Mauri Compass · Wānanga
Kia ora ai te whānau
Introducing the Mauri Compass framework for taiao restoration and mahinga kai in Te Riu o Waiapu.
Countdown to Wānanga
Days
Hours
Mins
Secs
Programme
4 hoursWhakatau & Karakia
Welcome and Opening
Introductions and setting the kaupapa. Acknowledging the connection to this place — Ko Hikurangi te maunga, Ko Waiapu te awa, Ko Ngāti Porou te iwi.
Introduction to Mauri Compass
Framework Overview
Overview of the 3-Kete approach and the 12 attributes. Positioning the Mauri Compass as a tool for internal planning, cultural vitalization, and environmental stewardship — assessing performance through a Te Ao Māori lens.
The Waiapu Context
Te Ao Taiao & Te Wai Māori
Discussing local environmental challenges — sedimentation, pest devastation in the Raukūmara — and reviewing recent eDNA results from the Maraehara River. What the data tells us about catchment health and the species still present.
Morning Tea
Break
Break and informal kōrero.
5-Minute Bird Count
Group Field Activity
Hands-on group activity using the DOC 5-Minute Bird Count tool on mauricompass.one. Break into groups, pick a station around the marae, count what you see and hear. Connecting the terrestrial story to the freshwater story.
Hands-on Workshop
Using the Platform
Practical session using mauricompass.vip. Running a live Strengths & Needs Analysis together — group discussion to score attributes using the 1–5 scale. Discussion questions, wall summary, and facilitator notes.
Lunch
Shared Kai
Shared kai together.
Monitoring Tools Demo
mauricompass.one
Quick demonstrations of the practical field survey tools on mauricompass.one — Tuna Health Survey, Water Quality, and SHMAK (the school already has a kit). Showing how these connect to the eDNA findings.
Action Planning & Next Steps
Weaving the Compass Forward
How to weave the Mauri Compass into the 'Kia ora ai te whānau' kaupapa. Discussing how the tool supports community-led restoration and future monitoring across the Waiapu catchment.
Wrap Up & Karakia Whakamutunga
Closing
Final questions, reflections, and closing the wānanga.
The 3-Kete Framework
12 attributes across three domains, each scored 1–5. Total Mauri Score out of 60.
Te Ao Māori
People, Culture & Governance
Te Wai Māori
Freshwater Health & Taonga Species
Te Ao Taiao
Natural Environment & Catchment
Scoring Scale
Timeline of Work
The journey from research to restoration — key milestones in the Waiapu Mauri Compass project.
Waiapu Project Research
Foundational research — tangata whenua interviews, catchment assessment, Māori values framework development
Tuna Survey
13 longfin eels measured at Te Korowai o Waikākā. GPS, Maramataka, and species data recorded.
eDNA Sampling & School Sessions
Water samples collected from Maraehara River. Two school groups at Tairawhiti Marae with hīnaki and nets.
Wilderlab Submission
eDNA sample submitted for comprehensive multispecies analysis (Job #607571).
Results Analysis
eDNA results analysed — 5 native fish species, TICI 96.35 (Average), cattle DNA detected.
Hinepare Marae Wānanga
Introducing the Mauri Compass framework and field tools to the community. You are here.
The Waiapu Story
Context for the catchment — what we know, what the data shows, and why this work matters.
2024 Fieldwork — Tairawhiti Marae, Rangitukia
Whānau and tamariki at Tairawhiti Marae — morning session
13 November 2024, 10:23 AM
Tamariki with hīnaki and nets — ready for the awa
13 November 2024, 12:09 PM
Afternoon group with hīnaki — Rangitukia School
13 November 2024, 2:05 PM
"The river is our taonga and our life essence. Land erosion reflects how we are becoming as a people. We are losing our mana."
— Tangata whenua interview, Waiapu Project Research
km² catchment area
tonnes suspended sediment / year
Māori population in catchment
Raukūmara Challenge
Pest devastation — deer, possums, and goats — has severely impacted 200,000 hectares of shared land over 20 years. Forest clearance from 1890–1930 for pastoralism stripped the catchment of its natural protection.
Current cover: Exotic forest 26%, pasture 37%, native 21%
Geology: Crushed mudstones — "rocks like Weet-Bix"
Signs of Resilience
Despite degradation, eDNA confirms native freshwater species are still present — taonga species that signal catchment health worth protecting and restoring. The Ruma Initiative partnership with DOC has employed local kākahi in pest control.
Longfin eel, inanga, torrentfish still detected
Ruma Initiative: hapū + DOC partnership active
Community engagement and local employment growing
Maraehara River — eDNA Results
Environmental DNA sampling confirms species presence through DNA traces in water samples. The Maraehara is degraded but not dead — there are taonga species to protect.
Tuna Survey
eDNA Sampling
TICI Score
Taxonomic Index of Community IntegrityVery high reliability (509 sequences)
Native Fish Species
Anguilla reinhardtii — Possible Misidentification
The speckled longfin eel (Anguilla reinhardtii) is an Australian species not native to New Zealand. Its detection (987 reads — the highest count) may represent a Wilderlab database misidentification, possibly matching closely related NZ eel DNA. This should be discussed with Wilderlab and flagged for review.
Invertebrates & Aquatic Life
Other Organisms Detected
Tuna Length Data — 8 October 2024
13 longfin eels measured at Te Korowai o Waikākā. Range: 24cm – 80cm. Average: 52.2cm.
Total Tuna
Avg Length (cm)
Range (cm)
Key Takeaways
LAWA Water Quality Data
Public monitoring data from the Waiapu River at Rotokautuku Bridge (SH35). Lowland rural site, 5-year medians with NPS-FM 2020 attribute bands.
View on LAWA| Indicator | 5yr Median | Band | State | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E. coli | 104.5 n/100ml | D | Best 50% | Indeterminate |
| Clarity | 0.12 m | N/A | Worst 25% | Not Assessed |
| Turbidity | 33 NTU | — | Worst 25% | Not Assessed |
| Total Nitrogen | 0.14 mg/L | — | Best 25% | Indeterminate |
| Ammoniacal N | 0.017 mg/L | B | Worst 25% | Very Likely Degrading |
| Nitrate N | 0.06 mg/L | A | Best 50% | Likely Degrading |
| DRP | 0.01 mg/L | B | Worst 50% | Indeterminate |
| Total Phosphorus | 0.0545 mg/L | — | Worst 25% | Very Likely Degrading |
Key Concerns
Clarity 0.12m — worst 25% nationally, massive sediment loading
E. coli Band D — poor for swimming and contact recreation
Total Phosphorus — worst 25% and very likely degrading
Ammoniacal Nitrogen — worst 25% and very likely degrading
Positives
Total Nitrogen low — best 25% nationally
Nitrate Band A — good for aquatic toxicity
Nitrogen is not the primary driver of degradation here
The story the data tells: Sediment and phosphorus are the primary concerns — consistent with the massive erosion in the Waiapu catchment and cattle access to waterways confirmed by eDNA. Fencing, riparian planting, and erosion control are the priority interventions.
Recommended Monitoring Tools
Field survey tools on mauricompass.one selected for their direct relevance to the 2024 eDNA findings and Waiapu catchment context.
5-Minute Bird Count
ACTIVITYGroup field activity using the DOC 5MBC protocol on mauricompass.one. Connecting the terrestrial story to the freshwater story.
Open the Tool
Go to mauricompass.one/bird-count on your phone. Fill in site name: 'Hinepare Marae'. Select Standard (14 Groups).
Safety & Scan
Run through the safety checklist. Tap 'Scan Environment' to auto-capture GPS, weather, lunar, and solar data.
Count for 5 Minutes
Hit Start. The timer counts down. Tap +/- for each bird group as you see or hear them. Add notes and photos.
Compare & Export
Come back together. Compare results across stations. View diversity indices in the Results tab. Export as PDF.
Suggested Stations at Hinepare Marae
Group A
Marae grounds — open area near the wharenui
Group B
Nearest bush or riparian edge from the marae
Group C
Near the Maraehara River if accessible
Standard Mode — 14 Bird Groups
Mauri Compass Platforms
Scan the QR codes on your phone to open each platform instantly.
What to Bring
Come prepared for both indoor sessions and an outdoor bird count activity.
Phone or Tablet
For mauricompass.vip and mauricompass.one — charged and with data/wifi
Pen & Notebook
For notes, reflections, and action planning
SHMAK Kit
The school's SHMAK kit if available — we may use it for a demo
Warm Layers
For the outdoor bird count activity — dress for the weather
Camera
For photos during the bird count and field activities
Results from the Day
This section will be populated after the wānanga on 23 March 2026 with bird count results, group scores, and photos from the day.
Results will appear here after the wānanga
Bird count data, Mauri Compass scores, photos, and key reflections
Action Plan
The monitoring and restoration plan that emerges from the wānanga discussion — next steps for the Waiapu catchment.
Action plan will be developed during the wānanga
Monitoring schedule, responsibilities, priority interventions, and follow-up dates