I become the pupil, as  Che Wilson  shares some special stories with me, teaching me about the ngahere (our temperate rainforest). Encoded in my DNA is the fact my ancestors came to Aotearoa from the UK, primarily to cut down the rainforest. Che’s ancestors had learned to live in the rainforest and understand and work with its intricate inter-relationships. In Part 1 of a 2-part series we explore what binds and connects parts of the ngahere together, and the role of wai (water) within the rainforest.