| New courses begin by honoring the Maori culture and customs at the Whakatane campus |
Two new logging courses started today at the Whakatane Campus. A new tutor, Bill Tiopira, a local from the Ruatoki Valley has been appointed Forest Operations tutor.
Bill was welcomed into the Waiariki family as well as the new students he will be teaching over the next 4 months. Bill will be based in Ruatoki with links out to Taneatua and Waimana.
Mack Hudson's students (Opotiki) were also welcomed to begin their new course.
Kaumatua from Tuhoe and Waiariki (Te Arawa) were in attendance and spoke well in their korero.
All visiting Waiariki staff were formally welcomed onto the campus.
In attendance from the Forestry School were - Jeremy Christmas (Director), Richard Stringfellow (HOD Forest Ops), Jackie Gainsford (Forest Ops Administrator), Lindsay Scott (Tutor).
Other Waiariki staff present were - Ken Kennedy (Kaumatua), Rosemary Johnson (Eastern BOP Regional Development Manager), Whakatane Campus admin staff.
It is envisaged that the school will conduct powhiri for all new students at their respective regional capmuses. Culture is a vital ingredient in the learning that the students will undertake. As students grom in knowledge of the forest, so too will they grow in knowledge of themselves and their culture.
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