Environmental Regeneration Through Community Connection With Destiny Te Ao Marama Ruawhare Ruka Harris

Destiny’s full first name laid a foundation for a pathway of finding a future in te taiao. She was originally meant to be adopted, but once her whānau laid eyes on her, it was decided she was destined to be with them.

A name blessed by her family Ruawhare and Ruka, Destiny says her name is a reflection of her birth: “My name translates to Destiny, the light of the world (moon)”. 

As a child, Destiny would often run outside and talk to the moon about her aspirations, hopeful in a future that looked brighter than the present she was living through. 

“In many ways, the taiao has provided that for me.”

"I often reflect on my experience with poverty, family harm, mental health and criminal activity as an offset of the deeper problem. Our taiao provided our essential needs for survival and a thriving community. Now, these needs have been commodified and capitalised upon."

She grew up moving frequently, often living in temporary places with her family. But through all the uncertainty, Destiny found refuge in the things she could always rely on: the moana, the stars and the sun. 

“The taiao also fed us.” she says. 

At one point, Destiny and her sister cared for their 3 younger siblings for an entire year after their parents disappeared. They picked fruit from trees, went into gardens and walked to the beach to gather seafood. Outside the instability of home, the natural world offered Destiny nourishment and possibility. That childhood relationship with the environment has since become the foundation of her mahi. 

Destiny believes that environmental issues are inseparable from the social issues affecting communities. The commodification of essentials such as food, clothing, shelter and water have created huge inequities, with Māori and Pasifika bearing the impacts here in Aotearoa. 

“I often reflect on my experience with poverty, family harm, mental health and criminal activity as an offset of the deeper problem. Our taiao provided our essential needs for survival and a thriving community. Now, these needs have been commodified and capitalised upon.” 

Destiny’s own experience has provided her a personal understanding of how environmental destruction is not an isolated issue. 

“That’s why I do what I do. I see the bigger picture of a past I never got to experience,” she says.

Today, her mahi moves between advocacy, environmental regeneration and community connection. Some days involve running workshops with other organisations; others are spent doing foundation work such as watering plants, composting and planning according to seasons. 

A large part of her role is simply connecting with people; from attending conferences and meetings to making time for cups of tea with neighbours. The work is partly about understanding what is happening across the community, but more importantly, building relationships - as people and as whānau. 

"Finding community, finding others who align with your values and building relationships will help you out in the long run. Not just in terms of work, but your own sanity and personal life!"

She names the intergenerational connections she is able to facilitate, as one of the key joys in her day-to-day. 

“There’s so much mamae in the world from all stages of life. We’ve lost so much knowledge due to societal barriers and ways to create true care as a collective,” she says. “So, when I see our rangatahi return time and time again… Make mistakes happily and continue even though it’s hard… When I see our kuia and kaumatua share their bounties of experience to support the oncoming generation… It truly brings me joy!” 

At the centre of this mahi is the Food Forest, an intergenerational project that weaves together all the key components Destiny cares about. She also serves as a cultural lead for the Manurewa Youth Council with a focus on indigenous knowledge & community belonging. 

Throughout the day, Destiny’s growing family are top of mind - her greatest motivation is her daughter. 

“It can be difficult because while I am fighting for her future, I am rarely home. My partner looks after her while I’m at work, as community service can be quite demanding. I’m still learning how to balance the two worlds.” 

Motherhood has helped to shape Destiny’s understanding of her work. She deliberately included māmā’ to her bio to inspire other mum’s who may come from similar backgrounds to her own. She was a single, teenage mother for the first year of her daughter’s life and wants other young mothers to know that their beginnings do not have to determine their futures. 

“You can be everything you want to be and more.” 

Described by her partner as “tutū” at home, she is always up to something, and finds she can’t sit still for even 5 minutes, always wanting to help, participate and give back.

When asked how she entered into climate and community work, Destiny is honest about her unconventional pathway. 

“If I’m honest, how I got into this mahi was from volunteering. I don’t have a degree to my name… It started when my house flooded in Māngere Bridge. I turned up to the relief centre and witnessed a lot of devastation. Supporting people at their worst moments became a driving force into my passions. I didn’t even know climate work was a possibility for me.” 

She began volunteering locally as a Pest Trap Technician, eventually being offered a full-time position as a Waste Regeneration Facilitator. From there, she taught herself to understand the core principles, issues and challenges to climate resilience and behaviour change. 

Her advice to anyone wanting to enter this kind of mahi is simple: don’t do it alone. 

“Finding community, finding others who align with your values and building relationships will help you out in the long run. Not just in terms of work, but your own sanity and personal life! Also, I had to learn how to limit my energy to deliver quality, not quantity.” 

For Destiny, the ultimate measure of her work is not recognition, but what will remain after she is gone. She hopes to walk through the kaupapa she has helped develop one day and find them “teeming with life, happiness and joy”. She hopes communities will increasingly use local knowledge and resources, recognising that every place and environment is different; much like the Maramataka teaches us. 

And above all, she hopes she has been of service to her people. 

“My advice to younger people is to lay your personal foundations first. What are your beliefs? What are your goals? What are your why’s? Build yourself with resilience, kindness and compassion. It’ll save you a lot of stress and guessing if you’re strong enough. Because you’ve already built the foundation that ‘you’ are.”