The Pūtōrino e Rua project officially began in June 2024 and is just crossing over into its second year. As part of this milestone, we have submitted a report to the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE) outlining work completed to date and our plans moving forward.
As we move into year two, the project team are collaborating with Dilys Johns from the University of Auckland and Daniel Parker from InSite Archaeology to document two waka tīwai found within the study area. Andrew Wells, a senior ecologist at Wildlands Consultants is also teaming up with an intern from Whakauae Research to undertake dendrochronology (tree ring analysis), using a range of podocarp trees preserved within the study area. This will help constrain the age of the landslide surfaces and provide information on the environment over time. The team are also working closely with iwi artists to bring the project story to life, providing visualisations for the public that convey mātauranga and western science.
Keep an eye out for more photos and videos as the project progresses!
