Manawatu U3A - Autumn Seminar Series 2022

4 weekly talks on changing food requirements, environmental impacts, climate change, new technologies, what can we expect? This series explores some of these significant issues.

May 11th:
He Tatai Whenua; Case studies of mātuaranga Māori in relation to our land
Prof Jonathan Procter, Professor in Natural Hazards and Associate Dean Maori, College of Sciences, Massey University
Mātauranga Māori, or Māori expert knowledge in relation to Papatuanuku (our earthly environment) and in relation to kaitiakitanga (stewardship of the environment), offers a potentially powerful pathway leading to revitalisation and reconnection for all New Zealanders to our whenua at a time when global ecological concerns are increasingly relevant. This cultural knowledge can be integrated into existing environment management structures to secure environmental benefit and sustainability.

May 18th:
Human-wildlife conflict and the biodiversity crisis: why we must care
Prof Murray Potter, Professor in Zoology, Massey University
Exponential growth in the human population during the 20th century coupled with massive growth in consumerism have combined to create a global biodiversity crisis and an existential threat to our continued existence. This is the single biggest threat facing humanity and life on our planet. This talk examines how we got to this point and whether it remains possible to prevent calamity.

May 25th:
The Forgotten Poetry of the Colonial Environment Assoc. Prof. Philip Steer, School of Humanities, Media, and Creative Communication, Massey University
Even as colonisation devastated the environment, settlers wrote poetry about nature. This presentation will demonstrate how Papers Past is transforming our understanding of New Zealand literature through a tour of some of the striking locations and subjects highlighted by this writing. It will explore the idea that poetry was an important form of settler environmental knowledge, alongside science and economics.

June 1st:
Changing meanings of “the environment” in New Zealand
Dr Jeff McNeill, Senior Lecturer in Resource & Environmental Planning, Massey University
How we see the environment is codified in our laws. I review how the environment has been recognised in New Zealand’s legislation over the last century to reflect our understanding and valuing of it over the last century. In particular the RMA is considered and the implications of its replacement explored together with the drivers for these changes.

Admission free. Gold coin for tea/coffee and biscuits.