He aha hoki tērā rākau? ❘ What kind of tree is that?
This article provides an introduction to the topic as delivered to students at Te Wharekura o Te Rau Aroha and provides an example unit plan.
He maha ngā momo rākau rerekē kei roto i ngō tātou ngahere
Me pēwhea tātou e tautuhi ana i tēnā rākau, i tēnā rākau?
There are many different tree species in our forests
How can we tell them apart?
Ngā rau o ngā rākau taketake o Aotearoa
Tino rerekē te āhua o ngā rau o ngētehi rākau.
Mā te whakawhanaungatanga tātou e whai mōhio
Mā te whakawhanaungatanga anake e taea ai e tātou te tautuhi i ngā rākau, arā, i ō tātou whanaunga, i roto i te rohe nei.
Nō reira, me haere tātou ki te ngahere kite ai, pā ai, whakarongo ai, wānanga anō ai.
Kia whakawhanaunga tātou i ngō tātou whanaunga.
Mā reira, ka waihanga koutou i ō koutou ake whakaaro mō te tautuhi i ngā momo rākau. Ka mutu, ka āwhina hoki ōu whakaaro ki ētahi atu o ngā rangatah i o Ngāti Hauā ki ngā mahi tautuhi rākau.
Nā konā, ka taea e koutou te whāngai ki ngō koutou hoa wharekura i ngā mātauranga mō te tautuhi rākau e hāngai ana ki a rātou.
Getting to know our forests
Only through familiarity will we be able to identify the trees within our forests – our fellow children of Tāne.
Therefore, we need to go in to the forest, look, touch, listen and discuss.
In this way, you will generate your own ideas about how to identify different tree species. Your ideas will help other rangatahi of Ngati Hauā to identify native trees too.
Hei whakatauira i te ōrite o te āhua o ngā rau o ngā momo rākau
I ngētehi wā he ōrite te āhua o ngā rau ki ngētehi atu rākau, whērā i te kōhūhū ki te matipou, i te tawa ki te maire, me te miro ki te mataī. He ōrite te āhua o ngā rau o ngēnei rākau.
Botanical illustrations from Eagle’s Complete Trees and Shrubs of New Zealand by Dr Audrey Eagle. Te Papa Press.
Te mahere: Wāhanga tuatahi
Ka haere tātou ki te ngahere ki Waharoa.
Ka mahi takirua tātou.
Me whiriwhiri e ia rōpū tētehi momo rākau rerekē i ngērā atu.
Ka whai wā ahau ki te wānanga tahi me ia rōpū e pā ana ki ngā āhuatanga motuhake o tō rāua rākau.
Ka tuhituhi, ka hopu kōrero rānei ia rōpū mō ngō rāua whakaaro me tā tātou e kōrerorero ai.
Unit plan: Part one
We will visit the forest at Waharoa together.
You will work in pairs.
Each pair will choose a different tree species to study.
I will find time to talk with each pair about the distinctive characteristics of their chosen species.
Each group will record their thoughts and ideas as well as key points from our discussions.
Te horoeka
Otirā, kāore te āhua o ngā rau o ngā rākau i te ōrite ki ō ngōna mātua i ngā wā katoa. I ētahi wā, he rerekē te āhua ki tō te rākau matua. Ka whērā hoki te pōkākā (Elaeocarpus hookerianus) me te horoeka (Pseudopanax crassifolius).
Te mahere: Wāhanga tuarua
Ka whakarite ia rōpū i ngā tohutohu e tautuhi ai i tā rāua rākau.
Ka āwhinatia koutou e mātou ko ngō koutou kaiako, kia kimi ai koutou i ngā mātauranga mō tō koutou rākau ki roto i ngā pukapuka, ki runga rānei i te ipurangi.
Mā ia rōpū ngā rātou momo ara e whiriwhiri hei whakaari i ā rāua tohutohu ki ngō rāua hoa karaehe.
Ka whakarite tonu ia rōpū i ngā rāua tohutohu i muri i tēnei karaehe.
Unit plan: Part two
Each group will prepare instructions for identifying their chosen tree species.
The teachers and I will help them search for information about their chosen tree species in plant identification guides and on the internet.
Each group will need to decide what medium they want to use to present their identification instructions to their schoolmates.
After this class , each group will work on presenting the identification instructions.
Te mahere: Wāhanga tuatoru
Ka whakaarihia e ia rōpū ngā rāua tohutohu ki tētehi atu akomanga i tō rāua wharekura.
Ka pātai atu ahau ki te akomanga rā, kia mohio ai ahau mēnā kua mau i a rātou ngētehi mātauranga mō te tautuhi rākau.
Mehemea kua whakawhānui hoki ō rātou mōhiotanga i ngā koutou tohutohu, kua tutuki pai tā tātou mahi!
Unit plan: Part three
Each group will present their instructions to another class within their school.
I will ask the clas s what they have learned about identifying native trees.
Helping your schoolmates to learn is a sign we have successfully completed our mahi!
Download
This resource is available as a te reo Māori only Word document file for kura to adapt as required.
He kōrero kōpūtahi ❘ Related content
Ahakoa tā mātou akiaki i ngā kia whakamahia ō rātou tairongo katoa i a rātou e mātātaki haere ana, kia mōhia ai tātou ko ngētehi o ngā tupu rā, he tupu paihana hoki.
Although we encourage students to use their senses when making observations, be aware that there are a range of poisonous plants.
Mō te tūpono he ngākau whakapuke koe ki ēnei kaupapa:
You may also be interested in:
Watch our webinar He rauemi reo Māori mō ngā rākau – Te reo Māori plant resources for an overview of the bilingual resources created with Dr Norm Mason.
Ngā hono ❘ Useful links
Flora Finder – Department of Botany, University of Otago, Te Tari Huaota te Whare Wānanga o Otāgo
Experiencing native trees in your green space – Department of n Te Papa Atawhai
He whakamihi
Tēnei te mihi nui ki a Mokoro Gillett (Tumuaki o Te Wharekura o Te Rau Aroha) rāua ko Norman Mason (Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research). Tēnā kōrua.
Acknowledgements
Thank you to Mokoro Gillett (Principal of Te Wharekura o Te Rau Aroha) and Norman Mason (Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research).
