The future of one of Aotearoa’s most treasured native forests is being shaped through a uniquely Māori approach, with a new Department of Conservation (DOC) initiative placing iwi aspirations, partnership and whakapapa at the heart of long-term planning for Pureora Forest Park.
Tama Blackburn (Ngāti Maniapoto, Kinohaku, Uekaha, Pākehā) has taken on the role of Project Co-Lead for Pureora within DOC’s Maniapoto team, describing his role as that of a “weaver”—bringing together the many voices, relationships and aspirations connected to the forest into a shared vision for future generations.
Located west of Lake Taupō, Pureora Forest Park is internationally recognised as one of New Zealand’s most significant biodiversity strongholds. The ancient podocarp forest provides habitat for threatened native birds, including kākā, kōkako, kererū and kiwi, while also holding deep cultural and historical significance for iwi throughout the central North Island.
For Blackburn, the role is about far more than conservation.
He says the project’s early focus is on building relationships and listening to the many organisations and communities connected to Pureora before decisions are made about its long-term management.
Pureora’s future involves collaboration between a wide range of partners.
Blackburn is working closely with Horizons Regional Council, Waikato Regional Council, the Waikato River Authority, Te Awa Tupua, alongside iwi representatives from Te Nehenehenui, Raukawa, Te Kōtahitanga o Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Ngāti Hāua.
He is also partnering with fellow Project Co-Lead Kiri Diamond (Tūwharetoa) and DOC’s Treaty partners who maintain enduring relationships with the forest.
The work is currently in what the project team describes as its “discovery phase”, with the emphasis on understanding the aspirations of mana whenua, communities and stakeholders before developing a long-term management strategy.
Rather than imposing solutions, the project seeks to enable Treaty partners and local communities to lead conversations about how Pureora should be protected and cared for into the future.
“The Weaver of Your Dreams”
Blackburn has found a simple way to explain what can often seem like a complex role.
He describes himself as a weaver, gathering together the different strands of whakaaro, aspirations and knowledge from everyone connected to the forest.
The vision is to create a metaphorical korowai, where the hopes of iwi, conservation experts, local communities and partner organisations are interwoven into a shared future for Pureora.
It is an approach that reflects tikanga Māori, where collaboration, relationships and collective responsibility are central to decision-making.
For Blackburn, the appointment is also deeply personal.
Although raised in Taranaki, his whakapapa connects strongly to Te Nehenehenui, Ngāti Maniapoto, Kinohaku and Uekaha, making the role something of a homecoming.
He says working in Maniapoto has provided an opportunity to deepen his understanding of his own whakapapa and reconnect with landscapes that had previously been associated mainly with family gatherings.
As he has travelled throughout the rohe, he says every river and mountain has strengthened those connections.
The role marks Blackburn’s second chapter with DOC.
He previously worked as a ranger within the department’s Taranaki team, contributing to the Taranaki Maunga Project during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although he did not originally expect a career in conservation, Blackburn says his lifelong love of the outdoors made the transition feel natural.
Growing up in Taranaki, he spent much of his childhood exploring rivers and the natural environment—experiences that ultimately inspired a career dedicated to protecting Aotearoa’s unique landscapes.
One of Blackburn’s early highlights has already reflected the unique blend of conservation science and mātauranga Māori that characterises the project.
He recently helped carry out tikanga during the release of an injured kākā that had been rehabilitated before being returned to the Pureora forest.
The experience reinforced for him the privilege of working in one of New Zealand’s most ecologically important environments, where opportunities to witness and contribute to the recovery of threatened native wildlife remain both significant and deeply meaningful.
Pureora Forest Park has long been regarded as one of the country’s conservation treasures, attracting trampers, birdwatchers and outdoor enthusiasts from across Aotearoa while safeguarding some of the last extensive tracts of ancient native forest.
DOC’s new collaborative approach signals an increasing emphasis on conservation that is guided not only by ecological science but also by mātauranga Māori, Treaty partnerships and the aspirations of mana whenua.
For Blackburn, success will not simply be measured by biodiversity outcomes, but by whether everyone connected to Pureora sees their own hopes and values reflected in the future of the forest.
Like the korowai he envisions, the future of Pureora will be strongest when every strand is woven together.
