Edition 14 of the Kotahitanga mō te Taiao ePānui brings you stories and updates from various project teams.

As winter approaches, we celebrate the publication of a short film by the BBC Our Frozen Planet team, highlighting to a global audience the ground-level mahi of the Alliance and its partners to restore ecosytems and create resilient communities.

We say a sad farewell to outgoing Co-Chair Dave Johnston and Nelson City Council's representative Jo Martin.

Read on for a report on recent visits from TNC international staff, updates on our wetland and fish passage projects in Waimea/Tasman, and a round up of Alliance mahi and media coverage.

Ki te kahore he whakakitenga ka ngaro te iwi
Without foresight or vision the people will be lost

Mauri ora!

Exciting Opportunity: Te Ao Māori Advisor with KMTT and The Nature Conservancy

Working with KMTT and TNC nationwide, this exciting 2-year full-time role will help facilitate the development of Iwi-led projects, network and provide guidance and leadership for our KMTT strategy implementation. This is a great opportunity for someone who wants to support projects getting off the ground as well as helping drive aspirations to fruition. Applications close mid-May. More information can be found here.

BBC Our Frozen Planet showcases Alliance work towards climate change resilience

The Alliance’s work has made it to the global stage, following the release on 30 March of a short film by BBC Earth’s Our Frozen Planet Team. The film was produced by the BBC’s Natural History Unit, as part of a series of short films focusing on accelerating change in response to climate change and biodiversity loss.

The 12-minute short film tells the story of the Alliance as it grows and connects multiple conservation projects across the top of New Zealand’s South Island to achieve landscape scale restoration gains. The Alliance would like to thank the many partners and projects that contributed to the film - it has already been watched thousands of times across the globe.

Farewell to Dave Johnston

Dave Johnston retired from his role as Alliance Co-Chair on 1 April with a poroporoaki held at Titiraukawa.

Co-chair Martin Rodd says that Dave has made an outstanding contribution to Kotahitanga mō te Taiao, both through his charismatic leadership during Alliance meetings and for the significant investment David put in between meetings.

"David always had a way of supporting people to be their best. From the presentations we delivered to Rātā Foundation trustees, our presentation in Parliament Buildings and the many hosting hikoi that we had over the years, it’s been awesome working alongside David and learning from him.

"David is an exceptional leader but as he would say, “a kumara doesn’t speak of its own sweetness” so it was brilliant to see him so strongly acknowledged during his Poroporoaki! I really hope that our paths continue to cross."

Dave's words of thanks to the Alliance following the poroporoaki are below:

Tena koe Martin, Hemi me te whanau o Te Kotahitanga mō te Taiao Alliance
Thank you for the beautiful taonga bestowed on me yesterday.  
I am still a bit overwhelmed with your generosity. I will treasure this taonga and I have wonderful memories of working with you all.
I am excited about the future and I know our paths will continue to cross.
I’m looking forward to a good break, to recharge and wish you all the best.
Ahakoa he iti he pakohe.
Aroha nui
Dave

The Co-chair role will be filled by Hemi Sundgren, Pouwhakahaere - General Manager - Ngāti Tama ki te Tauihu.

Farewell to Jo Martin - outgoing Alliance Representative Nelson City Council

Nelson City Council’s Alliance representative Jo Martin (Team Leader Science and Environment) is leaving Council after 15 years, to take up a position at the Ministry for the Environment as Senior Analyst in the Policy Implementation Division – Community Investments team.

Jo's broad experience at Nelson City Council, has been of great value to the Alliance.  Alliance Co-chair Martin Rodd says that Nelson City Council has always had excellent people around the Alliance table and Jo is no exception.

"Jo has drafted and contributed to multiple papers that have shaped how we work as an Alliance and has always effectively contributed and guided us during Alliance meetings.  

"During the establishment of Jobs for Nature, Jo played an exceptional role. Project Mahitahi  was the first Alliance project put up in New Zealand. The Alliance way of working was informing how the approach could work nationally. As a result, Jo became a ‘go to’ for the national Jobs for Nature team working on the Alliance-type model. The time and energy Jo put into this was significant and even during the most challenging of discussions, Jo’s contribution was outstanding.

"The passion and dedication that Jo has shown for the Alliance has had a lasting impact on how we work and I hope that we can continue to work with Jo in her new role with MfE. Thanks so much Jo."

Jo says she is excited about the contribution she hopes to make in her new role.
“I will be working on supporting local government and other partners to implement some of the new policies coming down the line – so I’ll still get to be an advocate for the Alliance mahi.

About the newsletter

While our project teams have their different social media and websites that share with their audiences close to home our Alliance ePānui gives us the chance to share all the good news with our 15 partners and their readers and audiences, aiding our goal of landscape-scale environmental impact, ki uta ki tai!

Mauri ora.

About the Kotahitanga mō te Taiao Alliance

Formed in 2017 by iwi and councils located at the top of the South Island and the Department of Conservation, and global partner and our global supporter, The Nature Conservancy, the Kotahitanga mō te Taiao Alliance collaborates on work to help people and nature thrive.

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rārua is a member of the Alliance and also has representatives at governance and project team level on Project Mahitahi.

Learn more about the Kotahitanga mō te Taiao Alliance

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