Karl Russell has been gathering food from local rivers all his life and witnessed a decline in water quality.
Now he educates farm leaders on the importance of protecting the waterways for future generations.
Photo: Environment Canterbury
It's about sitting at the table and having upfront and honest discussions, Karl tells Country Life.
The kaumātua is chatting on the porch of the meeting house at Arowhenua Marae in Temuka.
"A lot of our conversations are about farm management plans, about Environment Canterbury and how their regulations need to be seriously looked at.
"And we've got to remember most of these farmers are A-Grade farmers, so they're doing everything within the law. What it says to me is the law's wrong."
He even challenged Ngāi Tahu Farming over their extensive dairy farming interests at a hui that was led on the marae last year.
"My wero to them is I don't give a damn about the money, but I do about the environment. I'm concerned about how we make our money."
Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
Russell has spent most of his life in the district.
"I was born up the end of the road here with 10 of my siblings, 13 all up."
He says they were always out sourcing kai in rivers and lagoons to supplement the family meals.
"On a weekend we could set half a dozen hinakis (eel/fish traps) and could end up with up to 1000 eels/tuna for the night.
"They'd be processed, dried and then shared out among all the whānau."
Russell worked for 15 years at the local freezing works before re-training as a social worker.
More recently he has been a cultural advisor, based at the marae.
It is in this role that he's been interacting with the primary industry sector, but he's trying to retire now and focus on what he loves - kai.
As a result, he's more involved with the market garden and firing up the busy hāngī pit at the back of the marae.
This traditional method of cooking is booked up by groups and schools throughout the year.
Russell said sometimes they'll do three hāngī in a week.
"We're over it sometimes, all we want is a feed of fish and chips!"
The market garden at Arowhenua Marae. Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
