Shade Smith

Shade Smith lives in Napier and is of Te Rarawa descent. Shade is an environmental and marine scientist who has spent over 15 years diving, studying and monitoring in the Napier and Hawke’s Bay marine environment. Throughout this time his passion has remained the same; to empower indigenous peoples to become more involved and productive in providing resource management solutions.

Tom McGuire

Tom McGuire lives in Whakatū, Clive and is a descendant from Ngāti Tuwhakairiora of Tokomaru Bay. He was raised in Hicks Bay by his great granny who was knowledgeable in maara kai, fishing, herbs and rongoa.

Margie McGuire, his wife is of Ngāti Hori decent. Tom has dived and fished Pānia since the 60’s and was one of the first persons to scuba dive Pānia Reef and wider Napier Hastings coast line.

Shane Gilmer

Shane lives in Napier and is a descendant of Ngāti Rakaipaaka in Nuhaka. Shane is an environmental and marine scientist who has worked in the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council’s Marine Coastal Team monitoring the Hawke’s Bay coastline. He is passionate about te ao Māori integration / cultural survival and is committed to the long term protection of the marine environment. Shane also dives and fishes in the Napier coastal area and regularly dives Pānia Reef.

Winnipere Mauger

Winnie lives in Napier and of Ngāti Hinemanu, Ngāi Te Upokoiri, Ngāti Hinepare, Ngāti Maahu, Ngāi Tawhao, Ngāti Hawea, Ngāti Hori, Ngāti Kere, Ngāti Parakiore descent. Winnie grew up in and around the Napier area in the 1930’s.

Jenny Mauger

As a toddler in the late 1950’s Jenny’s parents sent her to live with her grandparents to heal an “unresponsive” ringworm on her face by being bathed in the moana at Te Awanga twice a day. Although Jenny’s family grew up in Dannevirke, they retained thier close ties to Heretaunga whanui by spending almost every school holidays staying with the grandparents & visiting uncles, aunties & cousins mainly in thier farming operations. The whanau have especially fond memories of innately knowing when to gather, harvesting kūkū at Te Awanga. The simple joy of walking back to the section on Kūkū St to devour them with each other. Jenny’s other grandfather came to Aotearoa as a Shipwright for Shackelton’s Trans Antarctic Imperial Expedition (TAIE), 1914-17. Upon Jenny grew up in the Napier area and has a passion for environmental matters and traditional māori techniques.