​EcoMatters host inaugural Matariki event

Connect with te taiao (the environment) and each other during Matariki at EcoMatters

Celebrate Matariki at EcoMatters with a range of events to help connect with te taiao (the environment). Photo courtesy of Joanne Hakaraia

Visitors to the first Matariki at EcoMatters event, happening Sunday 3 July from 10am-2pm, can connect with each other and te taiao (the environment), through a range of free and whānau-friendly activities designed to inspire kaitiakitanga and learn more about mātauranga māori.

In te ao Māori, Matariki is traditionally a time to celebrate, prepare for the year ahead, share ideas and learn, just as the start of a new calendar year is also often viewed. 

“We are looking forward to welcoming both familiar and new faces to this event, a new addition to our event calendar. It will be an opportunity to learn more about this uniquely Aotearoa celebration, as well as discover ways to be a kaitiaki for our beautiful local environment,” says Carla Gee, EcoMatters Environment Trust CEO.

Bring the whānau to enjoy free fun activities, connect over kai and coffee or turn your hand to potting up a baby native plant to take home. 

For the tamariki, there’ll be Matariki-themed face painting, the chance to fly a Matariki kite, learn about plant identification and foraging, and make upcycled fabric Matariki stars.

In keeping with the idea of planting and new life, there’s the chance to take part in a no-dig garden experiment that will eventually become forageable spots for passers-by.

Guest tutor Drina Paratene (Ngāti Whātua ki te Kaipara, Ngāti Pāoa and Ngāti Awa), who teaches at Green Bay High School, will host two sessions. The first will explain the signs and symbols leading up to the rise of Matariki, followed by a raranga weaving workshop (advanced booking required), teaching both technique and the appropriate tikanga when harvesting harakeke.

Visitors can explore our organic teaching gardens and community nursery, try a bike or get cycling advice at our Bike Hub or browse sustainable living items at our EcoMatters Store.

Matariki at EcoMatters is part of the organisation’s wider Matariki programme, which also includes a range of community planting events and a Rongoā Māori Wānanga (booking required).

“We hope this event will be the start of an annual celebration, providing our community with an opportunity to connect with each other and their local environment,” says Carla Gee.
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Visit ecomatters.org.nz/matariki/ to find out more.

There’ll be opportunities to connect with each other and te taiao (the environment) during Matariki at EcoMatters on Sunday 3 July