Muri Environment Expo: Celebrating Our Past, Shaping Our Future

By TISAdminNews Articles

Muri Environment Expo: Celebrating Our Past, Shaping Our Future

Muri Environment Care (MEC) is excited to be running the very first Muri Environment Expo, happening on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th October, from 9 AM at the Muri Meeting House. This special event offers a unique opportunity to foster open conversations about Muri's environment while showcasing the important work MEC and the community do to protect our natural heritage.  There is an open invitation for anyone to attend.

MEC are excited to welcome Ric Balfour, Waikato Catchments Coordinator with the NZ Landcare Trust, who has collaborated with MEC on stream bank restoration projects. Ric’s focus on community-led initiatives blends local knowledge with scientific methods, ensuring restoration efforts are driven by those most affected.

At the expo, Ric will lead workshops and introduce marine and freshwater eDNA kits—innovative tools for monitoring stream and lagoon health. These kits seek to help empower local landowners and stakeholders to actively engage in environmental restoration. Ric’s sessions will be a great opportunity for the community to learn and contribute to shaping the future of Muri’s ecosystems.

The expo will feature six expert-led booths:

  • Bringing Back our Birds with Rachel Selwyn who will be discussing challenges our native birds are facing and how we can help bring birds back to our land through a few simple actions.
  • Restoring Rarotonga’s Streams with Henry Mackenzie who will be discussing the threats facing our streams, the essential ecosystem services they provide, and how we can help protect and restore them. He is eager to hear from the community about what makes this important ecosystem valuable to you.
  • Native Plant Conservation and A Focus on Solutions with Brennan Panzarella who will be doing a creative exercise where people will be painting their favorite plants and/or their visions for the future of the Cook Islands onto a large canvas. MEC will also bring in a number of plants and cuttings of native plants to discuss their roles in the past, present, and future Island ecologies. Brennan is also very keen to crowdsource and brainstorm creative solutions to local environmental issues. Bring some answers to the following questions: 1) What are the greatest environmental challenges that the country faces and 2) What are some of your ideas for solutions? 3) What are some plant species you’d like us to grow at the nursery to share back out to the community?
  • The role of education in protecting Muri with Maureen Goodwin
  • How to be a responsible tourist
  • Lagoon Health with Anne Tierney

Each booth will encourage dialogue by posing key questions about the past, present, and future of Muri’s environment. Visitors are invited to share their memories, photos, ideas, and concerns, using Post-Its or through informal discussions.

In addition to the booths, the expo will feature several special discussions aimed at exploring environmental challenges and solutions for Muri:

  • Wednesday, 2nd October at 5 PM – Muri Reef and Lagoon by Dr. Teina Rongo.
  • Thursday, 3rd October at 5 PM – Protecting Traditional Herbal Plants with Brennan Panzarella and Gerald McCormack.
  • Thursday, 3rd October at 6 PM – Sharing Muri Community Memories and History with Willie Kauvai.
  • Friday, 4th October at 5 PM – Protecting Muri’s Wetlands and Streams with Sam Napa.

The Muri Environment Expo is about more than just showcasing MEC’s efforts—it’s about working together to find solutions for the future. We’ll be gathering feedback through short surveys and recorded discussions. Join us for three days of knowledge-sharing, community engagement, and solutions-focused discussions. Your voice is vital in helping us protect Muri’s precious environment.

We look forward to seeing you all at the Muri Environment Expo!