Mātauranga and conservation working side by side

Kaitiakitanga and conservation have shared values, particularly the intergenerational responsibility to provide for future generations.

Conservation focuses on the preservation, management and restoration of the natural environment, for its intrinsic value. Conservation provides for appreciation and recreation by the public and safeguarding the options of future generations.

Kaitiaki have a responsibility and obligation to tūpuna (ancestors), atua (spiritual guardians) and mokopuna (future generations), to maintain a natural and harmonious balance. 

Both kaitiakitanga and conservation demonstrate our collective intergenerational responsibility to protect and sustain whole living systems. This includes ensuring rivers and seas are clean and safe for swimming and gathering kai (food) from. Conservation efforts for a site are likely to involve volunteer groups revegetating landscapes and carrying out pest plant and animal control, among other activities. 

Collaboration between kaitiaki and conservationists enhances these efforts by incorporating local knowledge and cultural priorities. Such partnerships can encourage iwi to reconnect with their rohe (tribal territories) while achieving broader goals. For example, regenerating cultural landscapes can include resources like:

• rongoā (medicinal plants)
• pā harakeke (flax plantations for weaving)
• conservation of wāhi tapu (sacred sites).

Together, these approaches help restore not just the environment but also the cultural and spiritual connections to the land.

The following are three different examples that demonstrate the benefits of kaitiakitanga and conservation working side by side for greater outcomes for nature and people.