Foraging Kai
Foraging kai not only provides us with fresh, healthy, local kai, it also connects us directly with our shared whakapapa, as we gather and eat kai from our local foodscapes. This includes the whenua, ngāhere, moana, awa, and wider taiao around us. This Learning Bite explores foraging through a te ao Māori lens to identify a range of kai and rongoā you can forage in Aotearoa. You can put this mātauranga in practice by going foraging yourself!
Instructions
These Learning Bites are short, self-paced online learning modules designed to be accessible, practical and grounded in kaupapa Māori values. Each ‘bite’ takes around 10–15 minutes and can be completed in your own time. Enter your responses in the text boxes provided.
To finish, make sure you click
Complete Learning Bite
on the very last slide!
What is foraging?
Foraging is when we gather kai straight from the taiao This includes plants, fruits, nuts, roots, fungi, shellfish, insects, and more!
Collecting kina - Te Ara
Food gathering routines - Te Ara
Foraging is All Around You!
You likely see kai you could forage for every day Have you seen or eaten any of these kai?
Why forage for kai?
Whakapapa
- Reconnect with traditional kai and knowledge
Hauora
- Wild kai is highly nutritious, packed with vitamins and minerals that are hard to find on the supermarket shelf
Putea
- Save you and your whānau money by gathering kai and rongoā to supplement your weekly shopping!
Tikanga for Foraging
Uphold the rangatiratanga of mana whenua. Ensure you have permission and follow tikanga, tapu and rāhui if any. Be aware of any potential toxins or pollution - watch out for dead plants nearby which is often a sign.
Leave plenty for others and for regrowth. Use all parts of the kai that you take. Remember the rule of 'thirds' - don't take anymore than a third, leave a third for others, and a third for regrowth
Only take what you can confidently identify. Ask elders, tohunga, experts. Take care especially with berries and fungi. If in doubt, leave it
Know where you're foraging
Be sure you know the kai
Take only what you need
Title
Use this side to give more information about a topic.
Subtitle
Protect Kai for the Future
Activity: Think like a tīpuna
You come across a large patch of pūhā growing near an awa.
Activity: Think like a tīpuna
You find a bunch of kawakawa bushes in the ngāhere.
Foraging in Aotearoa
Each season offers different kai to forage
- Spring - young greens
- Summer - berries and fruits
- Autumn - nuts and seeds
- Winter - shellfish
Foraging Rongoā
Here are some common rongoā species in Aotearoa. Have you foraged any before?
KawakawaOnion WeedMāwe (Cleavers, Biddybids) Tātārāomoa
Following the Maramataka
The maramataka helps guide when kai is abundant, and when it’s better to wait. Maramataka knowledge can differ between iwi and rohe. What matters most is observing your own environment and learning local patterns.
Māori moon phases - Living by the Stars
Listen to Grace Williamson, one of our expert foragers, kōrero about kopakopa! This is a great reminder of how kai is also rongoā, and how the same plants can both feed and heal us.
Activity
Manaaki whenua, manaaki tāngata, haere whakamua.If we take care of the land and take care of the people, we will take care of the future.
What did we learn today?
Foraging for kai:
- Provides us with fresh, local, organic, nourishing kai
- Connects us with whakapapa and guides kaitiakitanga
- Uplifts the hauora of taiao and tāngata
- Prevents waste and supports whānau health and resilience
- Supports food sovereignty and security
He aha ōu whakaaro?
Please share any thoughts, comments, and feedback you have on this Learning Bite. Let us know what you liked and what we can improve!
Complete Learning Bite
Gathering from awa
If there are rivers around you, what kai can you gather safely there? Depending on the time of year and the location, you may be able to gather pūhā, ika, tuna, freshwater mussels
Gathering from the hapori
Within your own town and community, there are many kai you can gather if you know them. These are some: Kawakawa berries/ leaves Pūhā, wild greens Mawe (spring tonic) Kopakopa (plantain) Onion weed Dandelions
Gathering from the ngahere
In the ngāhere there are many kai you can gather if you know them. These are some: Kawakawa berries/ leaves Huhu grubs Fern roots Pikopiko Harore (native fungi) Pūhā, wild greens
Haumie-tiketike is commonly linked to uncultivated kai.
However, different Atua may be acknowledged depending on the type of kai, environment, and iwi traditions.
Gathering from the moana
From the moana, there are many kai you can gather if you know them. These are some: Fish - various ika depending where you are Shellfish - pipi, pāua, kūtai Seaweed - karengo
Foraging Kai
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Transcript
Foraging Kai
Foraging kai not only provides us with fresh, healthy, local kai, it also connects us directly with our shared whakapapa, as we gather and eat kai from our local foodscapes. This includes the whenua, ngāhere, moana, awa, and wider taiao around us. This Learning Bite explores foraging through a te ao Māori lens to identify a range of kai and rongoā you can forage in Aotearoa. You can put this mātauranga in practice by going foraging yourself!
Instructions
These Learning Bites are short, self-paced online learning modules designed to be accessible, practical and grounded in kaupapa Māori values. Each ‘bite’ takes around 10–15 minutes and can be completed in your own time. Enter your responses in the text boxes provided.
To finish, make sure you click
Complete Learning Bite
on the very last slide!
What is foraging?
Foraging is when we gather kai straight from the taiao This includes plants, fruits, nuts, roots, fungi, shellfish, insects, and more!
Collecting kina - Te Ara
Food gathering routines - Te Ara
Foraging is All Around You!
You likely see kai you could forage for every day Have you seen or eaten any of these kai?
Why forage for kai?
Whakapapa
Hauora
Putea
Tikanga for Foraging
Uphold the rangatiratanga of mana whenua. Ensure you have permission and follow tikanga, tapu and rāhui if any. Be aware of any potential toxins or pollution - watch out for dead plants nearby which is often a sign.
Leave plenty for others and for regrowth. Use all parts of the kai that you take. Remember the rule of 'thirds' - don't take anymore than a third, leave a third for others, and a third for regrowth
Only take what you can confidently identify. Ask elders, tohunga, experts. Take care especially with berries and fungi. If in doubt, leave it
Know where you're foraging
Be sure you know the kai
Take only what you need
Title
Use this side to give more information about a topic.
Subtitle
Protect Kai for the Future
Activity: Think like a tīpuna
You come across a large patch of pūhā growing near an awa.
Activity: Think like a tīpuna
You find a bunch of kawakawa bushes in the ngāhere.
Foraging in Aotearoa
Each season offers different kai to forage
Foraging Rongoā
Here are some common rongoā species in Aotearoa. Have you foraged any before?
KawakawaOnion WeedMāwe (Cleavers, Biddybids) Tātārāomoa
Following the Maramataka
The maramataka helps guide when kai is abundant, and when it’s better to wait. Maramataka knowledge can differ between iwi and rohe. What matters most is observing your own environment and learning local patterns.
Māori moon phases - Living by the Stars
Listen to Grace Williamson, one of our expert foragers, kōrero about kopakopa! This is a great reminder of how kai is also rongoā, and how the same plants can both feed and heal us.
Activity
Manaaki whenua, manaaki tāngata, haere whakamua.If we take care of the land and take care of the people, we will take care of the future.
What did we learn today?
Foraging for kai:
He aha ōu whakaaro?
Please share any thoughts, comments, and feedback you have on this Learning Bite. Let us know what you liked and what we can improve!
Complete Learning Bite
Gathering from awa
If there are rivers around you, what kai can you gather safely there? Depending on the time of year and the location, you may be able to gather pūhā, ika, tuna, freshwater mussels
Gathering from the hapori
Within your own town and community, there are many kai you can gather if you know them. These are some: Kawakawa berries/ leaves Pūhā, wild greens Mawe (spring tonic) Kopakopa (plantain) Onion weed Dandelions
Gathering from the ngahere
In the ngāhere there are many kai you can gather if you know them. These are some: Kawakawa berries/ leaves Huhu grubs Fern roots Pikopiko Harore (native fungi) Pūhā, wild greens
Haumie-tiketike is commonly linked to uncultivated kai. However, different Atua may be acknowledged depending on the type of kai, environment, and iwi traditions.
Gathering from the moana
From the moana, there are many kai you can gather if you know them. These are some: Fish - various ika depending where you are Shellfish - pipi, pāua, kūtai Seaweed - karengo