Tia Barrett’s observational learning journey began in Te Waipounamu with a collective hikoi from Waitaki to Aoraki. The essence of the environment—the appearances, sensations, and sounds of specific moments and weathers significant to her during the hikoi were recorded.
Then, in the summer of 2023–2024, Tia Barrett engaged in noho wānanga (occupy meeting/discussion) on ancestral land and documented the climate crisis in Wairewa Roto (Lake Forsyth) in Te Waipounamu. Currently, Wairewa Roto is grappling with severe flooding and polluted waterways. Historically, before European colonisation and deforestation, this land and waterways were renowned for their abundance of kai (food), ngāhere (forest), clean water, and wildlife.
