Source: Eastern Institute of Technology
23 seconds ago
Students at EIT are gaining practical environmental skills through programmes that embed the principles of kaitiakitanga (Māori environmental guardianship).
The NZ Certificate in Primary Industry Skills (Level 2) and Primary Industry Operational Skills (Level 3) are delivered, combining predator control, native planting, fencing, and machinery training with a kaupapa Māori approach.
Programme tutor Tane Cruikshank with EIT NZ Certificate in Primary Industry Skills (Level 2) student Trent Puhara (left) installing a camera on a tree for predator control.
Coordinator Tania Basher says the courses are designed to fill a gap in environmental education at these levels, while offering a pathway into further study or work across the primary industries.
Programme tutor Tane Cruikshank says the programme connects people with nature in a kaupapa Māori way, fostering a deeper relationship with the environment.
“Kaitiakitanga is woven through everything we do,” Tane says. “It’s not just a concept we talk about; it’s something the students practice every day through their work in the gully and their growing connection to the whenua.”
Students begin level 2 in February and learn on campus three days per week. Tane says the programme is about more than environmental work, as students practice skills that can be applied across a variety of industries, opening doors to future career opportunities.
Throughout the programme, students practice practical environmental work, including pest control, restoration planting, native tree propagation, and track maintenance. Most learning takes place in a large gully area behind EIT, below Ōtātara Pā, which staff and students have been returning to native bush.
Students build and practice using trap boxes, install DOC 200 traps, monitor wildlife using cameras, and manage a zone within the gully to restore the area. Tania says students have taken guardianship of the gully space and achieved some excellent trapping results.
The level 3 programme, which starts in July introduces advanced tools and machinery use, including scrub bars, chainsaws, light utility vehicles, and tractors. Students also practice skills in fencing and conservation infrastructure, such as building predator-proof enclosures. Tane says the skills they gain can be used in conservation, horticulture, agriculture, or farming.
Alongside practical training, learners practice and gain industry experience through partnerships with local organisation Te Wai Mauri, which runs a native plant nursery and kaitiaki ranger team. This connection reinforces the kaupapa Māori foundation of the programme and provides students with valuable real-world experience.
“It’s about experiencing a connection with the whenua as a foundation for learning,” Tania says.
Applications are open for the February 2026 intake. Graduates can move into entry-level roles in the primary industries or progress to further qualifications, such as Environmental Studies.
