Our New Look and Purpose
Landcare Research recently celebrated its 25th birthday, and in keeping with such a key milestone our organisation has thought deeply about our future purpose and vision for New Zealand. As a result we will now more fully embrace our Māori name, Manaaki Whenua.
These two words hold deep meaning for us as an organisation, describing the role and responsibility we have been given by New Zealanders to care for Aotearoa. Manaaki means to cherish, conserve and sustain. Whenua encompasses the soil, rocks, plants and animals, and the tangata whenua (the people of the land). This name also challenges us to weave a Māori world view into our science and research in order to develop deeper insights and realise solutions for all New Zealanders. Manaaki Whenua is also part of our heritage, being the name we were founded under in 1992.
Our Purpose
Science for our land and our future
Ko te pūtaiao mō tō tātou whenua, mō āpōpō
Our Vision
Kia matomato te tupu a Tāne, a Rongo, a Haumia-Tiketike
Let it be that the land and all its fruits may flourish
Our Values
Manaaki tangata * Science that delivers
Our Ambitions
OUR ENVIRONMENT—We are an environmentally informed nation, taking action together.
OUR BIODIVERSITY—We know, value and actively preserve our unique biota and ecosystems
OUR BIOSECURITY—Our land is protected from invasive biological threats.
OUR LAND—We use our land, soil and water resources wisely.
You will also notice that our organisation has a new look, which is reflected in this issue of this newsletter (which has been produced under various guises throughout the 25 years of the existence of Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research!). Our new logo is an evolution of the previous one. The two koru, representing strength and growth, curve together to form two halves of a kinetic circle – a form that expresses the constant balance and interconnectivity of people, place and environment. The simplicity of the infinite circle has long been associated with cycles of life, learning and nature. For us, as New Zealanders, it expresses the intergenerational science that will ensure we will live in harmony with our land, now and in the future.
