Ōtaki Carbon Forests is celebrating its first year in operation by holding a public meeting as part of its Climate focussed series and reporting on a very productive year.
The title is: Māngopare – unwavering courage in the face of future climate change and sea-level rise impacts on the Kāpiti region.
Speakers Moira Poutama and Dr Aroha Spinks have been involved in many aspects of climate research in Kāpiti and wider. Their talk will focus on Mātauranga Māori principles and Ōtaki’s situation.
Moira was a member of the Coastal Advisory Panel established by KCDC which has recently reported on the coastal adaptation project to help guide our response, as a community, to the impacts of projected sea-level rise on our environment, people, and the way we behave.
She has also worked on a large number of research projects including the Deep South National Science Challenge programme, Adaptation Strategies to Address Climate Change Impacts on Coastal Māori Communities project, and the Manaaki Taha Moana: Enhancing Coastal Ecosystems for Iwi project, and others in waterways and kaimoana restoration.
Dr Spinks was appointed as the inaugural Kaihautū Taiao (Environmental Science Director) role for the World Wide Fund for Nature New Zealand. Aroha is an advocate for indigenous leadership and collaboration to enhance the well-being of our environment and communities.
She now operates as an independent consultant and has been working with Moira undertaking a cultural values assessment to look at the future climate and sea-level rise impacts on the Kāpiti region. Their report has recently been released for consultation.
When: Date 7 November
Time: 7pm
Where: Venue Rotary Hall, Aotaki Street, Ōtaki
What: Ōtaki Carbon Forests is an Energise Ōtaki project.
