Working As One for Our Environment

ABOUT THE ALLIANCE

For centuries, the Māori people lived undisturbed in Aotearoa* New Zealand’s epic lands, rivers and coastlines. They exercized kaitiakitanga—an intricate cultural system founded on the belief that all people are guardians of nature, not mere consumers of its bounty. It is everyone’s responsibility to protect and maintain the natural world for future generations. This Indigenous world view guided how fish were caught, crops were planted, land was preserved and wildlife was protected.

*Aotearoa is a Māori name for part of New Zealand, which is now used to represent the whole country.

Based on this philosophy and acknowledging that conservation can go faster alone but further together, 15 partners came together to form the Kotahitanga mō te Taiao Alliance, meaning “Collective Action for Our Nature.” The Alliance aims to get the best possible conservation outcomes for people and nature on New Zealand’s South Island.

Martin Rodd, Co-Chair of the Kotahitanga mō te Taiao Alliance, describes its purpose, “Our conservation challenges are vast as we seek to regenerate our freshwater catchments, from our mountains to our seas, revive our native plants and animals that exist within these landscapes and restore our peoples connection to them.”

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is supporting the Kotahitanga mō te Taiao Alliance (KMTT) to provide funding, science, global expertise, financial tools and a commitment to engaging diverse stakeholders around common goals.

“TNC brings independence, proven international experience leading landscape conservation programmes and access to the latest research and thinking in conservation, economic and social tools that can make working at this scale possible. I see our partnership with TNC as game-changing for achieving our vision,” said Martin Rodd, Co-Chair KMTT.

VISION, MISSION, VALUES

Strategic Vision

Our extraordinary natural heritage is flourishing, having been restored over large areas, including where people live. People live, care for, and benefit from the environment in ways that bolster natural ecology together with the communities that live within them.

Mission

To create a connected and aligned region that understands, protects, enhances, and future prod the values of nature critical to the Top of the South that this flourishing nature in turn enriches its communities.

Values

Manaakitanga

To care for each other, to be respectful, and an act of reciprocity of natural resources to be shared with others

Kaitiakitanga

Provision of active utilization, preservation, conservation, maintenance, and management of the environs (including flora, fauna, aquatic and marine)

Matauranga Maori

Acceptance and acknowledgement of Maori epistemologies within the construction of key concepts and projects

Kotahitanga

Unity of purpose and collective agreement for achievement of outcomes and goal

Rangatiratanga

The chiefly right to determine use and management of the natural environment

Mauri

The principle life force of our environs is protected including their tapu and wairua

Arohatia

Duty of care and responsibility to this Kaupapa, each other, and Iwi

PARTNERS

Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō Trust
Te Pātaka a Ngāti Kōata Trust
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Kuia Trust
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rārua 
Ngāti Tama ki Te Waipounamu Trust
Te Atiawa o Te Waka-a-Māui Trust
Rangitāne o Wairau Settlement Trust
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Waewae
Tasman District Council
Nelson City Council
Marlborough District Council
Buller District Council 
West Coast Regional Council 
Kaikoura District Council 
Department of Conservation - Te Papa Atawhai