Getting to Know Cambridge

On Thursday the 20th of August I was able to provide some community service in a manner- my oldest daughter's school class was taking a walking field trip around the town to learn more of its recent history and sites. I was already a bit under the weather, and the day was a bit cold, wet and windy, so I ended up quite sick the following day. Nonetheless, it was quite worth the effort. We walked from Leamington into town and helped the kids in groups find and complete worksheets about various topics. It ranged from the area's horse racing prowess commemorated in mosaics on the main walk, to historic buildings and the old Anglican church and its historical depictions in its stained glass windows. Lastly, the tour included the town's history museum in the old courthouse.

Along the way I was able to converse with my daughter's teacher about various topics. Knowing why we came to New Zealand, as my daughter had informed him, we discussed my research aims and questions. As a a pakeha New Zealander (that is a New Zealander with a European background as opposed to Maori Polynesian one), he was aware of and related the quandary of the Kereru bird- how they are prized for their taste, and yet are endangered. He was aware of the history behind its current status and the role of Maori tapu (sacred restriction) behind its survival up through and to pakeha mismanagement or abuse. Additionally, he related his knowledge of the Huia bird, now extinct, who's fall is attributable to the nearly insatiable demands of European fashion after centuries of more or less effective management by Maori. This is no way is to say that all of NZ's ecological troubles stem from non-indigenous people's involvement in NZ, but that in some areas, in some respects, Maori had in place a system that tried to maintain valued resources, and that he was aware of such culturally-fixed mechanisms.

His class will be visiting the Maungatautari Ecological island in early September, and he has cordially invited me to come along again. I look forward to the occasion- it has been a little over two years since I have been within the enclosure and the forested canopy. For months I have been relating to my children, especially this particular daughter, the wonder of the project and mountain (in an effort to help her get a little more okay with leaving friends and family behind to come here). I suspect it will not disappoint. To see what it is, go to www.maungatrust.org.