-Jonathan Fretz<\/p>\n <\/p>\n September 29, 2012<\/p>\n There\u2019s No Knowing Where You Might be Swept Off to<\/strong><\/p>\n It seems like forever ago that I stepped out of the airport into the I\u2019ve been a botanist, identifying trees and plants under the guidance of nationally known conservationist Stephen King, and an enthusiastic birdwatcher on the island reserve of Tiritiri Matangi.\u00a0 I\u2019ve picked up quite a few new colloquial words and phrases, especially from my wonderful host family in Auckland, and I\u2019ve become a total Kiwi when it comes to Rugby, cheering my head off when the All Blacks beat archrival South Africa recently.\u00a0 I\u2019ve also realized how true it is that the rest of the world knows more about American politics than many Americans do, let alone foreign policies.\u00a0 I\u2019ll greatly miss pavlova; pig feet, not so much.\u00a0 As an [Environmental] Sustainability major, I was overly excited by the electricity saving on\/off switches present on all of the outlets themselves here, the half flush option found on a number of toilets, and the prevalence of the use of clothes lines over that of dryers.\u00a0 The small town of Raglan was especially encouraging and inspirational, being able to boast that 75% of its waste is diverted from landfills, with a commitment to a sustainable lifestyle that can be seen and felt through larger projects as well as small details.<\/p>\n We are currently in the midst of a string of marae stays, where sleeping in one big room strengthens as well as tests the bond of our group, and where we experience firsthand understanding of Maori practices, which have kept alive their culture, whose beautiful language and associated images are an integral part of this country\u2019s identity.\u00a0 After being welcomed onto the grounds through a series of speeches and songs in the native tongue, we step inside the whare. Removing our shoes to leave the discord of the world outside, we enter into the peace of the meeting house that represents the body of the tribe\u2019s founding ancestor, covered by intricate carvings that all have a part in telling their story.<\/p>\n -Eric King<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" October 3, 2012 Keeping Your Feet Staying on the marae was intriguing because of the contrast it offered to North American natives: maraes dot the landscape in New Zealand and you don\u2019t have to travel far to find one.\u00a0 The Maori have a community base that allows for an effect on national politics, and despite … Continue reading Sustaining cultural tradition and the environment<\/span> ![\"Jacob](\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8459\/8060463474_25bc0eaeeb.jpg\")
<\/a> Staying on the marae was intriguing because of the contrast it offered to North American natives: maraes dot the landscape in New Zealand and you don\u2019t have to travel far to find one.\u00a0 The Maori have a community base that allows for an effect on national politics, and despite differences of opinion between one Maori to another, as in any community, there is, all the same, a nationwide understanding of being one people.\u00a0 It is good to see and hear of the rebuilding of the community through a grassroots movement of a people to rebuild the language base, re-adhere to the communal and traditional functions of ancestral things\u00a0 (whare nui on a marae), and utilize the ancient forms of respectful protocol in entering and leaving the marae.\u00a0 It shows an ability to regain traditional practice in the context of modern society and the relevance of doing so.<\/p>\n<\/a> 9 degree Celsius air of New Zealand\u2019s last day of winter in shorts and flip flops.\u00a0 We are a third of the way through the semester, and so far I have jumped off of waterfalls and ash dunes, floated through a cave on a small inflatable by the light of glow worms hanging above me, struggled to make my way through the dense diverse Waipoua forest of Northland, and stood on top of countless tall, steep, rolling green hills that suddenly give way to cliffs that drop straight down into the beautiful blue of the Pacific.<\/p>\n