Communications and Engagement
He waka eke noa, we're all in this together - uniting our people in the journey of restoration, this project only moves when we move together.
RAUKŪMARA PAE MAUNGA
The heartbeat
of the success of
Raukūmara Pae Maunga
is the trust of our people.
Our communications and engagement team carry the responsibility of ensuring that whānau, hapū, and iwi are fully informed and are actively part of the project. This work is not just about ‘sharing information’ - it is about honouring the principle that well-informed people make well-informed decisions.
Since 2019, Raukūmara Pae Maunga has invested deeply in face-to-face hui, marae-based wānanga, field visits into the forest, and open dialogue across multiple channels. Complex and sometimes controversial issues such as aerial 1080, deer culling, and large-scale forest operations require careful discussions, cultural grounding, and transparent sharing of evidence and monitoring data. Our team takes the time to sit with communities, listen to concerns, and create space for our people to see, hear, and feel what is happening in the Raukūmara ngahere (forest).
Digital channels, including social media and online updates, extend the reach of these conversations - but our guiding principle remains clear: engagement happens face-to-face, in spaces where tikanga (cultural protocol) is upheld and decisions are grounded in collective responsibility.
Where people, place and purpose come together.
Over the years we have built an extensive engagement programme, connecting deeply with Ngāti Porou and Te Whānau-a-Apanui whānau, kura, and hapū while amplifying our story to the world.
Through wānanga, hīkoi, planting days, media storytelling, and enduring partnerships, we have strengthened relationships, grown new leaders, and continue to provide opportunities for our people to engage in the intimate ancestral bond that we hold from the mountain to the sea.
This investment in people is not an add-on to restoration, it is the very foundation that enables large-scale ecological transformation to succeed.
