It’s Conservation Week in Aotearoa from the 5th – 11th of September!
The ocean/moana has felt like a fibre of my being for as long as I can remember. Many of you will feel the same way; whether you are keen on fishing, foraging for kaimoana, diving, surfing, or swimming. Or maybe the mountain’s call is greater, and you spend your free time among Aotearoa’s lush native forests, or conquering a Department of Conservation hike. Whatever Mother Earth/Papatūānuku means to you, the key to prolonging its resources is conservation.
We are all custodians/kaitiaki of Papatūānuku, and all conservation efforts count, small or big. Efforts can look like reducing your personal footprint; opting to bike instead of drive; opting to walk along beaches opposed to driving; reducing your meat and dairy consumption; swapping plastic products for ethical alternatives (some of my favourite everyday products are My Sunshine, Fair + Square Soapery ‘Daily Detox’ Bar, Antipodes Scientific Green Beauty Skincare, Aotea Skincare, B.BOLD Natural Deodorant, Ecostore hair care and Living Nature make up); buying your clothing from opshops and ethical / Fairtrade Australia and New Zealand certified businesses; buying from local businesses; volunteering with organisations conserving the planet; planting trees; participating in rubbish clean ups; respecting wildlife.
Engaging in conservation is a worthwhile and rewarding cause, because ultimately as aptly said by Māori, “Toitū te whenua, whatungarongaro he tangata” / “The land remains when people have disappeared.”
Photo: New Zealand wood pigeon/kererū by Sian Mair.