The team at Trees That Count in New Zealand has found a way to get native trees in the ground during lockdown with a new card game that hones New Zealanders’ knowledge of conservation and te reo Māori at the same time. Source: Timberbiz
“This lockdown a lot of parents have been searching out educational games. It’s perfect timing that we’ve partnered with Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission) to release a reo Māori version of our popular “Tree Snap” game, Taukapu Rākau,” said Trees That Count Chair Joris de Bres.
Trees That Count, the native tree marketplace backed by national environmental charity Project Crimson Trust, is celebrating Conservation Week and Te Wiki o te Reo Māori this September with this new edition of its hugely popular game.
“At Trees That Count everything we do is about putting more native trees in the ground to thrive, so with every pack purchased we’ve committed to plant one native tree.”
With the generous support of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, 750 free packs of Taukapu Rākau will be distributed to schools and kura nationwide. Teachers can claim their pack (one per school) on the Trees That Count website.
“Young people are critical to the revitalisation of te reo Māori and we are delighted to support this initiative that weaves together our national language, caring for our environment and our children,” said Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori chief executive, Ngahiwi Apanui.
“Whether we’re in lockdown or not, we hope students and teachers can join us at 12pm on Tuesday 14th September 2021 for a moment to celebrate our unity as a nation and also our national language, te reo Māori.”
Each deck of cards includes illustrations and information about some of Aotearoa’s most iconic native trees.
“This is a great way to learn about native trees, have some fun and contribute to one of the very best ways of having a lasting and positive impact on the environment—planting native trees,” says Joris.
Featured trees include the iconic pōhutukawa, kauri, and 12 others.
Since its inception, Trees That Count has enabled the planting of more than three quarters of a million native trees, with the help of its corporate partners and hundreds of ordinary New Zealanders.
