Brian Walters- Kaiako Te Whanganui a Tara

Brian has a history in the corporate world. After living and working an international lifestyle, he settled in Aotearoa where he is building deep connections with the neighboring forest, local community and te ao Māori.

His love of Wellington comes from a love of wind. He is a kiteboarding addict and in 2001 was one of four people on the water kiteboarding and was the first with a friend to complete a return crossing of the Cook Strait / Te Moana o Raukawa by kite and on a hydrofoil in 2021. He runs a business called White Cloud, the only dedicated kite and winging shop in Pōneke.

When he is not in the moana, he’s working to improve the biodiversity of the ngahere. He is passionate about forest restoration with a focus on ecology, botany and pest control. This love of all things green has led him to become a key player in the restoration project Te Ohu o Te Raekaihau in Houghton Bay.

He is a dedicated trapper which is how he joined the Papa Taiao team running trapping courses. Brian especially enjoys working with Kura Kaupapa Māori. He has been studying te reo for 7 years and is proficient enough to run a majority of his short courses in te reo Māori!