We are very lucky to have Ōhuiarangi/Pigeon Mountain on our doorstep and we often walk up the maunga with our tamariki. The Tūpuna Maunga Authority have been doing lots of planting of New Zealand native trees around the mountain and they invited us to help.

It was such a beautiful day to be outside. We had a short walk to where the Tūpuna Maunga Authority had already dug the holes for the plants. Our job was to carefully place the plants in the holes. Once the plants were in, we patted the soil down and placed some dry grass around the plants to keep them warm. This was a great experience for everyone to help with the planting process and feel more connected to our maunga. Next time we go up the mountain we will see all the new growth. This is a great way to be in partnership with our local tangata whenua and build on our community relationships.

Kaitiakitanga is the Māori concept for the process and practices of protecting, respecting and looking after the environment while kaitiaki is a guardian of the environment. It is great to see our tamariki becoming amazing kaitiaki.