What is Whirika Consulting?
Whirika Consulting is an environmental consulting project deeply rooted in sustainability and community collaboration across Aotearoa. Formerly known as Ahikā Consulting, the team rebranded to Whirika to better reflect their mission — weaving together diverse strands of expertise and partnerships to create strong, integrated environmental solutions. Their work spans carbon reduction, bioenergy, waste minimisation, biodiversity, ecological restoration, integrated land use, and community development. Essentially, they’re all about co-creating innovative, lasting impacts with iwi, businesses, councils, and non-profits, building a sustainable future together.
Main Benefits of Whirika’s Approach
Whirika’s holistic and tailored support delivers tangible benefits, including:
- A B Corp score of 103, highlighting their commitment to social and environmental performance.
- Expertise across the full sustainability spectrum — from carbon offsets to biodiversity restoration.
- Strong partnerships with communities, iwi, businesses, councils, and NGOs, ensuring solutions are co-created and culturally grounded.
- Focus on regenerative practices that stabilise the climate and nurture prosperity for all.
- Innovative integration of land use, bioenergy, and waste minimisation strategies that reduce environmental footprints.
The Meaning Behind Whirika
The name “Whirika” is inspired by the Māori word ‘whiri’, which means to plait or weave together. This metaphor perfectly captures the essence of their work — combining different strands, whether thick, thin, wide, or narrow, into a strong, interwoven foundation. It’s about collaboration and strength, bringing together diverse groups and ideas to achieve a shared goal. Their logo reflects this too, symbolising land, water, mountains, and sea, all coming together in harmony.
Whirika’s Core Values
At the heart of Whirika’s work are three core values that guide every project:
- Mauitaka (Creativity): Blending creativity with innovation and a solutions-focused mindset to turn big ideas into achievable, lasting outcomes.
- Pāhekoheko (Work Together): Building strong partnerships and engaging communities to co-create solutions that ensure sustainable impact.
- Whakaora (Restore & Reinvigorate): Leaving both people and the planet in a better state than before.
Whirika’s Journey and Story
Founded in 2011, Whirika’s journey began with a clear vision: to regenerate nature, stabilise the climate, and nurture prosperity for all. Over the years, they’ve worked alongside a wide range of partners — from local communities to large councils and NGOs — catalysing ideas and turning them into real-world solutions. Their expertise covers everything from carbon reduction and offsets to bioenergy and ecological restoration. It’s a story of growth, collaboration, and unwavering commitment to a sustainable future.
Project Impact and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- SDG 13: Climate Action — through carbon reduction and climate stabilisation efforts.
- SDG 15: Life on Land — by promoting biodiversity and ecological restoration.
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production — via waste minimisation and sustainable land use.
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals — through strong community and stakeholder collaboration.
- SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth — nurturing prosperity in communities and businesses.
Looking Ahead with Whirika
Whirika Consulting continues to evolve, weaving together new strands of knowledge, partnerships, and innovative solutions. Their approach is dynamic — always adapting to the challenges and opportunities that arise in environmental sustainability. With a strong foundation in Māori values and a commitment to holistic impact, Whirika is shaping a future where nature, communities, and businesses thrive together. It’s not just about consulting; it’s about co-creating a legacy of regeneration and resilience.
