Pohara Marae
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M ra
Georgina Dean BLA 1442315
Statment page I plan to create an ecological site by introducing the bees to the Pohara marae. I plant to plants that are going to attract bees on the site but also improve to quality of the land. Also I plan on planting trees that will bare fruit and vegetable for the marae.
Contents Page Project Goals Project one Stratergy Vision Clients needs and Brief Cultrual significants Analyis GIS maps Flow Rate Soils Erosion Land Cover Slopes Infrstructure Bees Stratergy Bees Information Planting for Bees Re-vegetation Stratergy Planting Plan Water Mangement Master Plan Master Plan Information Circulation Perspectives References
Project Goals My Vison for the site is to regenerate planting around the site area, by regenerating the site with vegetation it will help imporve the effect of erosion and also capture some of the dirty run off that is going into the streams, The idea is to bring the streams back to cleaner and healthy water, improving the water for futurre generations to come. by doing so this will increase the eclogical systems that are in the water and also in the surrounding vegetation. I also plan on introducing bees to the site that will help pollenate the crops that will be planted on the site and also introduce a new souce of encome into the site. Bees have so many ecological and ecomical benefits that the Pohara Marae will benfit hugely from the introduction of bees.
Project One StartPart one of the project was to create a strategy, which followed the restoration plan and also the re-vegetation plan. Stage one was to Re-vegetate the land, planting around eroded areas of the site along with the areas that are closest to the river and the stream. The areas that are best suitable for the crops and pasture will be planted in this stage as well. Stage two was to enhance the farmland and crops creating ideas that farmers are able to use to create less erosion and less nitrogen and phosphorus reduction that are going into the river. Stage three was introducing the bees onto the site, this will not only help the taiao but it will also create a larger economic input into the marae.
Vision Page Recognizing that the Ngati Koroki Kahukura tribe for the Pohara marae itself has land in which they relate on an emotional and spiritual level, along with the past and the future of generations have grown and learnt from what the land signifies and what the land can produce, protecting the land for the future and telling stories from the past that will imbed the importance of the land, sprit, physical, emotional, economical and social aspects of the site into the future generation of the Ngati Koroki Kahukura tribe and the Pohara Marae itself. Recognizing the importance of what the Ngati Koroki Kahukura tribe are wanting from the Pohara Marae and restoring streams, rivers, economical, and vegetation to it best possible forms for the future generations. Recognizing the significant and cultural landmarks/Tohu and sites that are around the Marae, which have become important for the design strategy that the Marae has given us. Improving the Mauri tu/environmental health to the best it can be.
Cliets Needs and Breif Pohara Marae has the needs of restoring the streams and helping the overall improvement of the Waikato river water quality. Restoring the stream means that the Marae is protecting and sustaining the ecological background that the ancestors had. By restoring the stream this will bring back the eels that the site previously had which the ancestors of the Mare hold dear to there heart. Re-Vegetating the site to native bush planting that will bring benefits for the site when it comes to erosion. The aim for this assignment is to explore the opportunities and creating a strategy that acknowledges the marae culture and beliefs values that the marae holds dear to them. The aim is to also re-vegetate the natural taiao to what the ancestors previously had. Also restoring the stream and the wider context of the Waikato river.
Cultural Significants In the 1800s, the mountain Maungatautari was one of the areas in the Waikato that was highly vegetated with native bush. It is one of the remaining areas in the Waikato that is still highly vegetated with native planting. This meant that Tuupuna Maunga owned the forest. His forest offered shelter to his people during hard times; the forest also provided food, bird life, flora and fauna to Tuupuna Maunga. Maungatau is a symbol of mana for Ngaati Korokii-Kahukura. Due to so many changes to the land over the year, Maungatautari has been hugely impacted with limited access of water that flows down the mountain. This means that fresh water species, such as Koura and koaro, have been impacted due to lack of natural flow. Waikato River. The Waikato Te Awa is a tupuna to the Maoris and is also a taonga and has a life source (mauri) (confused by this). The Maoris believed that the Waikato river had traditional healing powers. It is believed that her waters enabled the land to stay fertile, which would allow the gardens of the Waikato to flourish. However, the hydrology of the river changed in the 1920s once the Horahora power station was put in. They had to create a dam which closed off the Waikato river, which caused large impact on the surrounding catchments and caused issues for how Ngaati Koroki interacted with the river. The awa changing meant that the natural and traditional eeling stocks began to diminish. Due to the stocks being diminished that tradional lifestyle the Ngaati Koroki lived had changed (reword this). Since the eels were unable to get to the sea, they were unable to spawn. Ngaati began catching the eels and moving them upstream so that they could attempt to save them. With the eel population diminishing, other ecological issues arose, from the declining of watercress dud to the flooding of the river along with the water quality (what about the water quality?). It is my goal now to find the best ways to restore these issues.
Analysis GIS Maps Analysis Using the GIS maps I found the constraints and the opportunities that the site has, reading these maps I was able to find suitable land that will be used for my strategy of vegetation and introducing bees into the area. By finding out what soils, land cover, vegetation, drainage, slope and erosion that the site has. Not only that but being able to find the culture significant areas of the site and the important native planting that is shown on the layers. By this I was able to find out specific planting that will benefit and grow well in the site.
Flow Rate
These are the catchments the flow into the site. The water which flows into the site has decreased rapidly and is now almost dried up. This is due the the Horahora damn which was put in the waikato river. During this time the stream that flowed into the site was blocked off which means that the flow that went into the site changed. Now there are very little catchments with small amounts of water. The aim is to regenrate the stream to back to its old water source. This influence my site because if the water builds up in the site this will mean that there will be flooding. However if I plant in the areas that have large amount of flow I will be able to control the water that comes into the site.
Scale @ 1:1000
Soils
The soil, which is surround, the Pohara marae is full of large amounts of topsoil meaning that it is not good for farming however great for crop land and fruit production. This layer of topsoil is good because it act as a filter when there are large amounts of rainfall. Also due to the type of soil the crops benefit and the fruit benefit which also has a large benefit for the bees.
Scale @ 1:60,000
Erosion
Erosion. The site is highly eroded which is due to the farming practices; it is also due to the Waikato river and it constant floods. By putting in a planting plan that will find ways to avoid further erosion is important. There are very tall cliffs on the site which due to them being rock means that very little will be able to grow from them. However the erosion from the stream means that the marae are able to re vegetate the area surround the stream allowing a buffer system around the stream
Scale @ 1:30,000
Land Cover
Due to the land being mostly pastured it has meant there has been large amount of damage to the land and changed the way the land irrigates and flows. It is also one of the courses as to why the stream no longer runs through the site. Due to the little amount of trees in the area and the large amounts of pasture there has been a large amount of erosion to the site because there are no root systems that hold the land together. The Barren grass has meant that a lot of the mountains and hills have eroded. This is with the help of the stock that is let onto the site. Sheep and beef allow it easy for the ground to erode. The bush, which is planted on the marae, is very little. So re-vegetating the area is very important.
Slopes
Scale 1:60,000
For the slope map I am going to put my stock on the high land. However the bees will be placed on the lowest land, im doing this because the bees need as much shelter as possible so putting them below the cliffs is idea.
Infrastructure
The road that goes into the site will lead to the carpark which I am putting into the site as it is easier to connect the raod which is already there then create a new one.
Scale 1:24,000
Bee Stratergy By having bees on Pohara marae we are creating a generation of bee keepers, a growth in the economy, better land quality and a future generation that will have a brighter future and a greater knowledge on the environment and its importance to keep it clean and green.
Bees By putting the bees in the area which has large amounts of shade is important as the hives work better in the cooler shades, the hives are needing little amount of sunlight. But placing the hives below the cliffs means that they will get sunlight along with large amounts of shade. By putting hives in the larger paddocks will be hugely beneficial, as the bees will help the pasture grow as well as thrive on collecting nectar. Cows rely highly on bees as they pollenate their diet. However the cropland and pasture will need to remain organic, as one of the biggest losses that bees have is a genetically modified crops. The bee’s purpose is to gather nectar and to pollenate crops. They carry pollen grains, which are used to pollinate fruit bearing trees becoming an essential need for horticulture and agriculture. When clovers are used in the pasture it has been found that without the pollination from the bees the clovers cannot reseed. However bees help hugely with the production of alfalfa hay, which is used for feed for the beef and dairy. The reason as to why I would like to make the farms organic is because farms that use pesticides to get ride of dandelions and clovers found a massive decrease in the bee population. The mowing of grass regularly is also a factor in the bees disappearing as there is a loss of daisy or clovers in the grass. Not only does turning a farm into an organic farm it also means that there is a better quality of meat that is being produced on the Pohara marae. Also organic farming means that the pollination of nitrogen and phosphorous that is going into our streams will be reduced. A study, which was done by Oxford University, found that organic farming is one of the largest supporting biodiversity with a natural approach to farming. It was found that 50% more of the farms that where organic had a larger amount of pollinators. The organic farm has had longer lasting benefits with bees and other pollinators, which increased the biodiversity of the ecosystems. The honeybee isn’t just important for organic farming but also for organic crops and communal gardens such as the vegetable gardens, which will be put onto the Pohara marae. The bees are essential for production and the growth of fruit and vegetables as they are one of the biggest pollinators, which allow the garden to grow. Putting re-vegetation on the site with native New Zealand planting will also benefit the bees, as the native bees are very attracted to the Manuka flowers. However the New Zealand native bees do not produce large amounts of honey as they help the native bush regenerate. Manuka has large benefits that aren’t only for bees. The Manuka trees can help with marginal hill country farms which is what the station is that is surrounding Pohara marae. The honey bee is very attracted to the Manuka tree which means that if honey bees are put onto the site there will be a large increase on the honey and also adding to the economical side of the farm having both beef and bees means that there will be a profit increase each year as bees are creating Manuka honey which is hugely popular for international countries and depending on the growth of the honey and how natural the honey is the higher the international buyer will pay.
Different type of bees Honey Bee Bumble Bee Leaf cutter bee Solitary Bee New Zealand Native Bee
Planting for bees Planting. Planting around the marae will be a mixture of plants with a great root system to prevent erosion around the streams and plants that will benefit the bees, farms and also the re-vegetation process. Planting that are beneficial for bees Apple trees Citrus fruit trees, Lemon, Lime and mandarin Plum trees Rosemary Lavender Vegetable patch Chives Thyme Sweetpea-Lathyrus Mint-mentha Lemonwood (Pittosporum eugeniodes) Napaka (Hebe speciosa) Rata (Metrosideros robusta)
One of the biggest problems bees have in New Zealand is the decline of floral plants. The way to good healthy bees is to plant that have large amounts of pollen and nectar. By creating a site that is a large pollen source then there this will decrease less protein stress which is put on the bees and become more immune to pest and diseases. Plum trees- If the trees are growing in an area with large amounts of rainfall then the trees become less of a pollinator for bees as the pollen that comes from the bees is washed away with the rainfall. If there is a large amount of rain fall there tends to be less production of plums that year due to the lack of bees pollenating the trees. So growing a verity of plums that are self-fertile and also needing the bees to fertile is a good idea, due to the large amounts of rainfall meaning that some years the trees that are needing to be fertilised by the bees there will not have as much produce. So the Marae can rely on the plants that are self-fertilised plants. Plum most popular plums to be grown in New Zealand are the Japanese plants as they have the biggest and juiciest verity. Plum Angelino Scientific name- Prunus domestic Angelina Burdett Colour white/pink Height 5m X 3m Produces a medium sized fruit, dark red squint flesh of the plum is yellow. Ripens in March. Apple Trees One of the biggest problems with apple trees is bird damage and also the coding moth. However it is easy to avoid these with netting for birds. The apples trees need to be mulched in the summer. The most popular apple is the Gala apple is a well perfumed apple and also low acidic flavour. Apple trees are more tolerant to wet soils, however in the summer due to the heat the trees need to be properly mulched, and the larger amount of water the tree gets the more fruit it will produce. Most trees start bearing fruit after 2-3 years of planting. Apple trees are multi fertilised trees meaning that they need bees to pollenate as well as themselves. When the tree is cross pollenated the tree will bare more fruit. Royal Gala apple Scientific Name- Malus domestic Colour-Dark green leafs Height-medium height 4mX4m meters Growth-Deciduous tree, bushy tree. Needs well drained soil and to be damp. Produces fruit in autumn the apples being a red and yellow colour. The tree produces flowers in spring, the flowers are pink. Feijoa trees. These trees are pollenated by birds, bee and butterfylys Rosemary Scientific Name: Rosmarinus officinalis Type: Shrub, evergreen Flowers from September-November These flowers attract bees.
Re-vegetation plants Native plating in the surround area is vital for the re-vegetation, the remaining trees in the area are dense conifer which is either kahiatea or Totara so replanting these will be great for the site. Planting a vegetable garden in the site, there will be vegetables that will be planted seasonally from the pohara marae. For example for the month of june the best vegetables to plant will be Celery, Garlic, Onion, lettuce, peas, spinach and rhubarb. The vegetable garden is for the Marae to plant there favourite foods, by doing this the vegetable garden and produce that they get from the garden will be more rewarding. Native plating in the surround area is vital for the re-vegetation, the remaining trees in the area are dense conifer which is either kahiatea or Totara so replanting these will be great for the site. Citrus Fruit Lemon Trees- Bees are very attracted to lemon trees the white flower is very attractive and produces fragrance. The fruit is produced in the winter or early spring. They tend to grow very large and produces are large amount of fruit. These trees are self-pollinators. Lemon Tree Scientific name: Citrus X limon Type: Evergreen. Shrub Size: 3m X 5 m Produce Large amounts of lemons yearly .
Common name: Kowhai Scientific Name: Sophora tetraptera Type: Tree Size:25 meters Tall Tolerant: best growth beside streams in low-lying land or on the edges of forests. Best climate for growth is Mild. Benefits: Attracts New Zealand bird life such as the Tui and bellbird Common Name: Manuka/Tea Tree Scientific Name: Leptospermum scoparium Type: Tree, Shrub, Perennials: Evergreen Size:1.8mX 2.4m Best Climate: Drought-tolerant, full sun. Sun to partial shade. Benefits: Attracts Bees, butterflies and birds. Blooms pink, scarlet, white or cream. Blooms Mid spring, late summer, mid summer or autumn. Common Name: harakeke Scientific Name: Phormium tenax Type:Shrub/Flax Size:2mX4m Best Climate: Bush, hard soil, sunlight Benefits: Complex root system, perfect for eroded areas. Attracts birds with its seeds. Large MÄ ori cultural benefits. Common Name: Cabbage tree Scientific name: Cordyline australis Type:Tree Size: 12-20 meters Best Climate: Needs sun, damp soil Benefits:White berries which attract native birds. There ability to store water makes it a good plant for wet area.
Planting plan
Cabbage Trees
Willow Tree
Royal Gala Apple Tree
Manuka Tree
Sweet Pea
Kowhai Tree
Flax Plum
Water Management Due to the majority of the marae being farm land and having large amounts of pasture with sheep or cows on the farm, there needs to be a water management plan put into place. The run off that you get from farms is one of the major causes of pollination of the Waikato River. Having ways of preventing run off will leave the stream that runs into the Pohara site as clean as possible. The roll of vegetation plays a large part in water management. Planting Willows and kowhai around the streams will help with erosion. The root systems of both of these plants are very strong and deep, which means that it will be able to hold the edge of the stream together. They will also help control the river when there are any large amounts of rainfall by redirecting or absorbing the water. Shrub willows that are planted on berms and banks of the rivers will help stabilize the riverbed. Tree willows that are planted on the riverbank tend to be layered planting, which means that they are creating live engineering structures. Drainage management will be put throughout the site, which will be used with the use of rain gardens. Drainage coming from the houses will be run through a series of water management systems that will reduce the pollution and filter out all of the environmental waste. Preventing the run off from the farm land will mean that the Marae will have to follow the council’s rules that are being put into place. There will need to be fencing around the farms that keep any animals out of the stream area, which will reduce the farm and animal run off into the stream. It will reduce the amount of nitrogen that is going into the river along with phosphorous. By creating structures that will collect the run off and drain into the land rather than drain into the river is essential for this site. This is why there will be large ditches that will go around the farmlands. However, my strategy is to eliminate as much nitrogen from the site, as it has been found that bees are immune or susceptible (these are contradicting. Either immune or susceptible) to modified crops. Nitrogen pasture tends to eliminate the bees.
Common name: Willow Tree Scientific name: Salix fragilis Type: Shrub like tree Tolerant: damp Soil, Little amounts of sun. Growth best around water Benefits: Attracts Insects with the flowers that it produces. Prevents erosion.
Master Plan
Scale @ 1:30,0
Master plan My master plan shows the re-vegetation and the hydrology strategy for Pohara marae and how the site will work with the adding of re-vegetation. I have made the country style entrance and fruit trees that follow along the road and trees that follow the path to the entrance of the Marae. The entrance of a Marae is very important, as it is where the Iwi greets the guests that are entering the site. Fruit trees and a mixture of native plants guide guests into the site. Vegetable gardens will surround the Marae. A playground will be in the marae area also. The reason why I have placed the vegetable and play ground in this area is because food and sharing food is intrinsically part of the MÄ ori culture. By placing the gardens there it will allow guest interact with the community. Along with the kids being able to play on a playground in an easy view of the parents. Beside the marae is where I would like the stream to flow. This seems to be the most natural area for the stream, as the land dips deep enough into the site in that area. The stream that is beside the entrance to the marae will be highly vegetated. I have done this because not only will the bees on the site benefit from the vegetation, but also several other ecosystems will be able to form in a healthy environment. By planting heavily around the stream, this will allow unwanted run off to get captured before it gets into the stream. The stream that flows further into the site becomes less vegetated so that the Iwi are able to use the stream once the ecosystem is established. The goal is to enable the Iwi to go Eeling again. I’ve created a simple shell path that walks up the hills and along the cliffs. The path connects to all of the farms and to all of the small sections that are cut out of the vegetation for the bee hives. Most of them surround the tops of the cliffs as well as below the cliffs. I have found this is the best place for the hives to be, as the bees have greater variation of pasture and native bush. One side of the site is heavily vegetated, which I have done to prevent further erosion to the cliffs. Using geotextile material on the cliff will allow for more of a natural growth to occur once the plants come to seed and spread. This area will be planted with natives along with plants that attract the bees. The planting plan that I have created is designed to benefit the bees in the area along with the planting that will help prevent further erosion on the site. There are plants that will also help the stream’s health by using wetland planting.
Circulation Plan The plan is to keep the marae site as it is with adding a play ground which is on the back of the marae. The play ground has been put here purely because its an open grass area with a large amount of space. There is also is a carpark which has been place at the enterance of the marae.
Flat and open area for a playground. Housing for the mare hase remained the same as before. The only thing that would be done to it is changing and tidying it up so that it looks more presentable. Carpark area. This is flat land which will make adding the carpark easy, it is also out of veiw of the marae but also close to the enterance walk way. I have placed it here because the Iwi mentioned that they have big tour buses come onto the site. So having carparking here means that the tour buses are out of veiw of the Marae which will not ruin the atmosphare. A mixture of fruit trees and native planting. This shuts of the view of the whole marae. This is because the enterance of the marae is where you are to be welcomed and greeted in to the site. This means that no one is able to walk into the marae to whenever. It also closes access to unwanted guests.
Perspectives
References
Bees 101. (n.d.). Retrieved May 13, 2016, from http://www.fedfarm.org.nz/about-us/Farm-Facts/ Bee-Facts.asp KĹ?whai. (n.d.). Retrieved May 24, 2016, from http://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-plants/kowhai/ Landcare-Research -Manaaki Whenua. (n.d.). Retrieved May 14, 2016, from http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/science/plants-animals-fungi/plants/ethnobotany/weaving-plants/information-sheets/harakeke-and-wharariki Manuka trial has eye on the money. (n.d.). Retrieved May 14, 2016, from http://www.stuff.co.nz/ business/farming/cropping/66892095/manuka-trial-has-eye-on-the-money NgÄ ti Koroki Kahukura. (n.d.). Retrieved May 19, 2016, from http://www.korokikahukura.co.nz/ ng257ti-koroki-kahukura.html Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. (n.d.). Retrieved May 15, 2016, from http://www.teara.govt. nz/en/beekeeping/page-3