E Lohena I Ka Ulu Nahele (Listening to the Forest): Developing tohu (environmental indicators) for forest monitoring in Te Wao Nui ā Tiriwa in collaboration with Te Kawerau ā Maki

Abstract

There are numerous threats to the state of biodiversity in Aotearoa (New Zealand), including land use change, invasive plant and animal species and climate change. Environmental monitoring by government institutions and local communities is crucial to gain an understanding of forest health, and there is a growing need for more holistic solutions to mitigate future harms. The weaving of Indigenous knowledge with Western science offers an underexplored opportunity to address these challenges. Cultural health environmental monitoring frameworks have been applied in many ecosystems worldwide, with freshwater monitoring being the most common in Aotearoa. This research aimed to co-create an environmental monitoring framework and tohu (environmental indicators) for forest monitoring in Te Piringa (Upper Waitākere River catchment) in collaboration with mana whenua (Māori who have historic and territorial rights over the land) Te Kawerau ā Maki.

This was achieved through hui (gatherings) and kōrero (conversations) with representatives from Te Kawerau Iwi Tiaki Trust over three years (2021–2024). Themes arising from these hui included the prioritisation of mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge system, including the maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar) and the need for information sharing on existing monitoring within their rohe (region, territory). Data from a number of existing environmental monitoring programmes in the study area were compiled and summarised. A literature review of kōrero tuku iho (oral traditions) surrounding people and places from Te Kawerau ā Maki history, the maramataka, and plant and animal species commonly found in the kauri podocarp broadleaf forest ecosystem informed the development of the monitoring framework. A brief review of collaborative monitoring models from Aotearoa was carried out with the research partners, and it was found that representatives of Te Kawerau Iwi Tiaki Trust preferred a bespoke environmental monitoring framework based on intuitive observations and relationships.

Observations developed as part of this framework included the five senses, as well as emotional and somatic responses in the field. The emphasis on relationships in this framework illustrates the interconnected perspective of many Indigenous people with the environment. Vegetation, bird, weather, environmental, sensory, emotional and somatic observations were collected and summarised from nine transcribed audio-recorded field visits from November 2024 to March 2025. An exploratory data analysis of bird observations in relation to the lunar phases according to the maramataka was performed. Field observations were examined for characteristics of ngā kaupeka o te tau (seasonal divisions within the maramataka). Based on hui with Te Kawerau Iwi Tiaki Trust representatives, information accessed from published kōrero tuku iho, and analysis of field observations, a set of potential tohu for forest monitoring in the study area was proposed. These tohu are: birds and insects, flowering and fruiting plants, new growth on vegetation, weather, somatic and emotional responses and the presence of non-native plant and animal species. The observation- and relationship-based environmental monitoring framework developed as part of this thesis research, combined with the method of co-creation with Indigenous research partners, can improve understanding of environmental health and provides an avenue to strengthen relationships between research partners and institutions.