Te Ipukarea Society is an environmental organisation in the Cook Islands formed to help look after our Ipukarea, ‘our heritage’. Our philosophy is that we do not own our land and marine resources but borrow them from our future generations, and need to leave them in good condition.

We are a membership-based organisation made up of individuals who believe in the need to maintain a healthy and beautiful environment. We are members of IUCN and Birdlife International.

Find out more about Te Ipukarea Society in our About us section.

BIODIVERSITY

Projects such as Save our Suwarrow project, invasive species eradications, outer island bird surveys, Marine Park project;

WASTE MANAGEMENT

Promoting waste reduction projects such as eliminating single use plastics, re-useable shopping bags, recycling, strategy for old tyres.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Working to build resilience in our small island paradise.

YOUTH

Youth debates around topical environmental issues, youth camps and training on environmental monitoring.

ECO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Raising awareness of the impacts of development and other issues including seabed mining and industrial fishing.

MANA TIAKI

Mana Tiaki simply means being a guardian of something, and in this case being a guardian of our environment.

Much of the work that Te Ipukarea Society is involved in includes grass roots awareness raising in the area of conservation and sustainable environmental practices. How we share these messages are achieved through various platforms, from social media, to tv ads, posters and brochures.

Of the various platforms that can be used to get our message across, it is the power of still environmental photos that has always caught my eye. What I like most about photography is that from just a simple click, an image can create an important message that reaches a wide audience. It crosses the language and cultural divide. How these photos are perceived by the individual then has the power to create lasting environmental change at both local or global scales.

Published 04 February 2020

TIS has recently started a crowd funding page through Givealittle in New Zealand. This will help fund important environmental work in the Cook Islands, helping to preserve this little paradise for future generations.

This page will make it easier for our supporters, both from overseas and locally based, to donate to TIS, with either credit card (international) or online payments (within NZ). All funds received will be put towards core costs of running our organisation and supporting our projects in Rarotonga and throughout the outer islands.

If you believe in our work and want to help us continue, we would be humbled if you could make a donation. Any amount, big or small, is welcome.

We look forward to working with you all in the future to ensure that our voices are heard and our paradise spanning the land and ocean is preserved, protected and healthy!

Please visit our Protect a Little Paradise Givealittle Page.