A Pacific nations conservation initiative
This initiative is a hands-on partnership between Tapa Charitable Trust and the Department of Conservation to develop an urban conservation awareness programme that will benefit both Pacific peoples and the environment.
There are several levels to the initiative:
- Creating an understanding of conservation and why it is important to New Zealanders.
- Developing conservation projects of value starting with Auckland region and extending to other Pacific communities outside of Auckland over time.
- Changing behaviour patterns, over time, that have a negative impact on conservation values as well as community perceptions.
Screen shot from the video Saving Paradise
Our 30-minute video combines the evocative music of Te Vaka and stunning film footage from Natural History New Zealand with the views of many Pacific leaders (including MP Luamanuvao Winnie Laban, Professor Albert Wendt and Tana Umaga) on conservation and why Pacific peoples should care. It is free for community/educational use and is available from Tapa Trust +64 9 636 8272.
Saving Paradise focuses initially on three key areas:
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CITES awareness campaign
Information on CITES and the main areas of infringement have been published in brochure and poster form and translated into the most common Pacific languages. These have been distributed throughout the Pacific and a sustained Auckland awareness programme is underway.
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Supporting Auckland’s Pacific community to develop a role as conservation advocates in their home countries
As an example, the Tongan Advisory Council recently expressed concern at discussions currently underway in Tonga about the resumption of whaling. The council is keen to work with NZ agencies to promote whale watching as a sustainable alternative to whale hunting.
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The Pacific Gardens
The Pacific Gardens will feature a combination of Pacific medicinal plants already growing in NZ and NZ native equivalents of island plants. It will provide a point of contact between Auckland’s Pacific community and the Department of Conservation as well as become a place for elders to pass on their knowledge. Many of the medicinal plants grown in the garden will be those commonly seized by Customs at the airport.
Raising awareness of conservation among Pacific people is vital. The region’s population is expected to double in the next 50 years and will be strongly multicultural. This growth and diversity of cultures will put huge pressures on the values New Zealanders place on open spaces and special conservation areas.
There is an old Pacific proverb: “It takes a whole village to raise a child”. We are all responsible for the health and well being of our environment.
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