WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 19 2008
PUBLICITY RELEASE
Kaitiaki Of Aotearoa Stand Up To Be Counted – On Maori Television
It’s all too easy to become down-hearted by bad news about the environment. But KAITIAKI – to screen on Maori Television
from Saturday November 22 at 8.00 PM – looks at the inspirational people in whanau, hapu and iwi groups who are at the
forefront of the battle for a cleaner, greener Aotearoa.
It might be something someone does that makes a small difference, or it might be something bigger, with global
ramifications. Little or large, this series is about the guardians who are taking on the issues in their own backyards.
“There are the eco-warriors like Stephen King, who is rebuilding the kauri forests of the north, and is a long-time tree
campaigner. Or Angeline Greensill, of Whaingaroa, who has fought long and hard against sewage being pumped into the
ocean at Raglan, and more recently been a vocal opponent of ocean sand mining,” says KAITIAKI director Kim Webby.
“Then there are the whanau who simply live their lives in tune with the environment, like the hapu at Waipoua in
Northland, who are off the electricity grid and generate all their own power. All of these people are inspirational
guides and teachers who are leading by example. “
In the first episode of KAITIAKI: Aotearoa has a reputation as being 100 per cent ‘pure’, but this assumption needs to
be challenged – especially in regard to our farming environment.
Other issues include; a planned subdivision on the Ngunguru Spit, just out of Whangarei, and climate change in
Northland.
As well as highlighting issues, Webby hopes the programme will encourage people to make changes to help the cause.
“It’s about showing the small steps we can all take to do our part for the environment.”
Join Maori Television for a unique environmental series from a distinctly Maori perspective when KAITIAKI returns for a
second season on Saturday November 22 at 8.00 PM.
Ends