The following questions from schools are answered by river ecosystem experts:

1. When we studied how healthy our waters are we found lots of water snails, but we didn’t find a large variety of other invertebrates - do you know why?

2. What do you think is the most effective water test?

3. Is it ok for us to take a river stone for a souvenir or is this not acceptable?

4. When does a river become unhealthy?

5. What type of plants can help awa and which don’t help?

6. What do you think about tourism - does it make a difference to the awa?

7. Do fish or other water-life affect the water quality?

8. What would your iwi like to change about the way your local river is used?

9. By swimming in awa, are we helping it or not?

10. What are some of the best ways to clean our rivers and keep it clean?

11. How do you tell if the rock is a good one for carving and how do you carry out these heavy rocks?

12. How do we know if it is safe to swim in a river or not?

13. What is the healthiest river you monitor and what makes it healthy?

14. If the awa is blue, does this mean it is safe to drink?

15. how we can help people make good decisions about how they get rid of their fishtanks water?

16. If the river is crystal clear and quite cold, is that good for fish and invertebrates to live in. Is this also healthy for the river?

17. Are rivers still healthy if our river only has tuna and cockabillies in them?

More at https://www.learnz.org.nz/rivers211/connect-with-experts

Questions from NZ schools about rivers are answered by Lewis, a carver and environmental worker for his iwi, Ngati Kuia and by Anna, freshwater ecologist and environmental educator for Marlborough District Council

Note: The first question is 7 minutes in.

1. Are there any rivers in the North Island that were formed by glaciers? If so, where? (https://teara.govt.nz/en/glaciers-and-glaciation)

2. Was there one earthquake that created the Waikato River? If so, where did this happen? (https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/images/415-waikato-river and https://www.gns.cri.nz/data-and-resources/new-zealand-active-faults-map/)

3. How do people do a thorough test to make sure the water is clean and safe to swim in?

4. Can you drink from the Waikato River?

5. On average, how many animals die each year from polluted water and which species are most commonly affected?

6. What are some of the ways to treat polluted water?

7. What are the introduced species of trout and why were they introduced?

8. What part of the Waikato River is the most polluted, and why?

9. What do dams do to the river?

10. Lewis, how did you become a carver and why do you like working with pakohe (argillite)?

More at https://www.learnz.org.nz/rivers211/connect-with-experts

In this podcast, Te Mako and Francesca kōrero about Kia Āhuareka te Reo, a programme focused on beginner-level te reo. They discuss the importance of knowing your 'why', and the joy of speaking te reo Māori.

Te Mako and Marie discuss how Te Reo Puāwai Māori helped her improve her pronunciation and confidence. She now uses te reo regularly in emails, around the office, and even with a complete stranger!

In this podcast, Te Mako and Riria kōrero about Kia Āhuareka te Reo, a programme focused on beginner-level te reo. They discuss that although she wasn't a beginner, it helped kick-start her reo again.

In this podcast, Te Mako and Roimata kōrero about Kia Āhuareka te Reo, a programme focused on beginner-level te reo. They discuss how this course can help anyone wanting to increase their te reo Māori skills.

“Ahakoa te rā kotahi, ko ngā āhuatanga i ahu mai i te Tiriti ka pā mai ki a tātou ia rā o te tau.”

Nō reira, me aha tātou e noho ai te Tiriti ki te puna o te whakaaro i roto i ā tātou mahi katoa?

I tā mātou pāhōrangi hōu, ka matapaki a Tākuta Hana O’Regan rāua ko Leah Te Whata i ētahi kōrero āwhina, whakahihiri anō hoki mā roto i ngā poutama e toru:

Me whai whakaaro

Āta whakaritea he rautaki

Whakatinanahia

"Te Tiriti o Waitangi is not something that can be put on a shelf and taken off once a year".

So how do you enact the Treaty every day? Why is this important?

In our latest podcast, Dr Hana O'Regan and Leah Te Whata discuss practical and inspirational advice about enacting te Tiriti o Waitangi, in 3-steps:

Develop a mindset.

Design an equitable plan.

Take action.

Ruta McKenzie describes how Talanoa can be used to support mentees in Coaching and Mentoring practice.

How do you find your purpose as a leader? These are the pātai Rebbecca Sweeney and Sean Bailey discuss and unpack in this podcast for those in a leadership role and those aspiring to be a leader.