OUR KAUPAPA

Kaitiaki of the Utakura Awa

Utakura Environmental Group Incorporated is a community-led environmental organisation committed to protecting, restoring and enhancing the Utakura Awa and its surrounding catchment.

Our kaupapa is grounded in kaitiakitanga, manaakitanga and whanaungatanga, recognising the relationship between our people, our whenua and our waterways.

We bring together mātauranga Māori, local knowledge, environmental science and practical action to support the long-term restoration of the awa from Lake Ōmāpere towards the Hokianga Harbour.

OUR VALUES

We recognise our responsibility to care for and protect the awa, whenua and taiao, ensuring they are sustained for generations to come.

 

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Kaitiakitanga 

We recognise our responsibility to care for and protect the awa, whenua and taiao, ensuring they are sustained for generations to come.



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Manaakitanga

We work with care, respect and generosity, valuing the people, relationships and communities connected to our kaupapa.

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 Whanaungatanga

We strengthen relationships through working together, sharing knowledge and creating opportunities for whānau and community to participate in the restoration of our environment.

OUR APPROACH

Knowledge, experience and action working together

We believe lasting restoration comes from bringing together mātauranga Māori, local knowledge, environmental science and practical experience.

We listen to the people who know the awa, learn from environmental specialists, and use evidence to guide practical restoration on the ground.

Our approach is long-term. We want to understand what the awa needs, plan carefully, restore priority areas and monitor the results so that each stage of our mahi contributes to a healthier and more resilient Utakura Awa.

OUR VISION

He awa ora, he taiao ora, he hapori ora.

A healthy awa. A healthy environment. A thriving community.

Our vision is for the Utakura Awa to be restored and protected as a healthy, resilient and living waterway — cared for by generations of whānau, community and kaitiaki working together.