Te Ara Mātauranga o Te Kauri launches at Waitangi on 6 February 2026.
This mobile kauri education resource brings a unique multi-sensory experience to the people of Te Tai Tokerau and its visitors. The public are invited to visit from 9:30 am at the sports field, M1, opposite the Treaty Grounds.
The innovative advocacy and education platform results from a partnership between the Kauri Ora Iwi CoLab (a collective of four Te Tai Tokerau iwi), Northland Regional Council (NRC), and the Department of Conservation, with support from Ministry for Primary Industry's Tiakina Kauri. The partners share a clear goal: strengthen community understanding of kauri protection and support action on the ground to keep kauri safe.
Debbie Martin from Kauri Ora Iwi CoLab says: "The partnership has been guided by the CoLab's whakataukī / vision: E kore te kauri e tū mokemoke. Our kauri never stand alone. The forest ecosystem stands with kauri, as do all hapū, iwi and community. Unchecked, disease caused by the pathogen Phytophthora agathidicida (PA), would devastate kauri forests, and consequently the wellbeing of the ngahere and its people. We are all connected."
Chair of NRC's Biosecurity and Biodiversity Working Party Jack Craw says: "Protecting our kauri is something every one of us can play a part in. Te Ara Mātauranga o Te Kauri will help grow the awareness and know how our communities need to keep these taonga thriving."
Martin Akroyd, Plant Pathogen Manager for DOC acknowledges the value of the partnership: "It has been fantastic working together in collaboration on an advocacy initiative to help our communities understand the impact the disease has on kauri, and the behaviours required to ensure the trees are protected when out naturing in the majestic kauri forests in Te Tai Tokerau," he says.
Visitors to Te Ara Mātauranga o Te Kauri can engage with both visual and hands on immersive learning activities, including:
- Kauri bark rubbing activity
- The relationship between kauri and tohorā, brothers of land and sea as told by Ngātiwai
- Kauri hygiene protocols to prevent the PA disease from spreading
- Get to know the flora and fauna that live and interact with kauri as whānau
- Virtual reality experiences within kauri ngahere
