Manaaki Ruahine Trust Whānau

Tama Wipaki

Chair: Manaaki Ruahine Trust

Iwi: Ngai Te Ohuake | Hapū: Ngāti Paki, Ngati Honomokai
Iwi: Ngāti Tamakopiri | Hapū: Ngāti Te Taenui, Ngāti Tama Whiti, Ngāti Tama Tuturu
Iwi: Ngāti Whitikaupeka | Hapū: Ngāti Whiti Tuturu, Ngāti Whiti Tama, Ngāti Honomokai
• Aorangi Awarua Trust - Trustee
• Awarua o Hinemanu Trust - Trustee
• Involved in Pest management and the kiwi egg recovery
• Oruamatua Kaimanawa 1V: Management of Kaimanawa horses, negotiated with Army access via MoU, remind trustee's obligation to rohe of Mōkai Pātea Timahanga
• Trust: working with Oha Owhaoko Honey
• Presented at Waitangi Claims regards landlocked Māori land.
• Born and raised within the rohe of Mōkai Pātea. Grew up on parent’s farm. Hunting, fishing, possum trapping in our own backyard, our maunga tapu Aorangi and other Māori land blocks, ranging from traditional to commercial purposes. Attended landowners’ hui alongside Mother, instilling the importance that the land remains as it has with little interference or change in landscape

Jenny Mauger

Manaaki Ruahine Trustee

Wai - Wa-i

Mists, fog, steam, exhalation
Hukapapa / snow
Hail
Repo / tarns, wetlands, bog, swamp
Vertical, horizontal, swirling, whirling flurries
Ua / rain
Blinding cutting incisive
Seeps, rivulets, torrents, rapids, ripples, pools

Jenny’s personal & professional roots reflect human, aquatic, environmental, conservation integration and wellbeing.
• Ngā hapū, marae, iwi maha o Heretaunga, Tamatea & Mokai Pātea
• MSc Biological Sciences including conservation, forest ecology, environmental, aquatic sciences
• Aorangi-Awarua Trust (including Awarua o Hinemanu), ex Trustee for Conservation
• Manu Tioriori & Investments
• Te Kōau A, Trustee
• Ngā Kaitiaki o te Awa a Ngaruroro, Convenor
• Kahungunu ki Te Matau a Māui Rohe Moana, Co-Chair
• Ruahine Whio Protector (RWP)

My many conservation related personal journey stories ...
- marine, aquatic, coastal, estuarine, water, fisheries, birds
- atmospheric streams
- mountains
- farming
- seed collecting, hunting, food gathering and belonging to a whanau that has done this uninterrupted since beyond memory
- embracing parenthood
- traditional voyaging throughout the Pacific, including a double crossing of Tasman Sea to attend IUCN World Parks Congress
- this and that with companies trusts, boards, committees, all ages, all nationalities
- universities, conferences, papers, interviews, journals, books, videos, newspaper articles, and theses

E rere ngā wai
Ka hotuhotu te manawa

When the waters flow
The heart pounds

Greg Toatoa

Manaaki Ruahine Trustee

Me and my gran son drive the Scania to transport Doc200s to the ngāhere o Mōkai Pātea Ki Manaaki Ruahine. We make a mean machine ..wasting stoats out on the Awarua O Hinemanu traplines.

Ngāti Hinemanu, Ngāi Te Upokoiri Hapū Chair. Ngāti Hinepare ki Wharerangi. Ngāi Tāwhao, Ngāti Māhu.
• Passionate about our people and the people of Ōmāhu as mana whenua across Ōmāhu & Mōkai Pātea.
• Active mana whenua, Kaumatua in the project footprint, leading our people through multiple structural changes related to Crown commitments, legislative changes and obligations guaranteed in the Treaty of Waitangi. Inspired to make a difference. He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata he tangata he tangata.

Arapera Paewai

Mauri Oho Project Manager and Manaaki Ruahine Trustee

Ngāti Parakiore, Ngāti Pakapaka, Ngāti Mutuahi, Ngāti Kere, Ngāti Kurukuru.
- Passionate about working in the taiao and reconnecting our people.
- Experience in taiao restoration, navigating the interface to ensure successful outcomes.
- Aorangi Māori Trust Board Trustee
- Whatumā Management Group member
- Taiao ora Contracting Director
- Te Kāuru Hapū Collective Coordinator

Arapera dreams of seeing whio in the wild.
Arapera loves, lives and breathes for te taiao. She is an energiser battery, who never says never… a power packed pocket rocket and one day wants her own trapline.

Arapera is the life source that gives direction to our journey. She is staunch and shows great strength – just the person to have as head of our waka. A natural leader, the team has massive respect for Arapera.

Lisa Whittle

Mauri Oho Program Support Manager and Manaaki Ruahine Trustee

Lisa came to Wellington, 30 years ago with her whānau, Geoff, Bella and Clancy.

Her passion for nature and conservation comes from growing up in Tasmania. Like the bush around her maunga, Cradle Mountain, she’s a “hardy shrub.”

Lisa is co-founder of Ngā Kaimanaaki o te Waimapihi, in Aro Valley. A community conservation group who work in 70ha of regenerating bush that lies between Zealandia and Central Wellington and takes advantage of Zealandia’s halo.

Lisa and Geoff have been trapping in the Northern Ruahine for a decade to protect whio and eastern North Island brown kiwi populations.

When it comes to saving species, her motto is “hate to wait Whittle!”

Geoff Whittle

Manaaki Ruahine Trustee

Geoff moved to New Zealand from Tasmania with Lisa and whanau in 1992 to take up a position at Victoria University of Wellington where he is now a Professor of Mathematics. He recently switched to half-time to give more time for involvement in conservation projects. Geoff and Lisa have been community trappers in the Northern Ruahine Range since 2012.

Mauri Oho Team

Phillip Hansen

Mauri Oho Operations Manager

Matua Piripi has lots of love for the Ruahine Range, even referring to her as his ‘first wife’. He has a strong intuition and a wealth of backcountry knowledge, which he is ever excited to share with the team. His passion for regenerating the Ruahine Range has ignited a spark in all our Kaimanaaki Taiao, something we are so very thankful for.

Carol Smith

Mauri Oho Kaimanaaki Taiao Administrator

Carol is a happy and joyful work mate to be around and is not shy to pull on the boots and hit the hills. Carol is cool as and fun to walk with, the team want to go on more walks with her sunshine and light energy.

Kohine Thomson

Mauri Oho Pastoral Support

Whati Hill

Mauri Oho Kaimanaaki Taiao

Helpful, thoughtful, mindful, and always reliable, is just a handful of words the team used to describe Whati. Whati is willing to help out a mate either during work hours or even outside (some will always be in his debt). Whati is an absolute machine up the hills, making him hard to catch.

Lilia Wakefield

Mauri Oho Kaimanaaki Taiao

Light of the team, Lilia has a beautiful wairua. She has an outstanding work ethic, and is not shy to step up and have a go. Lilia has a keen interest in permaculture, and the team love listening to her plant talks out in the backcountry. Light-hearted and fun, everyone thoroughly enjoys Lilia’s company.

Gemma Green

Mauri Oho Kaimanaaki Taiao

Gemma is a clever, wise and educated young lady. She is strong and motivated, down to earth and fun to work with. She is very grounded and mature for her age. Gemma is a whizz on the computer and hard to keep up with in the field. Gemma is knowledgeable and the team loves to listen to her talk about her interests (like rocks), cool and fun to work with. Beautiful energy to be around.

Paris Poihipi

Mauri Oho Kaimanaaki Taiao

Paris brings a fun and light hearted energy to the whānau. She has a great work ethic, and gives every task handed to her one-hundred percent. Paris is a keen learner, and especially loves working in the ngahere.

Taranaki Nepe Apatu

Mauri Oho Kaimanaaki Taiao

A natural storyteller, Taranaki is very passionate about the stories of the Ruahine Range. Taranaki is best described as cheerful and always willing to lend a hand. He is a true keen Māori.

Pani Herewini

Mauri Oho Kaimanaaki Taiao

Pani can always be seen in the field with a smile on his face. His optimism is very contagious. He has a strong sense of perseverance, and will give every task one hundred percent. Pani has great leadership qualities, organising and coordinating a functional and tidy workshop. Now it is a pleasure to work in. Pani has a strong wairua. You will always find helping hand from Pani.

PIGG

Mauri Oho Kaimanaaki Taiao

Pigg is passionate about seed sourcing from the ngahere and is the go-to person for plant identification. Even though he is adamant he is still learning all the plant names. Alongside all his other mahi, Pigg has a lot of aroha for Whatumā, leading the possum and mustelid traplines there.

Jahstice Harrison

Mauri Oho Rangatahi

JK joined Mauri Oho through the gateway program through Central Hawkes Bay College. He is a great team member and fast learner.

Hayden Hema

Mauri Oho Kaimanaaki Taiao

Hayden is very much at home in the hills, and you’ll likely find him hunting in his spare time. Hayden has brought with him a good work ethic from years of shearing. Easy to get on with, making him a great addition.