Our Name
Te Kākano means 'the seed' in Maori. For us, this also means to plant a seed of environmental stewardship, to help it grow and bear the fruit, to assist other communities to take the seeds of this fruit and plant them in their own land.
Our Purpose
Our core purpose is to support communities in fostering healthy lands and waterways so as to create a stronger link between the environment and humanity.
Our Mission
1. To develop a successful and transposable model for community-based nurseries, which can service large-scale restoration projects.
2. To inspire the community to become closer to the land through education and hands-on participation.
3. To encourage other communities - local, regional, national, global - to adapt this model to their own land.
"The aim in time is to develop a successful transposable model for community-based nurseries elsewhere, which can service restoration projects elsewhere"
Our Values
1. Community focus,community involvement,community spirit
2. Practical ethos towards healthy land and healthy water
3. Co-operation,communication,inspiration
4. Sustainable principles and practices
5. Organic principles and practices
6. Thinking globally, acting locally
7. The use and development of simple concepts that are easily modelled and replicated
8. Enthusiasm, commitment, honesty
9. Environment responsibility, the love of the earth
10. Integrity in all actions
OUR PEOPLE
Our Trust is led by a Chairman and guided by a Board of Trustees. We also employ a part-time Nursery Manager and Trust Manager to tend to the day-to-day running of the nursery and the organisation.
The wealth of knowledge shared by Te Kākano's dedicated team ensures that the Trust is managed in the best of interests to support our mission and bid to restore local native habitats.
Chair
Trustees
Employees
OUR HISTORY
2009
- Te Kākano donated over 100 plants to the Upper Clutha Forest and Bird Society Millennium Track Planting Project
- The Ministry of the Environment provided funding towards the Waterfall Creek project via its Sustainable Management Fund
- Te Kākano's first re-vegetation project was identified at Waterfall Creek, Wanaka.
- The Sargood Bequest provided grant funding towards wages
- Claire Lawson appointed as Trust Secretary
2008
- Ted Simpson appointed to the Board of Trustees
- Gerald Davies resigned from the Board of Trustees
- Andrew Penniket appointed as Nursery Manager
- A nursery site was secured and the nursery constructed
- The Te Kākano community nursery and Friends of Te Kākano Programme was launched on 8 November 2008
- The Te Kākano website was launched in November 2008
- The Te Kākano nursery was officially launched in November 2008 by QLDC Deputy Mayor John Wilson
- Te Kākano Aotearoa Trust was set up as a legal entity
- The founding Board of Trustees were Jennie Blennerhassett,
Jo Guest, Nick Mills and Gerald Davies - Megan Williams was appointed to the Board of Trustees
- Jennie Blennerhassett resigned from the Board of Trustees
- The initial strategic and operational plans were commissioned by Te Kākano Trust and contracted out to Gerald Davies
- The visioning document was completed and submitted to the trustees of the Sargood Bequest as a concept to consider for seed funding
- Encouraged by the progress of the Clutha Mata-Au River Parkway project, Gerald Davies and Nick Mills decided to advance the concept and seek funding
- Primary financial support was sought and attained from The Sargood Bequest
- A feasibility report or “visioning document” was commissioned by the Sargood Bequest and contracted out to Gerald Davies
- The opportunity to create a community-based native regeneration programme in the Upper-Clutha region was first identified and discussed by Gerald Davies and Nick Mills