Different regions, iwi, and hapū have different tikanga associated with maramataka and environmental signs.
How this handout aligns
For kaiako, this journal matters because it keeps local variation visible. The page asks students to notice tohu taiao and place-specific relationships rather than treating environmental learning as generic content detached from mātauranga Māori.
Best used when teachers want students to connect observation with local knowledge and caution, not just collect facts.
Interactions should be guided by whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, and tikanga.
How this handout aligns
The journal includes group roles, acknowledgement prompts, and reflection on who should be consulted before action. That gives kaiako a practical way to teach fieldwork as relational and responsible.
Strongest when teachers set protocol before the visit instead of after it.
Use this as a teacher-facing bridge between kaitiakitanga, local protocol, and practical environmental inquiry.
Teacher-only note
This is not a substitute for local permission or iwi and hapū guidance. For teachers, the key move is to decide what site knowledge is public, what needs consultation, and how students will act with care before any fieldwork begins.
That teacher-only framing is what stops the resource becoming generic eco-activity filler.
Use this resource before, during, and after fieldwork so Te Mātaiaho intent, tikanga, and practical action stay linked.
How to use this resource
Brief students before the visit, use the observation space on site, then return to the reflection and action sections afterwards. That sequence keeps the resource clearly for kaiako planning and helps the class move from noticing to responsibility.
Useful for a one-off site visit or a longer local-place inquiry sequence.