about Kāhu
Tē tōia, tē haumatia.
Nothing can be achieved without a plan, workforce, and a way of doing things.
our story
Since 2007 we’ve evolved from one planner in his garage to a diverse team of 19 resource management planners, kaupapa taiao experts, and ecologists. In 2021 we changed our name from Perception Planning to Kāhu Environmental. It evokes the vision and fine skills that we’re known for, and neatly describes who we’ve become.
The kāhu (harrier) is a bird with amazing eyesight (which reflects our Perception Planning origins)
A kāhu hovers above the earth and takes in a landscape view, and can home in on fine detail
The kāhu is at home in native forests, pasture, and forestry, successfully straddling Pākehā and Māori worlds. Much of the work we do operates in both spheres.
our values
Everything we do for you comes with a healthy dose of our company values. They drive who we are and the jobs we do.
Courage
We care deeply about doing the right thing, even when it’s hard.
We have conviction, confidence, and initiative, and are clear up front that we will do the right thing – for the environment, our clients, and each other.
Trust
We always act with honesty and integrity.
We are open, honest, and ethical, and collaborate with our clients and each other.
Hei Hāpai ō
We view our role as kaimahi (workers) supporting iwi and hapū aspirations.
This comes from the whakataukī (proverb), ‘Ko te amorangi ki mua, ko te hāpai ō ki muri.’ It means, ‘The leaders in front, the food bearers behind.’ This is how we see our mahi with iwi and hapū, and all our clients. You lead and set the direction for the journey, we are here to support you.
Creativity
Since every project is different, we look for the best way to do it.
We are flexible and responsive to challenges and look for better ways to do things than the status quo.
Insight
We navigate complex situations and understand what our clients need.
We’re good at big picture context, and emotional and situational awareness helps us identify the best path for our clients.
our logo
Our logo captures our vision, represents our direction and expresses elements of nature. The top layer is air, the place the kāhu hovers above the earth. This is represented by a soft curve, arcing over the landscape.
Under that is the forests, represented by an unfurling leaf. When you combine the top two shapes they create the simple, stylised eye of the kāhu bird.
The third shape is water, represented by a mirrored curve from air, a stylised wave or flowing river.
Finally we have land, a reflected curve from water, indicating the curve of land forms. The combination of the four shapes reflects our collaborative way of working.
