Scientist Highlight: Yvonne Taura
- Lian Soh
- 7 days ago
- 6 min read
Born in Tauranga, Yvonne Taura (Ngāiterangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Hauā, Ngāti Uenuku, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) is a freshwater ecologist who has been championing our wetlands at Manaaki Whenua as a kairangahau Māori (researcher) in the Manaaki Taiao rōpū (Māori research team).
One of Yvonne’s most widely recognised contributions is Te Reo o Te Repo—a cultural wetland handbook series which focuses on the importance of repo (wetland) values in Aotearoa New Zealand. The handbook series grew out of a multi-year collaboration between the Waikato-Tainui and Manaaki Whenua, with Yvonne as one of the lead editors, and are now valuable resources for tauiwi scientists, offering guidance of how iwi, kaitiaki, and kairangahau can work together to guide projects in ways that honour both ecological and cultural priorities.
As kairangahau, one of the most important aspects of our research is understanding the needs and aspirations of the communities we work with. Iwi and hapū know their environment intimately, they’ve observed and understood the changes over generations. They are the knowledge holders, the experts, and we ensure their values, priorities, and mātauranga are genuinely integrated into research processes and outcomes.
Yvonne has also led science education initiatives in partnership with the Science Learning Hub, where they developed resources for Te Tatauranga o ngā Manu Māra o Aotearoa (the New Zealand Garden Bird Survey) and the Tuihonoa Te Repo o Te Repo (cultural wetland resources). But they are more than just resources — they are designed to support kaiako to help tamariki and rangatahi in reconnecting with the whenua through place-based, culturally centred science learning, in te taiao like our wetlands.
Many iwi and hapū were disconnected from the wetlands in their rohe, due to the impacts of colonisation. Raupatu, the confiscation of tribal lands, forced our whānau away from their ancestral landscapes and into urban areas. Wetlands were labelled as ‘wastelands’; many were drained in favour of agriculture and so-called productive land-use. Despite this, many whānau are now reconnecting with these vital cultural and unique ecological spaces.
Alongside her editorial work, Yvonne also contributed a research chapter to Te Reo o Te Repo, drawing from her Master’s study on the effects of willow and willow control on zooplankton in the South Taupō Wetland (Waiotaka Scenic Reserve). The kaupapa began at a community level with —Ngā Runuku hapū who raised concerns about the widespread use of herbicides and their possible impacts on freshwater life in their repo.
Supported by hapū and supervised by zooplankton expert Associate Professor Ian Duggan, Yvonne designed and carried out a field-based investigation by classifying and identifying a range of vegetation types. This enabled her to locate wetland areas dominated by native plants, areas with live grey willow trees, and sites where willow had previously been controlled using herbicide. These distinct zones allowed her to examine both the long-term effects of willow presence and the short-term effects of herbicide application, while maintaining untreated native areas as controls.
Over the course of a year, Yvonne collected zooplankton samples from the water across these zones, returning in different seasons and using repeated sampling to compare species richness and composition. Her analysis aimed to determine whether there was a clear pattern in how these communities responded to willow and herbicide presence. The findings showed that neither the willow nor the herbicide (metsulfuron) had a significant impact on zooplankton communities. Instead, the clearest patterns in zooplankton communities were linked to hydrology—differences in water levels and movement between blocks of the wetland, which appeared to influence ecosystem structure more than vegetation type alone.
To get to know Yvonne a little more, we asked her a few questions about her journey through school and what influenced her pathway toward becoming a kairangahau Māori at Manaaki Whenua.
1) What did you enjoy about science at school, and why?
I didn’t enjoy science at school, it felt too hard, and my science teacher never explained things in a way that made sense to me. So, when my son started school, I was determined to make sure he had a better experience. I’m incredibly grateful for the Science Learning Hub and the House of Science for making science more accessible in the classroom. I’ve been a founding board member of House of Science Central Waikato to ensure their bilingual resources support kura kaupapa Māori across Kirikiriroa. I also support any kaupapa that brings real, hands-on science into the classroom in ways that tamariki and rangatahi can connect with and participate in.
2) What led you to consider science as a career path?
I always loved the environment and was aware of how our behaviour was impacting it. I wanted to learn more about how to protect it and was told that meant learning science. To my surprise, I discovered I really enjoyed it, especially topics like water monitoring and anything that involved being out in nature.
Working at Manaaki Whenua has given me the opportunity to collaborate with Māori communities and respond to environmental issues in ways that reflect and uphold iwi and hapū aspirations.
3) What do you see as key experiences for rangatahi in science?
Going home was the most important step in reclaiming my Māoritanga as a wāhine Māori. I was fortunate to be guided and mentored by my kaumātua at a time I needed it most - they shaped my career pathway, approach to science research, and I wouldn’t be a Māori scientist without them.
I believe it's our responsibilty as educators and scientists to expose our tamariki and rangatahi to real world science – whether environmental issues or emerging technologies – so they can see themselves in the challenges we face today.
They are our future leaders, the more we prepare and support them now, the better equipped they’ll be to shape the future.
For kaiako who would like to find out how Yvonne's research could contextualise teaching and learning science, we have collated the following links and suggestions for learning experiences:
Curriculum and NCEA Links
NZC07 Living World - Ecology
NZC07 Material World - Chemistry and Society
NZC07 NOS - Understanding about Science, Investigating in Science, Communicating in Science, Participating and Contributing
Science AS 91920 (1.1) Demonstrate understanding of a science-informed response to a local issue
Science AS 91921 (1.2) Demonstrate understanding of the use of a range of scientific investigative approaches in a context
Physics, Earth and Space Science AS92044 (1.1) Demonstrate understanding of human-induced change within the Earth system
Biology AS 91153 (2.1) Carry out a practical investigation in a biology context with supervision
Biology AS 91158 (2.6) Investigate a pattern in an ecological community with supervision
Biology AS 91160 (2.8) Investigate biological material at the microscopic level
Biology AS 91601 (3.1) Carry out a practical investigation in a biological context with guidance
Biology AS 91602 (3.2) Integrate biological knowledge to develop an informed response to a socioscientific issue
Suggested Learning Experiences
Get in touch with Janie from the Maketū Wetland Society (MOWS) and sign up for their education programme!
Check out the digital copy of Te Reo o te Repo. There are also free posters at the bottom of their page!
It’s really easy to explore and observe zooplankton under a microscope.
The Kaituna is the largest area of original wetlands that remain in the Bay of Plenty.
Go for a weekend or holiday hikoi to the Kautina Wetland Loop Track.
Search for a Bay of Plenty environmental care group and find out how to volunteer or what you need to do before taking classes out.
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council explains why wetlands are under threat and what we can do to enhance ecosystem health. Don’t miss The Bay of Plenty Wetland Restoration Guide (PDF 1.22MB) which was prepared by the Bay of Plenty Wetlands
Forum (comprising the Department of Conservation, Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Fish & Game New Zealand).
Do your part as a citizen scientist by logging observations of wetland species on iNaturalist
Check out Te Repo resources on Science Learning Hub.
Students could find out more about how scientists work by checking out Yvonne’s profiles on Science Learning Hub and NZASE.
Matuku Link, who are based up in the Auckland Waitakere ranges, has produced and collated a huge collection of wetland resources.
Ngā mihi nui | Acknowledgements Ngā mihi nunui ki a Yvonne Taura for generously sharing her journey, her whakaaro, and her mahi. Your kōrero reminds us that restoring te taiao is also about restoring relationships — to place, to people, and to purpose. May your story inspire kaiako to broaden their practice, and ākonga alike to approach science with connection. Please contact info@bayscience.nz for any corrections or additions. |
