4 minute read
Te Taiao Whāngai Āwhina - nurturing nature's harmony: A journey with bees and mātauranga Māori
Through wānanga, traditional wisdom and modern science, the Ātihau Manaaki Whenua project seeks to pave the way for a sustainable future where food and fibre thrive in harmony with the environment.
Bees are central to that aspiration.
“Although it took us a few years to get the Ministry of Primary Industry’s funding across the line with Manaaki Whenua (Landcare Research), the project is now into its second year,” Ātihau chief executive Andrew Beijeman says.
“We have around 6000 hectares in mānuka for our beekeeping business. This project has a number of research components, with the first related to the mānuka and how to manage these crops sustainably to support our honey production. We are now using rotational crop methods and various strategies to ensure the longevity of our mānuka and as a result our honey business.
“Our shareholders and customers demand more sustainable and natural beekeeping practices, with an emphasis on relying less on sugar feed and more on honey production. So that has been the focus of our second research project – understanding the intricate relationship between the whenua, the floral resources and bee foraging behaviour.”
Helping the project team understand the connection between the whenua, flora, fauna and its biodiversity is maramataka specialist Meretini HuxtableBennett, of Ngāti Rangi and Te Ātihaunui-a-Pāpārangi (featured in Issue 17). Her main mahi is with Te Oranganui Iwi Health Authority and the Healthy Families programme, working on systems change and innovation. Using the maramataka to inform those working on Ātihau whenua (designated eco-system managers by Meretini), a series of wānanga have been held to help understand how traditional knowledge, technology and observations can be combined to create a new framework for managing these resources.
“The first wānanga aimed to unravel the intricate relationship between local flora and fauna, with a focus on how these species interacted within their environment. The second wānanga delved into the correlation between the maramataka and the behavioural patterns of bees, seeking to uncover the ancient wisdom hidden in the rhythms of nature that our tūpuna observed and watched the signs for.”
The third wānanga explored the connection between observable weather features and the behaviour of bees, and understanding how Whiro impacted these diligent pollinators.
“Examining the interplay between observable weather features and the flowering of plants, and how we traditionally measured time and seasons, lets us recognise the sensory activity of bees and how they are attuned to their environment,” Meretini says.
Andrew acknowledges the value of these wānanga to the research project, and the benefit the project will have for the wider mānuka honey industry. The contribution from the Ministry of Primary Industries will be $434,000, with Ātihau investing about $250,000 alongside an in-kind contribution to date of $42,000.
“Our investment in this project has been validated by the important principles of mātauranga Māori practice, consistently referred to by our Ātihau Board director Che Wilson. Most importantly, the project's findings and practices could have a significant impact not only within the Ātihau community but also in the wider New Zealand mānuka honey industry. The project's approach should serve as a model for others looking to improve sustainability and environmental awareness in their agricultural and beekeeping practices.”
Business Manager Apiary, Dan Adams, agrees. He believes that collating, understanding and applying traditional knowledge to Ātihau beekeeping practices is a natural fit for their beekeepers.
“Our beekeepers are at home on the whenua. Uri have spent their lives out there and all our beekeepers understand the natural cycle and its importance to our bees. No creature is more in tune with the patterns of our weather, ngahere and climate than the honeybee.
“Given the rapidly changing climate we’re confronted with, renewing our understanding of those celestial and terrestrial indicators, those seasonal waypoints, and from there a deeper understanding of our taiao, will help us adapt and continue to thrive, along with our bees. It’s an awesome piece of mahi with potential to shape both our beekeeping and farming.”
As the seasons change and the bees continue their dance in the Ātihau honey landscape, the project embarked upon by the Incorporation promises to uncover the rich tapestry of knowledge that weaves together the natural world and the sweet nectar it produces.
