Whakamana Ira Taiao | Seed & Biobanking
Upholding the genetic whakapapa of life
Investing in our culture, identity, and future.
Whakamana Ira Taiao, Te Tira Whakamātaki’s seed and biobanking pou, is a bold, Māori-led initiative to establish Aoteaora New Zealand’s first integrated bio bank and seed bank for native plants, animals, fungi, and kai species. Combining cutting-edge science with mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge), it will preserve reproductive material and cultural knowledge to enable restoration, climate adaptation, and species recovery.
This is not just conservation, it’s infrastructure for intergenerational resilience, ecological justice, and Indigenous leadership in biodiversity protection. It’s about protecting ira taiao, the ancestral blueprint of life, by collecting, preserving, and revitalising seeds, lichens, ferns, animal DNA, embryos, and other taonga species.
Join the Revolution
Forge the Revolution in Biobanking and be a part of Te Puna Taonga Ora the only Māori-Owned and Māori-Led biobank in the world.
Sign up now to receive regular updates, follow our progress, and actively support this vision.
Rito ki te Rau| The Hub and Spoke Model
Te Tira Whakamātaki’s vision for seed banking
Te Tira Whakamātaki envisions using a hub and spoke model to create sustainable and resilient seed banking infrastructure across Aotearoa. Think of a bicycle wheel.
Our short-term goal is to ensure our communities have access to basic seed equipment (seed drums) and skills to collect and store seeds at home or on the marae (locally). We also want to build small-scale seed labs across the country (regionally) so that hapū, Iwi and communities can build their seed conservation skills and store more difficult seeds close to home. These are the spokes of the wheel.
Long term, we have been busy designing a National Māori Seed Bank & Research Centre. This central seed bank, the hub, will employ mātauranga (Māori knowledge) to ensure our seeds are cared for in ways that align with our values and tikanga (protocols).
This model allows for numerous small seed collections to exist across the country and in communities that are actively working on the ground to manage their own taonga (treasured) seeds. It allows for seeds to stay at home for as long as they can and allows us to upskill our people at their place. It also makes it easier for communities to access their seeds when they need them. Importantly, it also ensures our communities have access to major facilities if they need additional support, storage space, and research.
Read more about this model here or watch the video below.
TTW’s Seed Database and Map
We know that whanau, hapū, Iwi, marae, Māori, and non-Māori communities are organisations that work with seeds and undertake seed conservation and seed banking work all across Aotearoa. We created this map to help us see what is happening in this space and where. This map is crowd-sourced, meaning anyone can add entries. If you work with seeds, whether collecting, propagating, or banking, you can add your entry to the map by clicking the button below or by contacting us.
This map should be used in conjunction with the other available maps and databases, including the seed collection list below.
Seed Conservation Resources
Te Whakapapa o Seed Banking
We talk about seed banking a lot here at Te Tira Whakamātaki, but what exactly is it? And why is it so important to us?
Read more the history of seed banking around the world below.
Statement of Expectations for Seed Banking
This document represents TTW’s expectations or principles when seed banking with Māori communities. This document can be used by Māori to guide their seed bank endeavors (guidelines that begin to outline best practices in seed banking) while simultaneously informing the Crown of their responsibilities in this area.
Seed protocols
Seed conservation protocols are crucial for honouring and preserving Indigenous Peoples’ seeds and seed conservation practices.
These documents offer guidance for working with Māori, their knowledge and taonga (treasured) seeds
Seed Infrastructure Costs
We are excited to share our Seed Conservation Infrastructure Costs Worksheet. It provides insights into the costs associated with setting up and maintaining seed conservation infrastructure (drums, labs, nurseries) at place, and is designed to help you manage seeds at place.
Seed & Plant Collection List
We are actively working to understand where our taonga plants and seeds are nationally and internationally.
Click here to view a list of organisations holding taonga plants and seeds and examples of what they have. We will endeavour to keep this list updated.
Seed Banking Visual
We are working on producing a set of seed videos and visuals. As they are developed you will find them here.
Enjoy, Share and Use!
