How ideas change practice and are spread

Thomas Woltz is the Patron of the Landscape Foundation. He is also a contributor to the landscape Foundations book - Kia Whakanui te Whenua. In Chapter 7 – Whakahangai – which illustrates how ideas change practice and are spread he writes about the shared land ethic he has drawn from his design experience in Aotearoa.

He says:

“Taking time to engage in place-based research through collaborating with those who are stewards of the land has introduced us to the concept of ‘Kaitiakitanga’ an admirable principle of stewardship and care for the land that we have always strived to embody in our work, which has evolved through this experience.”

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He also describes how:

“ The first experimental years on projects like Young Nicks Head Station incrementally yielded a methodology which is fundamentally dependent on observation, expertise, cultural knowledge and input form local collaborators. Documenting the condition of the land over time by drawing on Matauranga Maori allows for responsive adaptation and a comprehensive reference for others seeking a strategic approach to sustainable and responsible land management.”

In this video – prepared for the cancelled official launch of the book, He discusses how our relationship with the land is derived from our personal relationship with our elders and particularly those who have been observing nature over thousands of years and the lessons they have learned, how nature has been shaped by culture and how culture has been shaped by the land. He acknowledges his NZ experience and his learnings from Maori and how they have shaped his life and practice.