#SummerSeries: Always Be Naturing — Caring for Te Taiao in Aotearoa

This summer on Radio Waatea, we’re celebrating the stories of tāngata whenua working to protect our whenua, awa and moana – the treasures that sustain us and honour our tūpuna.

As part of Conservation Week, Joe Harawira, Pouwhakahaere at the Department of Conservation (DOC), spoke with Waatea News about the Department’s new campaign “Always Be Naturing”  and how we can all be active kaitiaki (guardians) of our environment.

Listen to the full audio from Waatea News:
https://waateanews.com/2025/09/05/joe-harawira-pouwhakahaere-at-the-department-of-conservation/

“Always Be Naturing” is a fresh way of inviting all New Zealanders – young and old, from every community – to see nature not as something separate from us, but as part of us, and to take everyday actions that protect and restore it.

In a playful piece of data shared during Conservation Week, DOC estimated there are 695 billion visible living things in Aotearoa – from tī kōuka and kōtare to tuna and tītī – underscoring the vastness and richness of te taiao.

Joe Harawira brings a te ao Māori perspective to this kaupapa, reminding us that kaitiakitanga – our responsibility to nurture the earth – isn’t a new idea, it’s part of who we are. Māori see te taiao (the environment) as whanaunga – connected through whakapapa to our own whakapapa.

For Māori, the land (Papatūānuku), waters (awa, moana) and skies (rangi) have a life force (mauri) that must be cherished and protected. This connection calls us to act with rangatiratanga – leadership and responsibility – in how we interact with the natural world.

Joe encourages everyone to think about how their daily choices – from what you plant in your garden to how you dispose of waste – affect te taiao. When we act with care, we honour not just the environment, but our ancestors and the futures of our mokopuna.

Here are some everyday actions everyone can take to protect te taiao:

• Plant native trees to provide homes for birds and insects.

• Clean up local beaches, rivers and parks with friends and whānau.

• Choose reusable over single-use products to reduce harm to land and sea.

• Learn the stories of your local places — know what species live there, what they need to thrive.

Every action matters when multiplied across communities and generations.

This summer, Always Be Naturing invites us to see ourselves as part of a living world – not outside it. Whether you’re walking along a beach, sitting by a awa, or tending a garden, you are part of a whakapapa that connects us all.

As Joe Harawira reminds us, conservation is not just about preserving – it’s about honouring, caring and nurturing the taonga that our tūpuna entrusted to us.

Let’s take this conversation into our homes and communities this summer – and continue to be naturing everyday.

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