Ahi Pepe MothNet (styled ''Ahi Pepe , MothNet'') is a citizen science initiative based in

Otago Otago (, ; ) is a regions of New Zealand, region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island and administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local go ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

that aims to raise the awareness of moths among teachers and students.

Name

Ahi Pepe (

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

for ''moth fire'') refers to a traditional proverb (whakataukī) of

Te Whiti o Rongomai Te Whiti o Rongomai III ( – 18 November 1907) was a Māori people, Māori spiritual leader and founder of the village of Parihaka, in New Zealand's Taranaki Region, Taranaki region. A proponent of nonviolence, Te Whiti established Parihaka ...

about firelight attracting moths (pepe) instead of muttonbirds (tītī).

Activities

Ahi Pepe began in 2015 as a project with four

schools, and continued with funding from Participatory Science Platform, Unlocking Curious Minds, and the Biological Heritage National Science Challenge. Collaborators include

Otago Museum Otago (, ; ) is a region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island and administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local government region. Its po ...

Orokonui Ecosanctuary thumb Orokonui Ecosanctuary, called Te Korowai o Mihiwaka in Māori, is an ecological island wildlife reserve developed by the Otago Natural History Trust in the Orokonui Valley between Waitati and Pūrākaunui, New Zealand, to the north of cen ...

, the

University of Otago The University of Otago () is a public university, public research university, research collegiate university based in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. Founded in 1869, Otago is New Zealand's oldest university and one of the oldest universities in ...

, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu,

Landcare Research Landcare may refer to: * Australian Landcare Council, a former Australian government body, superseded by the National Landcare Advisory Committee * Landcare Australia, an Australian community not-for-profit organisation, involving local volunteers ...

and schools across the

South Island The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...

. In October 2016, Ahi Pepe worked with

to install moth traps inside and outside the predator-proof fence, and school children worked alongside entomologists to identify the moths caught. The project has produced educational resources for schools in both English and Te Reo Māori. The South Island guide is the first educational resource to be written in the Kāi Tahu dialect. In 2017, public donations enabled a delegation of Otago schoolchildren to give a presentation on Ahi Pepe at the World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Publications

2015 –
Beginner’s Guide to the Otago Macro Moths
' 2016 –
Puka Whakamārama o Te Pepe Nui - Beginners' Guide to the Macro Moths
' (South Island): eight booklets each covering a bioregion either in Kāi Tahu or English. 2017 –
Puka Whakamārama o Te Pepe Nui - Beginners' Guide to the Macro Moths
' (North Island): eight booklets each covering a bioregion either in standard Te Reo Māori or English. All publications are produced in English and Te Reo Māori editions.

External links

Ahi Pepe , Mothnet website

Ahi Pepe Facebook
page

References

{{Reflist Citizen science Otago