Feel like getting creative this wet weekend? Why not try your hand at making a lantern from natural materials you might find in your garden or on the beach?

Matariki goes multicultural at Taipa next Sunday, June 21, with our own home grown Starshine Lantern Festival to light up an evening of story-telling under the stars to mark the shortest day. Experienced story-tellers will be there to entertain and inform - and the floor will be open to anyone who would like to share a story about Matariki, our local environment and its history, or tales of light festivals from other lands.

Schools around the area have seen their students busy, with the help of mobile art teacher, Helen Cossey, making lanterns out of natural and found materials in preparation for the festival. Prizes will be awarded for the best lanterns created by entrants in 4 age categories: infant to 12 years; 13 to 17 years; 18 to 79 years and 80 years plus. There will also be a prize for the best 'whanau constellation' of lanterns, made by a family or group.

Prizes will relate to sustainable light or energy sources, e.g. solar battery chargers for those handy little AA or AAA batteries.

If it's too chilly outside, we can move into the Whare Wanganga at the school.

Set up will be from 4 pm when the lanterns will be hung in a pohutukawa tree and solar lights are installed to illuminate them. A light supper will be available.

Winning and commended lanterns will go on to be displayed at the Grand Matariki Exhibition in the Kaitaia Community Centre at the end of June.

Entry is free and all are welcome to participate.

For more info contact Soozee at the Environment Centre on 4081086 or soozee@ecocentre.co.nz

Bank Street Art in Kaitaia was abuzz with excitement for World Environment Day and the prize giving for Far North Exposure 2009...

and the winners are!

Infant to 12 years old age category:

Winner: "Little Blue Butterfly in the dew" by Bjorn Aslund

Second Place: "New Zealand Desert" by Zacharie Bartissol

Third Place: "I spy a mountain peak" by Cate Denner

13 to 17 years old age category:

Winner: "Stretch your wings - Spirits Bay" by Renee Bayer

Second Place: "Horizons" by Chad Alexander

Third Place: "Hid{pungas}den" by Judith Kearney

18 to 30 years old age category:

Winner: "Blood" by Simon White

Second Place: "All eyes" by Ceri Mason

Third Place: "One of the beach" by Jiang Hu

31 years and older age category:

Winner: "Having fun with nature" by Michela Homer

Second Place: "Traveller's trails" by Liz Lawn

Third Place: "Green beetle" by Jane Brown

Grand Prize Winners:

The outstanding quality of the category winners’ photographs meant the judges could not select just one Grand Prize Winner. As a result two joint Grand Prizes were awarded to:

If you have problems viewing the photos on this email, or you wish to view the photos in a higher resolution on the Far North Environment website, please click here.

Congratulations to all our Far North Exposure winners, and thank you to everyone who took part.

We would also like to thank the Far North Exposure 2009 supports:

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY 2009

You are all cordially invited to attend the prizegiving and view the stunning entries that photographers, young and old, have sent in to the competition.

The photos are on display from 10 am today (Friday 5th June) at the Bank Street Gallery in Kaitaia and the prizegiving will be at 5.30, followed by refreshments. If you can't make it along on today, the photos will remain in the Gallery on Saturday then will move to Taipa Area School where they can be viewed in the Whare throughout the day on Monday 8th June.

Far North Exposure supports

Monday 8th June is World Oceans Day and The Environment Centre will be in the Whare at Taipa Area School from 10am 4pm, along with a number of local groups who are proactive in the area of looking after coastal environment. Theme for the day is 'Care for Our Catchment, Doubtless Bay', and the focus will be on ways that people can improve the health of the streams and rivers that flow into the ocean, and thereby improve the health, productivity and biodiversity of the waters of Doubtless Bay.

Taipa Beach Improvement Society will be there to explain their Draft Plan for the beachside area. Trish Edwards will demonstrate the benefits of Pingao and Spinifex for stabilising and protecting the dune environment, and Laura Shaft from NRC will explain how the Regional Council supports action to monitor and improve water quality. Screenings of Catchment Care DVDs will run throughout the day.

Schools are invited to bring their classes and all members of the public are most welcome as well.

Also, a reminder that the Te Waka Kai Ora Hui is running from Friday to Sunday this weekend at Roma Marae, celebrating Maori Organics. See the preceding news item for details.

We look forward to seeing you at some of these environmental events during this Mataariki season!

The Environment Centre would like to congratulate Rueben Porter, long-serving trustee with our board, for achieving recognition of his voluntary work for the environment with the receipt of the Green Ribbon Award.

Ko Tinana te Waka

Ko Tumoana te Tupuna

Ko Whangatauatia te Maunga

Ko Karirikura te Moana

Ko Roma te Marae

Reuben Porter Iwi - Nga Puhi, Te Rarawa, Tuhoe

“Ehara taku toa I te toa takitahi, engari k otaku toa I te toa takitini”

My strength is not mine alone, but that which comes from the multitudes.

This week Ahipara resident, Rueben Porter will be travelling to Wellington with his wife Heeni and daughter Karirikura to receive the Green Ribbon Award for his outstanding contribution to the environment. The Award, which is presented by the Minister for the Environment, Nick Smith, recognises individuals and organisations who contribute to sustaining, protecting and enhancing New Zealand’s environment.

Awards are made for a number of different categories; Rueben’s being for his work as a community volunteer for the environment.

Unwilling to accept the award solely on his own behalf, Rueben sought the blessing of Nga Hapu o Ahipara to receive the Green Ribbon Award as a representative of his local community. The whakatauki, or saying, above, explains that ones strength comes from the people. Rueben’s people have lived in Ahipara for over 20 generations, since the waka Tinana settled at Te Kohanga. Rueben is committed to ensuring the land, the sea and the people are healthy and prosperous for the next 20 generations. 

Demonstrating his commitment to the kaupapa of Kaitiakitanga in his local area and beyond, Rueben regularly engages with local youth, and in the summer of 2008-9 ran a series of Wananga at Te Kohanga Bay, Ahipara, covering subjects as diverse as whakapapa, bee-keeping, celestial navigation and Te Rarawa foreshore and seabed issues.

Passionate about the North being self-sufficient in food supplies, Rueben supports projects that encourage people to use land sustainably, ensuring the land is nurtured just as the land provides sustenance to whanau and hapu. In his role as chairman of Taitokerau Organic Producers Society, Rueben has been promoting the Manawhenua Challenge – a competition for young organic gardeners which has seen school and marae-based groups work on creating gardens while following the kaupapa of nourishing themselves, their whanau, community and the land.

This weekend (June 5, 6 and 7) will see a hui at Rueben’s home marae, Roma Marae, bringing together organic growing enthusiasts from around the country for the Te Waka Kai Ora AGM, workshops, and a prize-giving for participants in the Manawhenua Challenge. Working with local government, iwi agencies and numerous other groups, Rueben seeks to bridge the gap between Maori and Pakeha, finding common ground in promoting kaitiakitanga and exploring innovative ways to make positive changes for people and the environment. The Green Ribbon Award is a timely recognition of Rueben’s work and the growing role hapu are taking on as kaitiaki of their environment.

Rueben taking water samples at Ahipara where stagnant stormwater threatens the quality of water flowing to the moana

Tena koutou katoa, he powhiri tenei .

Nau mai koutou katoa ki tenei kaupapa pono he wananga e pa ana a tatou kai maori e nga rangatira katoa o Taitokerau, he panui mou, haere mai, ka whakapai te hui nei.

E nga karangarangamaha, tena koutou katoa.

Taitokerau Organics Inc are proud to host Te Waka Kai Ora (TWKO), the national Maori authority for the organic industry of New Zealand, at Roma Marae in Ahipara, Te Hiku O Te Ika from the 5th - 7th June 2009. Te Waka Kai Ora is the national Maori representative body that is a part of Organic Aotearoa NZ (OANZ), the National Organic Authority for the organic industry.

We have a 3 day wananga in Ahipara where we will be addressing the need to support Maori in regards to Organic production of kai on a personal and commercial scale. Being a national AGM, manuhiri from the many various tribes of Aotearoa who are involved in the organic movement are attending this hui also.

The powhiri will be at 10am Friday 5th of June then the main AGM will begin 6th of June and will continue with a report and review of the AGM decisions.

Te Manawhenua Challenge 2009 for young gardeners presentation will be held on the Saturday afternoon also.

The 7th June is a time for hosting our guests from nga hau e wha, including a tour of te Oneroa a Tohe, finishing with another hakari and poroporoake at midday.

During these 3 days, our local organic produce will be on the menu, with local and international chefs flown in to share their knowledge and expertise with our people of Taitokerau. This hui is about sharing and learning about an alternative lifestyle with possibilities to benefit our people who are struggling to survive and prosper in this present one. Taitokerau Organics Inc are issuing this request for your support in promoting and discussing the benefits of bringing the organic movement of good quality food to the tables of Aotearoa, at this hui in Ahipara.

Your presence would be most welcome at any or all parts of this hui. No reira ka mihi nui kia koutou mo tenei awhina o matou kaupapa, ka whakatika a tatou ora. mauriora Rueben Porter Taitokerau Organic Producers Inc Soc Chairman 2009. email: rporter@xtra.co.nz phone: 027 2001840 (09) 409 4995

Te Manawhenua Trophy