Sustainable & Ethical
Kaitiakitanga means guardianship and protection. It is a way of managing the environment, based on the Māori world view (Te Ao Māori), where people are closely connected to the land (whenua) and nature (taiao).
Kaitiakitanga forms one of the 4 values that ExpedNZ is based on and is a concept that is built into our programs. For students leaving our programs we aim for them to do so feeling empowered to act as kaitiaki - guardians of our future.
Manaaki whenua, manaaki tangata, haere whakamua
Care for the land, care for the people, go forward
Indigenous Learnings
There is much we can learn from Te Ao Māori - The Māori world view.
Groups will explore the concept of kaitiakitanga and how humans are part of the natural world and what this means from a conservation perspective. While on program students will explore different environmental challenges and potential solutions to the issues we face both in New Zealand and globally.
A beautiful example of a Māori environmental management in action is Whanganui River being granted the same legal rights as a human being, the first river in the world for this to be given.
Ko au te awa, ko te awa ko au | I am the river and the river is me
Meaning the river gives to you and you give to the river by keeping it healthy.
Sustainability and ExpedNZ
It is a long journey for most to get to New Zealand. To off-set the impact of travel these are the things that ExpedNZ have in place and how you can help too.
We are all about positive environmental education, learning about different strategies to tackle the climate change challenges we all face whilst empowering young people to take on guardianship roles.
Giving back and social impact - 100% of profit from ExpedNZ programs goes to the Whenua Iti Foundation, the philanthropic arm of ExpedNZ. The foundation provides access to experiential education programs for New Zealand youth. More on the Foundation and how your ExpedNZ program directly contributes to youth wellbeing.
From an environmental perspective we can all agree travelling has its negative side.
We can also see the positives of:
- Learning from other cultures, in particular indigenous cultures
- Creating better global citizens through the power of travel
- Experiential Education and challenging perspectives
- Experiencing first-hand innovative solutions from other countries
- Students feeling empowered through enhanced confidence and leadership skills
- Creating a sense of agency.
These are all vital tools to help us achieve the positive difference we want to see for our shared future.
Our Approach
At ExpedNZ we believe in the power of the natural environment to restore us and that time in nature is crucial to our wellbeing. In turn, it is our responsibility to protect and restore the environment. Not only will international groups learn about New Zealand environmental strategies, the service element of our programs allows students to give back to the communities and environments that they connected with during their journey with us.
All ExpedNZ programs have a strong focus on:
- Environmental Connection - immersive nature experiences are built into programs that are both restorative for individuals and inspire restoration of our natural environment.
- Global Citzenship - students will learn about New Zealand culture, political systems and approachs to the environment to gain a wider understanding of the world, challenge their perspectives and in turn discover their place in the world.
- Cultural Immersion - expand perspectives and world views with unique, authentic and immersive connections with Te Ao Māori - The world of Māori (New Zealands indiginous culture).
- Personal Growth and Challenge - our programs are designed to be challenging. Where there is challenge there is growth.
- Service Learning - Students will get involved in local community cultural or conservation focused initiatives that postively impact the places and people they have connected with on their New Zealand journey.
Not-for-profit
Ethical & Sustainable
