Welcoming a new Team Member

Written By Kim Manunui

Kids Greening Taupō is excited to welcome a new team member for 2023. Benoir Midwood-Murray has taken on the role of Kairuruku reo Māori. He’ll be working with our local kura and kōhanga reo to provide our programme in te reo Māori. Here he introduces himself.


Ā Ioio nuku, Ā Ioio rangi

Ā Ioio ki Uta, Ā Ioio ki Tai

Ā Io ki te whāi ao ki te ao marama

Tihei māuri ora

Tihēwa, tihēwa!

He Uri ahau mai I ōku Tūpuna nō Ngāti Awa, me Ngāti Tuwharetoa ki Kawerau ko ngā waka ēnei mai te Paepae ki Rarotonga, Ko Mataatua, Ko Arawa tae atu ki tēnei pitopito o te motu, Nōreira tēna tātou katoa.

E mihi tēnei ki te Whare Kāhui Ārikinui tōnu – Ki Ta Tumu te Hēuhēu me tōna Makau me ōna Tamāriki Mokopuna katōa - Pāimarie

  • Ko wai au / Who am I? – My people came from within the whenua we are Hapūoneone, I am a descendant of all the waka that arrived here in Aotearoa my whakapapa enables me to flow like our tides then transitioning towards our anointing waters of our ancestors to our Inland Sea ko Taupō te Mōana. I acknowledge the many kaitiaki Kaumatua and Kūia that have been before and the generations to come.

  • My experience in Te Taiao comes from a life time of sharing and as a Eco-Cutural Māori Guide and a past graduate of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa I have a Dip. Tiakina Te Taiao – Iwi Environmental Management & Trusteeship & Dip. Te Tohu Matauranga I te Rēo me ōna Tikanga. I planned to complete my bachelor’s degree but along with my wife we decided to have a life, our Tamariki became our focus, moving home to Taupō 21 years ago. I was asked by our Kaumatua from Te Kapa o Te Rangiita ki Ōruanui to bless and open the day for KGT – Kids Greening Taupō where my Tamariki helped to plant the very first trees. I have come full circle and now a member of our Tribes Manaaki Whenua, Manaaki Taiao Team I have returned to our Taiao to honour our whanaunga me Iramutu – Tākoha o te Rangi Pitiroi and Hinemoa Karaitiana for their mahi that is now deeply rooted within our communities we thank you and support you in your new huarahi, mehemea hoki mai anō ki tēnei Pou Taiao.

  • I am a Pouako for Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi and Manaaki Taiao for Te Kōtahitanga o Ngāti Tūwharetoa – Manaaki Whenua Jobs for Nature. I am a Father/Dad and happily married with 3 Tamariki we are Ngāti Tūwharetoa, I sit on our Paepae at Te Kapa o Te Rangiita ki Ōruanui Mārae and Tautoko Te Hikuwai Paepae noho wānanga to ensure the Rēo of our Kaumatua is respected and our Tikanga and Kawa remains paramount.

Highlights working for Hapū:

  • Wetlands Restoration – Ōruanui-a-Tia – Hapū planning / Wānanga

  • Holding Taiao Wānanga which encompasses Te Whare Tapa Whā mo te Whānau

  • Hapū engagement with DoC – Whakaipō Bay for Te Kapa o Te Rangiita ki Ōruanui for the removal of the Wilding Pines.

  • Wetlands planting at Punawhakaata ki Tauranga Taupō

  • Eco-Cultural Guided Tours – Matauranga Māori

In this new role as Kairuruku Rēo Māori, I am privileged to be stepping into this space where Rangatahi have already paved the way for the Kaupapa. As a Tāne Māori working alongside a team of strong wāhine I believe I will bring value and balance to the space – Kia tangi ai te tini Parirau.

“Ka Pū te Rūha, ka hāo te Rangatahi – When the old net is tired & withered, a new net will take its place”.

Tēna kōutou kātoa.

We were really excited to have our new kairuruku reo Māori, Benoir, join us to support Hilltop School Taupo on their W2K walk. He started the walk with an awesome kōrero about the area and a karakia at the lake's edge. It was a special moment that set us up for a fantastic walk in the ngahere. Thanks so much Benoir!

Kim Manunui

Hi, I’m Kim and I work with a great team to help individuals, as well as small and not so small businesses get their message, product and services to the world using digital media and creating wonderful websites that don’t cost the earth.

I was born in Canada, and grew up around Vancouver and the mountains of British Columbia. My love of pristine environments led me to New Zealand and eventually to the mountains, lakes and rivers of the central North Island which is home. My family’s heritage is here, and it’s from here that Korio traverses the planet.

The digital world is never static and neither are we.

And I say ‘we’ because I work with an awesome group of talented people who I gather together as required to complete a project.  Whatever your business, not-for-profit or individual needs are we gather the best team to get the job done.

Collaboratively we are creative, share sustainable values and work hard for great outcomes because that’s the buzz of satisfaction that drives us.

If you have an audience and market to reach, we can make that happen. Creative design, words that work and smart behind the scenes stuff that cuts through the online noise. We’ll design your website and then build it. We’ll manage the content as well as all your hosting needs. We can handle your online advertising so you get noticed,
and we’ll manage your social media presence so you get the clicks, likes and engagement to grow your business. All within the budget you set, because none of this needs to cost the earth.  And the job doesn’t stop when your website goes live. We are your virtual business partner.

https://www.korio.co.nz
Previous

Nature Art Series
Next

Mahi Aroha Summer Programme