Learn about Maramataka
Have you heard of Maramataka? Meaning ‘the turning of the moon’, Maramataka is the Māori lunar calendar, traditionally used to guide planting and harvesting, fishing and hunting. Maramataka can be used to determine the best days for trapping and planting, thereby tapping into knowledge first brought over from Hawaiki and further developed over hundreds of years in Aotearoa.
Matauranga Māori (literally meaning Māori knowledge) has increasingly been recognised around Aotearoa and the wider world as a rich knowledge-system that has much to contribute to a number of disciplines including science and conservation. Māori have around 500 years more experience than Pakeha in studying the natural world of Aotearoa. With all of that vast knowledge of the whenua (land) and ngāhere (bush), Mātauranga Māori and the Maramataka are exceptional tools for anyone interested in conservation to have in their kete.
Try using the Maramataka to guide your gardening days – see what a difference all those centuries of knowledge can make to your own backyard!
Resources available:
To learn more about Maramataka, and to purchase a Maramataka calendar, maramataka.co.nz
