maori capacity within Te Taitokerau, and support students facing financial hardship. There are eight scholarships available - each worth $3000, Four scholarships are dedicated to Maori (who whakapapa to Te Taitokerau) and one is dedicated to a student undertaking study, research or training related to the fields of land or water. Students enrolled (or intending to enrol) in tertiary study or training related to council's environmental and regulatory functions are encouraged to apply. The new maps have identified an additional 17,178 affected properties in total; 6538 in the Far North District, 7787 the Whangarei District and 2853 in the Kaipara. Applications close Wednesday 2 March 2022 For more info, visit scholarships.nrc.govt.nz More information on flooding is available at www.nrc.govt.nz/floodmaps Northland Contact your local councillor at www.nrc.govt.nz/councillors REGIONAL COUNCIL Te Kaunihera a rohe o Te Taitokerau Northland REGIONAL COUNCIL Te Kaunihera a rohe o Te Taitokerau Aupõuri locals protect landscapes from wilding pines A dazzling sandspit, sacred to Te Aupouri, is one of Northland's treasures that's now better protected from the threat of wilding pines. Northland Regional Council (NRC), Te Aupouri, community groups and private landowmers have worked together since mid-2020 to remove wilding pines from locations around Aupouri Peninsula. PM's award for Oruaiti A small Far North school with a keen sustainability focus has added a Prime Ministerial award to its list of accolades. Wilding pines are self-seeded, unwanted pine trees that spread from plantation forests, shelter belts or legacy plantings. At Kokata Spit, wilding pines were spreading across the white silica sands, choking out native vegetation. Oruaiti School near Mangonui has won the 2021 PM's Education Focus category for Excellence in Environmental and Sustainability Education. This prize celebrates teaching and learning that empowers children and young people to develop critical thinking skills, as they explore the impact that people have on the environment and take ac- tion for a sustainable future. Niki Conrad, pou takawaenga taiao (environmental manager) for Te Aupouri, says Kokata Spit is culturally significant to Te Aupouri, because it's an ongoing food source for the iwi and also contains wahi tapu sites. Oruati School has been on an environmental sus- "Kuaka (bar-tailed godwits) return here from Asia and Russia, and Te Aupouri have a deep historical affinity with these birds," he says. tainability journey for many years which has also led it to recently achieve coveted green-gold status via the nation-wide Enviroschools programme. Pine control at Great Exhibition Bay "Having those noxious wilding pine trees growing t's a legacy you want to leave, You can say, Yep, The roughly 170 student school has also produced a range of physical products including duck eggs, a published book, hinaki to catch eels for smoking. pest traps to protect its ducks and trees, its own we're a part of that. Im very proud of it." out there, then getting it back to what it used to be like - it means a lot to our people." The mahi has been funded by the Ministry for Primary Industries' community partnership fund and the National Wilding Conifer Control Programme. It created employment for locals NRC's Te Hiku representative Colin Toss Kitchen says during the 2020-21 financial year, local contractors and operators killed 98,114 wilding pines at 61 Northland sites, kawakawa balm, furniture from recycled oyster farm and pallet wood, honey, beeswax wraps, recycled wood cellphone stands, a growing fruit orchard, rejuvenated wetlands area, and an outdoor learning space designed by its students. "Widing pines are considered a $4.6 billion threat to New Zealand's economy - and for Worx, and helped him take on and train new crew every year they're left to spread and grow, the cost of control increases by around 30 percent. Removing wilding pines means more space for such as Simon Job, owner-operator of Suseco New flood maps released members. He and his crew whakapapa to the Aupouri Peninsula, and are passionate about restoring the the best of Te Taitokerau: our unique landscapes, environment. Newly-released regional maps aim to help Northlanders better understand areas at risk biodiversity and cultural sites. of flooding and the potential impacts it could have on communities. "Going back over the landscapes we worked on, there are no wilding pines, and 's a nice feeling. Tü i te ora Scholarship - Applications are open NOW! River flooding is the most common natural hazard in Te Taitokerau and climate change means we'll likely see flooding events become more frequent and more intense. The scholarships aim to provide a springboard for future environmental leaders and Council some time ago produced river flood hazard maps for 28 Northland catchments (dubbed 'priority rivers') that were identified as having the highest level of potential flood risk; the latest maps cover the region's remaining rivers. champions in Northland, build Maori capacity within Te Taitokerau, and support students facing financial hardship. There are eight scholarships available - each worth $3000, Four scholarships are dedicated to Maori (who whakapapa to Te Taitokerau) and one is dedicated to a student undertaking study, research or training related to the fields of land or water. Students enrolled (or intending to enrol) in tertiary study or training related to council's environmental and regulatory functions are encouraged to apply. The new maps have identified an additional 17,178 affected properties in total; 6538 in the Far North District, 7787 the Whangarei District and 2853 in the Kaipara. Applications close Wednesday 2 March 2022 For more info, visit scholarships.nrc.govt.nz More information on flooding is available at www.nrc.govt.nz/floodmaps Northland Contact your local councillor at www.nrc.govt.nz/councillors REGIONAL COUNCIL Te Kaunihera a rohe o Te Taitokerau