Funding to grow and preserve region’s future
Hawke's Bay's culture, rangatahi and critically endangered species will be the beneficiaries of four projects funded through a new environmental Trust.
The Pan Pac Environmental Trust was established by Pan Pac Forest Products in 2020, with the aim of providing $100,000 annually towards environmental and cultural projects in the region.
Applications for funding closed late September and the standard of submissions was exceptional, says Reece O'Leary, Pan Pac Environmental Manager, and Trust chair.
"The Trustees were impressed with the quality of all the projects proposed, which demonstrates an incredible desire by the community to preserve the environmental and cultural character of our region for future generations,” O'Leary said.
Out of the 12 applications submitted, four projects were selected for funding.
A cultural project run by the Maungaharuru-Tangitū Trust in partnership with local hapū will receive $50,000.
It will be used to deliver a series of wānanga to 50 rangatahi (youth) over a 12-month period about environmental issues and concepts, to develop better cultural awareness and understanding. Rangitahi will learn traditional navigation skills, how to raise native trees, and will learn about the importance of pest control and trapping.
Three environmental projects were selected to share in the remaining $50,000 including the Te Wai Mauri Trust, Ōtātara Outdoor Learning Centre and Ngutukākā propagation project.
The Te Wai Mauri Trust will establish a native plant nursery for the restoration of waterways to increase biodiversity and provide for traditional medicines
Workshops at Ōtātara Outdoor Learning Centre at the Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT) will upskill kaiako (teachers) from Hawke’s Bay schools and kura to gain the confidence to teach in and with nature, connecting both educators and learners with our local environment and cultural heritage
Finally, the Ngutukākā propagation project will see propagation of the endangered Kākābeak/Ngutukākā and the development of an urban seed bank to encourage urban dwellers to plant Ngutukākā in their backyards.
Applications will be invited for the next round of funding in early 2021. For more details on the projects, visit www.ppet.org.nz or follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PanPacEnvironmentalTrust
