title: Environmentalism for the environment's sake: Towards an understanding of the influence of the Māori worldview on Western environmental management perspectives in Aotearoa New Zealand through a lens of nature connectivity

authors: Jones, Haley

subjects: Nature connectedness

abstract: Individual perceptions of the natural world may be influenced by place, culture, and value systems. In exploring these perceptions through measures of environmental connectedness, this study considers the uniqueness of the socio-cultural systems of Aotearoa New Zealand in shaping individual environmental engagement. This research examines the implications of the inclusion of Māori values in environmental management policies dominated by Western environmental conceptualisations. Through semi-structured interviews of five participants who work in environmental fields in the Hamilton, Waikato Region of Aotearoa New Zealand, this research explores conceptualisations of identity and environmental discourses, interpretations of the Māori concept of kaitiakitanga and the Western concept of stewardship, career connectedness, and place attachment to Aotearoa New Zealand. Additionally, results from an online survey questionnaire of twelve respondents compare measures of connectedness to nature of respondents from California, United States of America, with those from the Waikato Region, Aotearoa New Zealand. Key findings highlight how anthropogenic worldviews can be unconscious, how understandings of cultural values may be a key factor of a strengthened environmental commitment, how expressions of Indigeneity are of value in the sciences, and how there is importance in the link between conservation values and the Māori worldview. This study exposes the importance of the implementation of improved training about, and inclusion of, Indigenous knowledge within environmental organisations in order to develop conscious awareness of how Indigenous information is being translated, applied, and respected.

text: Environmentalism for the environment's sake: Towards an understanding of the influence of the Māori worldview on Western environmental management perspectives in Aotearoa New Zealand through a lens of nature connectivity Individual perceptions of the natural world may be influenced by place, culture, and value systems. In exploring these perceptions through measures of environmental connectedness, this study considers the uniqueness of the socio-cultural systems of Aotearoa New Zealand in shaping individual environmental engagement. This research examines the implications of the inclusion of Māori values in environmental management policies dominated by Western environmental conceptualisations. Through semi-structured interviews of five participants who work in environmental fields in the Hamilton, Waikato Region of Aotearoa New Zealand, this research explores conceptualisations of identity and environmental discourses, interpretations of the Māori concept of kaitiakitanga and the Western concept of stewardship, career connectedness, and place attachment to Aotearoa New Zealand. Additionally, results from an online survey questionnaire of twelve respondents compare measures of connectedness to nature of respondents from California, United States of America, with those from the Waikato Region, Aotearoa New Zealand. Key findings highlight how anthropogenic worldviews can be unconscious, how understandings of cultural values may be a key factor of a strengthened environmental commitment, how expressions of Indigeneity are of value in the sciences, and how there is importance in the link between conservation values and the Māori worldview. This study exposes the importance of the implementation of improved training about, and inclusion of, Indigenous knowledge within environmental organisations in order to develop conscious awareness of how Indigenous information is being translated, applied, and respected.

year: 2022

title: Ngā Ara Auaha  - Creative practice student showcase

authors: Hill, Rodrigo

abstract: Ngā Ara Auaha simply translated means 'creative pathways' and comprises a collective exhibition featuring creative works from last year's undergraduate and postgraduate students across the University and working with creative practice research and outputs.

Ngā Ara Auaha is an annual student showcase, exhibiting the creative works of University of Waikato students (both undergraduate and postgraduate). The exhibition’s title refers to the ‘creative pathways’ taken by these students who have drawn on their own various creative practices, modes, and methods to think through their respective research journeys.

The call for submissions was open to students across all faculties and divisions of the University and as such the variety of works is vast. Multiple artistic mediums are featured in the same space, including photography and film, toi Māori, augmented media, fine art, design, and creative writing.

This exhibition showcases both the artistic skill of our students and the potential of creative methodologies in research. Expanding the rigid boundaries of the academy and blurring the lines between the ‘creative and critical’, with contributors adding to an established legacy of creative practice at the University of Waikato.

text: Ngā Ara Auaha  - Creative practice student showcase Ngā Ara Auaha simply translated means 'creative pathways' and comprises a collective exhibition featuring creative works from last year's undergraduate and postgraduate students across the University and working with creative practice research and outputs.

Ngā Ara Auaha is an annual student showcase, exhibiting the creative works of University of Waikato students (both undergraduate and postgraduate). The exhibition’s title refers to the ‘creative pathways’ taken by these students who have drawn on their own various creative practices, modes, and methods to think through their respective research journeys.

The call for submissions was open to students across all faculties and divisions of the University and as such the variety of works is vast. Multiple artistic mediums are featured in the same space, including photography and film, toi Māori, augmented media, fine art, design, and creative writing.

This exhibition showcases both the artistic skill of our students and the potential of creative methodologies in research. Expanding the rigid boundaries of the academy and blurring the lines between the ‘creative and critical’, with contributors adding to an established legacy of creative practice at the University of Waikato.

year: 2024

title: A field test of forest canopy structure measurements with the CanopyCapture smartphone application.

authors: Lusk, Christopher H.

subjects: Canopy openess

abstract: Background: Several smartphone applications have been developed for the purpose of low-cost and convenient assessments of vegetation canopy structure and understorey illumination. Like standard hemispherical photography, most of these applications require user decisions about image processing, posing challenges for repeatability of measurements. Here I report a test of CanopyCapture, an application that instantaneously estimates percentage canopy gap fraction without any input from the user, and has the added advantage of an intuitive levelling mechanism. Methods: Gap fraction estimates by CanopyCapture were compared with gap fraction values computed by the LAI-2200C Canopy Analyzer, in two contrasting evergreen temperate forests in New Zealand: an even-aged southern beech (Nothofagus) stand and an old-growth podocarp/broadleaf forest. These comparisons were repeated using a wide-angle adapter to enhance the smartphone camera's field of view from 45 to 65°. I also asked if CanopyCapture results depended on sky condition (sunny vs. overcast) and on the type of smartphone used. Results: CanopyCapture output was significantly correlated with gap fraction computed by the LAI-2200C (R2 = 0.39), and use of the wide-angle adapter lifted this value to 0.56. However, CanopyCapture output was not significantly correlated with LAI-2200C output in the even-aged Nothofagus stand, where there was less spatial variation in canopy structure. Despite being much less sensitive to variation in gap fraction than the LAI-2200C, CanopyCapture was nevertheless able to detect differences in average gap fraction between the two forests studied. CanopyCapture results beneath intact canopies were not significantly affected by sky condition, but reflection of direct light off tree trunks in sunny weather caused slight overestimation of gap fraction beneath broken canopies and gaps. Uneven or patchy cloud cover can also cause erroneous readings beneath large canopy openings. Three different models of smartphone gave different results. Conclusions: CanopyCapture offers a rapid and repeatable proxy for comparisons of average canopy gap fraction in multiple stands/forests, provided large sample sizes are used. Measurement under even overcast skies is recommended, and studies involving multiple operators will need to standardize smartphones to ensure comparability of results. Although wide-angle adapters can improve performance, CanopyCapture's low sensitivity prevents high-resolution comparisons of the light environments of individual understorey plants within a stand.

text: A field test of forest canopy structure measurements with the CanopyCapture smartphone application. Background: Several smartphone applications have been developed for the purpose of low-cost and convenient assessments of vegetation canopy structure and understorey illumination. Like standard hemispherical photography, most of these applications require user decisions about image processing, posing challenges for repeatability of measurements. Here I report a test of CanopyCapture, an application that instantaneously estimates percentage canopy gap fraction without any input from the user, and has the added advantage of an intuitive levelling mechanism. Methods: Gap fraction estimates by CanopyCapture were compared with gap fraction values computed by the LAI-2200C Canopy Analyzer, in two contrasting evergreen temperate forests in New Zealand: an even-aged southern beech (Nothofagus) stand and an old-growth podocarp/broadleaf forest. These comparisons were repeated using a wide-angle adapter to enhance the smartphone camera's field of view from 45 to 65°. I also asked if CanopyCapture results depended on sky condition (sunny vs. overcast) and on the type of smartphone used. Results: CanopyCapture output was significantly correlated with gap fraction computed by the LAI-2200C (R2 = 0.39), and use of the wide-angle adapter lifted this value to 0.56. However, CanopyCapture output was not significantly correlated with LAI-2200C output in the even-aged Nothofagus stand, where there was less spatial variation in canopy structure. Despite being much less sensitive to variation in gap fraction than the LAI-2200C, CanopyCapture was nevertheless able to detect differences in average gap fraction between the two forests studied. CanopyCapture results beneath intact canopies were not significantly affected by sky condition, but reflection of direct light off tree trunks in sunny weather caused slight overestimation of gap fraction beneath broken canopies and gaps. Uneven or patchy cloud cover can also cause erroneous readings beneath large canopy openings. Three different models of smartphone gave different results. Conclusions: CanopyCapture offers a rapid and repeatable proxy for comparisons of average canopy gap fraction in multiple stands/forests, provided large sample sizes are used. Measurement under even overcast skies is recommended, and studies involving multiple operators will need to standardize smartphones to ensure comparability of results. Although wide-angle adapters can improve performance, CanopyCapture's low sensitivity prevents high-resolution comparisons of the light environments of individual understorey plants within a stand.

year: 2022