For tangata whenua there is increased opportunity to practice their kaitiakitanga, mana whenua, tino rangatiratanga and traditional cultural uses of the forest such as rōngoa. It also provides an opportunity to share what is important to them (such as taonga species or wāhi tapu) as appropriate and provide for those values as part of the management process as well as reinvigorating traditional korero or cultural activities of the local area. The increase in wildlife also brings economic opportunities such as tourism and pest control jobs. Those doing the work experience the mental health benefits of working outdoors and interacting with nature. Managing vertebrate pests at scale is required for New Zealand to achieve its Predator Free 2050 goals and is consistent with the landscape scale conservation actions being taken elsewhere in the country (e.g., Reconnecting Northland in Northland, Cape to City in Hawkes Bay or Taranaki Mounga project in Taranaki). The Biodiversity Project would provide a local example for eastern Waikato, Coromandel and western Bay of Plenty residents to contribute to in support of national conservation objectives.
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