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RNZ News
4 days ago
- Science
- RNZ News
Floating marae among designs showcased by rangatahi showcase at science fair
Meremia and Ezra from Te Rangihakahaka Wakanoa and their model of a marae built to rise from floodwaters. Photo: RNZ / Libby Kirkby-McLeod A group of rangatahi have designed a marae that is able to rise above floodwaters and shown their work at New Zealand's only science fair that celebrates the intersection of Mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) and science . Te Tūkohu Ngāwhā Mātauranga Māori Science and Design Fair took place in Rotorua from 23 - 25 July. The Rotorua-based science fair is run by Te Arawa Lakes Trust and has grown rapidly over the last five years and for the first time schools from around the country were invited to take part. Held inside the Rotorua energy events centre, students came up with ecological and climate solutions for tomorrow. Meremia, Miss-Mei, and Ezra are from Te Rangihakahaka Wakanoa. They designed a model of a marae built on a platform, which would be able to rise above floodwaters. They thought through inflation, flotation, and what was needed for survival while waiting for floodwaters to go down, including food and composting toilets. Hikareia and Kaitlyn from Te Kura o te Whānau a Apanui and their project counting birds at the river of Motu on the edge of Gisborne. Photo: RNZ / Libby Kirkby-McLeod Ezra said he hoped one day a system like it might save lives. "This is a disaster-relief system. So, when it floats, everyone will be in there, the whole iwi - anyone is allowed to come in here - so it's like a public marae," he said. Event co-ordinator Keeley Grantham said seeing projects like the one from Te Rangihakahaka Wakanoa was exactly why she was involved with the fair. "That's a real-life issue that we are looking at with climate change, rising sea levels and marae being on floodplains. That's an amazing solution." She said most New Zealand science fairs focus only on western science. "This science fair is all about enabling different types of knowledge, different types of sciences and embodying a te ao Māori lens." And there was a big focus on the environment, with categories including biosecurity, biodiversity and conservation, sustainability, marine and freshwater environments, Mātauranga Māori, and climate change adaptation and resilience. One of the fair judges, Te Rika Temara-Benfell (centre) with others from Te Puna Ariki Charitable Trust. Photo: RNZ / Libby Kirkby-McLeod One of the judges, Te Rika Temara-Benfell from Te Puna Ariki Charitable Trust, said the projects gave him hope for the future. "They're just far beyond anything I was doing at that age. Some of them [are aged] nine and ten and they are researching microplastics and things happening across our environment and community." An example of that is Hikareia and Kaitlyn from Te Kura o te Whānau a Apanui who counted birds at the river of Motu on the edge of Gisborne. "We do it to see if the nature is living," Hikareia said. They found terns, seagulls and plovers currently present in the environment. Temara-Benfell said he was amazed by the projects he saw. "It's been beautiful to see some of the solutions for these contemporary issues our rangatahi and children are facing, answered with Mātauranga Māori and not just that but from many different lens across other scientific fields and across community projects."
NZ Herald
16-07-2025
- Science
- NZ Herald
Getting hands on with science creating ‘good scientific citizens'
Cunningham said getting more young wāhine involved in stem requires them to have people they can model themselves after. 'If they see somebody in there that's succeeding then they tend to go 'oh yeah I can do this too.' In my earlier years teaching science it was all textbook stuff and I just looked at the kids and they just weren't engaged or anything.' As part of the fair, the school's Year 9 and 10 classes work as part of a collective on a pilot programme called Manaaki Mauri, which involves the ecological restoration of the Sanatorium Reserve, a nationally significant geothermal landscape on the edge of central Rotorua. 'So the long-term goal is to get it back to what it was before the human impacts and so most of our projects revolve around that,' Cunningham said. Students have the chance to look at plastic pollution and its effect on native species in the reserve, including the endangered tarāpuka or black-billed gull and a colony of long-tailed bats, she said. Students from Rotorua Girls' High School with their projects at Te Tūkohu Ngāwhā Mātauranga Māori Science and Design Fair in 2024. Photo / Supplied, Te Arawa Lakes Trust Giving students the chance to engage in hands-on science out in the field helps to create 'good scientific citizens', she said. 'I've watched these kids go from 'I can just litter anywhere, it doesn't affect me' to actually thinking more about our effects that we have on our taiao [environment]. 'With that connection comes immediate engagement because it's real, it's not going away, it's not fairytale atoms and chemicals... it's actually robust and real for them.' Cunningham said she had absolutely seen more of an interest in science from her students since they began to enter the fair. Te Tūkohu Ngāwhā has given the teachers an avenue to teach science through Papatūānuku and through mātauranga Māori, she said. 'Rather than teach to the curriculum, actually make it real and engaging for our young people, especially our young women, because they are going to be the ones that in the future need to look after our whenua and taiao.' Te Tūkohu Ngāwhā event coordinator Keeley Grantham. Photo / Supplied, Te Arawa Lakes Trust Te Tūkohu Ngāwhā event coordinator Keeley Grantham said engaging with students directly was often the best way to get them involved. 'I think the best way to get any young rangatahi, but especially young wāhine, involved is actually just having a kōrero to them from our perspective as wāhine in science. 'To showcase that it's not just this scary environment of labcoats and Bunsen burners and that science is much broader than that, you can be out in the field, you can research a whole heap of different things and having that face to face engagement and showcasing them things in the field is what I find has the biggest impact.' Grantham said that since the fair began five years ago, there has been a gradual increase in the number of young wāhine entering, but having Rotorua Girls' involved specifically has really given it a boost. 'This event is growing every year, I mean we've got nearly 250 kids coming along to the event next week to actually participate and share their ideas, so that's 250 minds combining to look at issues in our taiao.' Grantham acknowledged the effort from the tamariki who have entered projects in the fair this year, as well as kaiako (teachers) and whānau who support them. -RNZ
RNZ News
15-07-2025
- Science
- RNZ News
Getting hands on with science creating 'good scientific citizens'
A student from Rotorua Girls' High School explains her project at Te Tūkohu Ngāwhā Mātauranga Māori Science and Design Fair in 2024. Photo: Supplied/Te Arawa Lakes Trust Te Tūkohu Ngāwhā - a science fair based in Rotorua - is hoping to attract more young women into the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Te Tūkohu Ngāwhā Mātauranga Māori Science and Design Fair is run by Te Arawa Lakes Trust and this year will be held from 23-25 July at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre. Rotorua Girls' High School science teacher Geraldine Cunningham said this will be the third year students at the school have entered exhibits of their own. The fair helps learners who might find classroom learning a bit more difficult, with the teachers mentoring them to find the knowledge themselves, she said. Cunningham said getting more young wāhine involved in STEM requires them to have people they can model themselves after. "If they see somebody in there that's succeeding then they tend to go 'oh yeah I can do this too.' In my earlier years teaching science it was all textbook stuff and I just looked at the kids and they just weren't engaged or anything." As part of the fair, the schools year 9 and 10 classes work as part of a collective on a pilot program called Manaaki Mauri, which involves the ecological restoration of the Sanatorium Reserve, a nationally significant geothermal landscape on the edge of central Rotorua. "So the long term goal is to get it back to what it was before the human impacts and so most of our projects revolve around that," Cunningham said. Students have the chance to look at plastic pollution and its affect on native species in the reserve, including the endangered tarāpuka or black billed gull and a colony of long-tailed bats, she said. Students from Rotorua Girls' High School with their projects at Te Tūkohu Ngāwhā Mātauranga Māori Science and Design Fair in 2024. Photo: Supplied/Te Arawa Lakes Trust Giving students the chance to engage in hands on science out in the field helps to create "good scientific citizens," she said. "I've watched these kids go from 'I can just litter anywhere, it doesn't affect me' to actually thinking more about our effects that we have on our taiao (environment). "With that connection comes immediate engagement because it's real, it's not going away, it's not fairytale atoms and chemicals... it's actually robust and real for them." Cunningham said she had absolutely seen more of an interest in science from her students since they began to enter the fair. Te Tūkohu Ngāwhā has given the teachers an avenue to teach science through Papatūānuku and through mātauranga Māori, she said. "Rather than teach to the curriculum actually make it real and engaging for our young people, especially our young women, because they are going to be the ones that in the future need to look after our whenua and taiao." Te Tūkohu Ngāwhā event coordinator Keeley Grantham. Photo: Supplied/Te Arawa Lakes Trust Te Tūkohu Ngāwhā event coordinator Keeley Grantham said engaging with students directly was often the best way to get them involved. "I think the best way to get any young rangatahi but especially young wāhine involved is actually just having a kōrero to them from our perspective as wāhine in science. "To showcase that its not just this scary environment of labcoats and Bunsen burners and that science is much broader than that, you can be out in the field, you can research a whole heap of different things and having that face to face engagement and showcasing them things in the field is what I find has the biggest impact." Grantham said since the fair began five years ago there has been a gradual increase in the number of young wāhine entering, but having Rotorua Girls involved specifically has really given it a boost. "This event is growing every year, I mean we've got nearly 250 kids coming along to the event next week to actually participate and share their ideas, so that's 250 minds combining to look at issues in our taiao." Grantham acknowledged the effort from the tamariki who have entered projects in the fair this year, as well as our kaiako (teachers) and whānau who support them. Event coordinator Keeley Grantham congratulates tamariki at Te Tūkohu Ngāwhā Mātauranga Māori Science and Design Fair in 2024. Photo: Supplied/Te Arawa Lakes Trust Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
05-07-2025
- Science
- Scoop
Mātauranga Māori Science Fair Applies Traditional Thinking To Modern-Day Problems
A Rotorua-based science fair engaging tamariki in mātauranga Māori is expanding its registrations to the entire country for the first time. Te Tūkohu Ngāwhā Mātauranga Māori Science and Design Fair is run by Te Arawa Lakes Trust and, this year, it will be held from 23-25 July at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre. Te Arawa Lakes Trust environment manager William Anaru (Te Arawa) said the fair began as an idea five years ago to engage more tamariki around Rotorua in science. "The science fair wasn't just aimed at your traditional western science model, we also incorporated mātauranga Māori, sustainable design, we've got an art component and, this year, we are looking at climate resilience." Since it began, the fair has grown significantly, with a huge variety of projects, from exhibits on rongoā Māori to a camera used to identify invasive catfish, he said. "Last year, the winner of the science fair, their team actually put in an exhibition that looked at whether or not Hinemoa could hear the flute of Tutanekai, when the sound was going across the lake, so the level of things that kids are testing these days is pretty remarkable." The team determined that, yes, Hinemoa could have heard Tutanekai's koauau] (flute) across the waters of Rotorua, although Anaru said, these days, there was a lot more background noise. "It's not just baking soda volcanoes - there's quite a lot of variety," he said. Anaru said Te Arawa Lakes Trust had always intended to expand the fair beyond Rotorua. This year, students as far afield as Fielding, Tokoroa, Auckland and Whangārei had entered. "We just want to continue to grow it and grow it and grow it, because some of the ideas that these kids have, they are pretty awesome to hear. "It's all about providing a platform for them to showcase their ideas and show it to an audience that is open to soaking up some of that stuff." Mātauranga Māori has assisted larger projects in the Rotorua, such as uwhi - a large harakeke mat that was used to suppress invasive weeds on the lake beds, he said. "There are definitely things that our ancestors - not just the ancestors of Māori, but from around the world - there's ideas that have been shared for thousands of years between different groups. "There's elements of all those ideas that input into modern science, as well as mātauranga, so I do think there are solutions for everything that we've got facing us." Anaru said people just had to be open and willing to adopt some of those ideas, and that was why they wanted to give children from around the North Island a platform to showcase their ideas. Whangamarino School principal Rehua Mihaka (Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Rongomai) said they have been involved with the fair for the last two years. Last year, projects among the school students focussed on the water quality of Lake Rotoiti, which was right on the school's doorstep. "This was really good for our tuākana [older class] to actually monitor the mauri - or the life of our waters - how clean it was, how polluted it was and gauge what can we do as kaitiaki to fix te mauri o te wai." At this stage, Mihaka said having a hands-on experience might not mean a lot to the kids, but one day, they might look back, and realise the connection between water quality and health. "Ko te kōrero ka hoatu au ki ngā tamariki, ki te ora te wai ka ora te whenua, ka pērā hoki ki te ora te whenua ka ora te wai, ki te ora te wai me te whenua ka ora te tangata. "It's all about us giving back to our taiao [environment] and those are the sorts of teachings we want our tamariki to come away with." The fair definitely improves the tamariki's understanding of the western sciences, as well as mātauranga Māori, he said. When the kids see mātauranga Māori and western science being treated equally, they get very excited. "Ka tino harikoa ngā tamariki ki te kite i te tauritetanga o ngā mātauranga Māori ki tō ngā mātauranga pūtaiao.
RNZ News
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Mātauranga Māori science fair applies traditional thinking to modern-day problems
William Anaru said Te Arawa Lakes Trust always intended to expand the fair beyond Rotorua. Photo: Supplied/Cornell Tukiri A Rotorua-based science fair engaging tamariki in mātauranga Māori is expanding its registrations to the entire country for the first time. Te Tūkohu Ngāwhā Mātauranga Māori Science and Design Fair is run by Te Arawa Lakes Trust and, this year, it will be held from 23-25 July at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre. Te Arawa Lakes Trust environment manager William Anaru (Te Arawa) said the fair began as an idea five years ago to engage more tamariki around Rotorua in science. "The science fair wasn't just aimed at your traditional western science model, we also incorporated mātauranga Māori, sustainable design, we've got an art component and, this year, we are looking at climate resilience." Since it began, the fair has grown significantly, with a huge variety of projects, from exhibits on rongoā Māori to a camera used to identify invasive catfish, he said. "Last year, the winner of the science fair, their team actually put in an exhibition that looked at whether or not Hinemoa could hear the flute of Tutanekai, when the sound was going across the lake, so the level of things that kids are testing these days is pretty remarkable." The team determined that, yes, [ Hinemoa could have heard Tutanekai's koauau] (flute) across the waters of Rotorua, although Anaru said, these days, there was a lot more background noise. "It's not just baking soda volcanoes - there's quite a lot of variety," he said. Anaru said Te Arawa Lakes Trust had always intended to expand the fair beyond Rotorua. This year, students as far afield as Fielding, Tokoroa, Auckland and Whangārei had entered. "We just want to continue to grow it and grow it and grow it, because some of the ideas that these kids have, they are pretty awesome to hear. "It's all about providing a platform for them to showcase their ideas and show it to an audience that is open to soaking up some of that stuff." Mātauranga Māori has assisted larger projects in the Rotorua, such as uwhi - a large harakeke mat that was used to suppress invasive weeds on the lake beds, he said. "There are definitely things that our ancestors - not just the ancestors of Māori, but from around the world - there's ideas that have been shared for thousands of years between different groups. "There's elements of all those ideas that input into modern science, as well as mātauranga, so I do think there are solutions for everything that we've got facing us." Anaru said people just had to be open and willing to adopt some of those ideas, and that was why they wanted to give children from around the North Island a platform to showcase their ideas. Whangamarino School principal Rehua Mihaka (Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Rongomai) said they have been involved with the fair for the last two years. Last year, projects among the school students focussed on the water quality of Lake Rotoiti, which was right on the school's doorstep. "This was really good for our tuākana [older class] to actually monitor the mauri - or the life of our waters - how clean it was, how polluted it was and gauge what can we do as kaitiaki to fix te mauri o te wai." At this stage, Mihaka said having a hands-on experience might not mean a lot to the kids, but one day, they might look back, and realise the connection between water quality and health. "Ko te kōrero ka hoatu au ki ngā tamariki, ki te ora te wai ka ora te whenua, ka pērā hoki ki te ora te whenua ka ora te wai, ki te ora te wai me te whenua ka ora te tangata. "It's all about us giving back to our taiao [environment] and those are the sorts of teachings we want our tamariki to come away with." The fair definitely improves the tamariki's understanding of the western sciences, as well as mātauranga Māori, he said. When the kids see mātauranga Māori and western science being treated equally, they get very excited. "Ka tino harikoa ngā tamariki ki te kite i te tauritetanga o ngā mātauranga Māori ki tō ngā mātauranga pūtaiao. "They actually do get excited, when they find those findings within their studies." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
