Stories of Place | Tāne Mahuta

Aloha! This is Pomai Bertelmann, and I am crewmember onboard Hōkūleʻa for the Worldwide Voyage. Today, the ʻohana (family) is going to Hokianga on the west side of this large island of Aotearoa where we will be checking out a very special feature – Tāne Mahuta. We are in the Waipoua Forest Reserve. This forest reserve is the home of the largest tract of native and intact forests in the North Island of Aotearoa. Tāne Mahuta is the largest kauri tree that lives here in this forest. What I am particularly overwhelmed with by this ecosystem is that it is very much thriving because of these overgrowth forests. This place has the ability to sustain itself. Mālama Honua is not just about the canoe traveling around the world. Mālama Honua is how we have the ability to thrive if we work together.

How do you mālama honua (care for our Island Earth)? This is the question we ask when we arrive in each port, where crewmembers meet and interact with local communities. The resulting “Stories of Place” highlight local solutions that can be applied to global problems. We invite you to gather solutions from your community and share your Story of Place with us!