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Charmaine Bailie (Te Uri o Hau – Ngati Whatua ki Kaipara).

  • Writer: Holli McEntegart
    Holli McEntegart
  • Mar 28
  • 2 min read

Updated: Apr 10

I want to introduce a fierce and brilliant māmā, friend and collaborator, Charmaine Bailie (Te Uri o Hau – Ngati Whatua ki Kaipara).


Char is an inspirational taiao practitioner working across ecology, ethnobotany and as an active community leader for more than 30 years. Her voluntary work has had a profound impact on communities and the land. She facilities Te Aka Kōtuia, the kaitaki and community nursery network, and Para Kore ki Tamaki, a zero waste program for Maori communities. Char designed and implemented the Ōkahu Rākau nursery and restoration of Whenua Rangatira in Ōrākei, which was the largest urban, Māori-led restoration project in Aotearoa at that time and has become a template for others to learn from. Working on Motutapu with Ngāi Tai Ki Tāmaki, Char helped establish a nursery, developed a kaitiaki team and plan for the planting of 120,000 natives on Hukanui Pā. Char grew up just down the road from the Kaipātiki Project centre and has been involved with Kaipātiki Project since 2000 in many different roles. She is also a Director of Uru Whaakaro Ltd - a natural heritage company and the Winner in Te Toa Taiao o Te Tau / the Environmental Hero of the Year 2022. 😮‍💨


My friendship with Char has had a profound impact on my life. About a year ago I told her about my dream of regenerating (un)under used urban land to grow a social sculpture made of natural dye plants, her response was deep, heartfelt and pragmatic. “Let’s get started”. We have been softly and radically working together on this ever since.


Welcome to Inhabit Iteration 4; Ngakinga






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