Category: Environment

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New Auditor General report explores our climate response

Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council

Recognition for our climate response

The report states that “[Environment Canterbury’s flood recovery updates] are comprehensive and accessible, and cover both physical works as well as financial information.”

It also highlights our river rating district liaison committees as an example of transparent, meaningful engagement that gives communities influence in Council decision making, saying “Environment Canterbury’s rating district liaison committee meeting notes are publicly available. They indicate a good level of transparency by the Council on work carried out, financial management, and work programme options.”

Read more about our flood recovery work and explore our climate resilience and flood protection programme.

Chair commits to ongoing climate action

Our Chair Craig Pauling welcomed the recognition for the work we’ve done.

“As the Auditor General says, climate impacts don’t respect territorial boundaries and we’ve been working across the region on a plan with shared actions.

“We were the first council in New Zealand to declare a climate emergency, and it’s great to see our work in this space being positively recognised,” he said.

“We know we must continue to take robust, consistent, holistic climate action to protect the unique taiao (environment) of Waitaha/Canterbury.

“We welcome the Auditor General’s recommendations on ways we can further strengthen and improve our efforts to provide a thriving and climate-resilient region for ourselves and future generations,” Chair Pauling said.

The Office of the Auditor General report

The How well four councils are responding to a changing climate report explores our climate response and that of Christchurch City Council, Nelson City Council and Whanganui District Council.

The Office of the Auditor General initiated the report to understand how well the four councils are moving from talking about climate action to taking action. It recommends that all councils adopt clear climate strategies, strong community engagement, and robust reporting to meet the challenges posed by a changing climate.

Find out more about the Office of the Auditor General’s How well four councils are responding to a changing climate report.

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First southern dotterel chicks of the season

Source: Department of Conservation

Date:  07 November 2024

DOC Senior Biodiversity Ranger Kev Carter says the new chicks are being guarded by both parents.

“It takes 30 days for pukunui eggs to hatch. The female sits on the nest by day and the male at night. Once chicks are hatched both parents feed them throughout their fledgling stage for about six weeks, until they can fly.

“Sadly, the lifespan of pukunui is often cut short as they’re killed by predators. The males are at particular risk as they sit on nests at night when feral cats are most active.”

There are just 101 pukunui left in the world and they only breed on the mountain tops of Rakiura, from September until January, and feed on some estuaries/beaches in Southland and on Rakiura during the winter. 

“The past five years have seen a worrying decline in pukunui numbers from 170 to the current 101,” says Kev.

“Rakiura is the final refuge of pukunui but they are under threat from feral cats, rats, possums, white tailed deer, spur wing plover, black backed gulls and Australasian harriers.

“Seven nests have been found so far this season, which is a good start, and we expect to find more throughout November. We are working hard to give pukunui the best breeding season we can.”

So far, a total of 38 feral cats have been trapped across mountain breeding sites and nearby forested areas. This is a record number for the team.

Two Australasian harriers and a white-tailed deer have also been removed and many rats and possums have been caught in traps.

DOC has hired two new rangers for full-time pukunui recovery work for six months, to intensify trapping efforts over the breeding season.

“We are throwing everything at this,” says Kev, “and we are so grateful to the many New Zealanders who are helping our efforts by donating to the Southern Dotterel/ Pukunui Recovery Project through the New Zealand Nature Fund.”

 Around $430,000 has been raised by donations to NZ Nature Fund so far, boosting pest control efforts in remote pukunui breeding habitats and funding species monitoring and research.

“Seeing the two new pukunui chicks hatched this week has made our team very happy and along with all those who support this special species, we look forward to seeing many more.”

Background

Southern New Zealand dotterel/pukunui

Southern Dotterel / Pukunui | New Zealand Nature Fund

Pukunui/southern NZ dotterels differ from the beach nesting tūturiwhatu/northern NZ dotterels as they breed on remote mountain tops. Southern birds are heavier and darker in colouration.

Pukunui were once widespread throughout the South Island and used to breed in the Southern Alps/Kā Tiritiri o Te Moana were wiped out by pests and human hunting last century.

A total of 12 nests were found during the 2023/24 breeding season spread throughout Rakiura mountain tops as far north as Little Mt Anglem and as far south as Smith’s Lookout.

Southern New Zealand dotterel/pukunui numbers 2019-2024:

  • 2019: 170
  • 2020: 172
  • 2021: 155
  • 2022: 144
  • 2023: 126
  • 2024: 101

Contact

For media enquiries contact:

Email: media@doc.govt.nz

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Partnering with Lincoln University for a sustainable Waitaha

Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council

The list of topics earmarked for consideration under the new collaborative approach features many of the major challenges facing land-based sectors in Waitaha and beyond.

Potential joint research projects include:

  • impacts and mitigations of agriculture on the environment
  • farm economics under changing climate, legislation and market forces
  • climate change adaptation and mitigation
  • resource management planning
  • peri-urban planning and management
  • waterways management.

Council Chair Craig Pauling and Lincoln University Vice-Chancellor Professor Grant Edwards

Identifying opportunities for regional growth and sustainability

The new partnership will also provide a pathway and motivation for us and Lincoln University to collaborate on identifying opportunities for the region and developing strategies to capitalise on those opportunities.

Under the new agreement, we’re committed to:

  • facilitating and extending the work of the University through the co-creation and delivery of research projects
  • providing training, supervision and resources for suitable student-led research projects
  • providing work assignments and internships for high-quality student candidates
  • contributing expertise to Master’s and Doctoral students.

Lincoln University Vice-Chancellor Professor Grant Edwards says the MoU is a natural fit between two prominent, like-minded organisations committed to ensuring a more sustainable future for Waitaha and its residents.

Lincoln University’s purpose is to facilitate excellent research and education in the land-based sectors, to help shape a world that benefits from a greater understanding of the relationship between land, food and ecosystems.

The efforts of our staff, researchers, students and graduates will directly contribute to advancing agriculture, agribusiness, environmental management, recreation and tourism within the Waitaha region and beyond.

Lincoln University: Leaders in sustainable land-based learning

Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki/Lincoln University has increased its student population year-on-year since 2018. It is on track to achieve its highest-ever student headcount of 5,000 by the end of 2024.

Lincoln is New Zealand’s only specialist university focusing on the land-based sectors. It is renowned globally for the quality of its teaching and research programmes, its graduates’ high employability, and its outstanding campus experience.

Council Chair Craig Pauling, a Lincoln graduate himself, says Lincoln University and Environment Canterbury have a long-established history of sharing knowledge and expertise, and the new agreement will build on the past to benefit the future.

“It makes sense that we work closely with a leading learning organisation such as the Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki Lincoln University to benefit us all.”

Councillor John Sunckell has been a strong advocate for this MoU and is thrilled to see it get to this point.

“Those in education, research, and innovation can bring so much to our work by way of new ideas and ways of doing things. By working together, we are setting a powerful example of how we can unite to protect our natural world, our land-based productive sectors and create a more sustainable future for generations to come.”

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Dung beetles improve water and soil quality in Barkers Creek area

Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council

Date:

A south Canterbury community group has looped in help from an unlikely source to improve water and soil quality in their catchment, with four shipments of dung beetles coming to their aid.

While most people actively avoid creepy crawlies, Barkers Creek Catchment Group is shipping them in by the hundreds.

The local community group was allocated funding by the Ōrāri Temuka Ōpihi Pareora (OTOP) Water Zone Committee to support their project, a catchment-wide release of dung beetles which aims to bring long-term soil and water quality improvements to the Barkers Creek area, a sub-catchment of South Canterbury’s Waihī River. The next shipment of beetles is set to be released in coming weeks. 

Dung beetles and their role in agriculture

Dung beetles dine on the manure of grazing animals, including cows, sheep, alpacas and horses. The adults feed on dung before tunneling beneath the manure, then filling their tunnels with balls of dung, in which they lay their eggs. The piles of dung quickly disappear, broken down into the soils below.

By reducing run-off from paddocks into waterways, and with the nutrients being recycled back into the soil, water and soil quality is greatly improved, along with plant and animal health.

In most parts of the world, the beetles are strongly connected to livestock, but not here in New Zealand. Although we have native beetles, they have adapted to a forest environment and don’t provide any support in processing manure in our pastoral system.

Group Chair Danette McKeown said the beetles are a novel approach to an age-old problem for the small 34 sq km catchment, which is largely rolling terrain with heavy clay soils.

“Research shows they’re great on sloping land; they tunnel down so you have less dung to run off in a rainfall event, and they improve the structure of hard clays,” she said. 

It’s a long-term project, as it can take five to seven years to know if the colony has become established, but Danette said the benefits are wide-reaching for the greater catchment.

“It was a no-brainer for us. Water quality was one of our priority issues as a catchment, with sediment and nutrient run-off issues because of our rolling clay terrain,” she said. “We’re also aware the closer to the source, the cheaper and more effective the remediation. So, we were looking for ‘close to the source’ mitigations.

“Dung beetles are a passive solution, they keep working for us and we can then focus our attention and funds on other things, like riparian planting and fencing off waterways.”

Community group bringing catchment-wide benefits

The dung beetle project is the latest in a long raft of successful initiatives undertaken by the Barkers Creek Catchment Group.

Made up of local farmers, they initially came together seven years ago to collaborate with us and the OTOP water zone about Plan Change 7 of the Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan.

Today their work is driving landscape-scale improvements to the wider catchment, with current and future projects that include:

  • pest control
  • trapping
  • bat monitoring
  • regenerating native bush blocks
  • and creating corridors of native riparian planting.

“We’re focused on actions with good value,” Danette said.

“If we’re going to spend money undertaking work, we want to get the widest benefits we can, so we’re focused on projects that have more than one singular outcome.”

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Civil defence preparing for alpine fault earthquake

Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council

Date:

We can’t predict earthquakes, but we can prepare for them. Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Canterbury is preparing, with an inter-regional, multi-agency exercise based on a magnitude 8 Alpine Fault earthquake (AF8) on Thursday, 7 November.

With a 75 per cent chance of an alpine fault rupture in the next 50 years, preparation is critical.

Just like the public was encouraged to get in behind the national earthquake drill ShakeOut recently, CDEM Canterbury is also getting ahead of the game.

The next large alpine fault earthquake will challenge all of us. The better connected we are beforehand, the easier it will be to support each other during and after.

“Exercising is a core part of readiness by helping us to identify gaps and issues,” Team Leader Regional Emergency Management for CDEM Canterbury, Phill Mackay said.

“We’re able to integrate the learnings we identify into our plans and procedures post-exercise. This improves our ability to not only respond to but also recover from emergencies.”

Realistic practice ensures teams are prepared for emergencies

Scientific research indicates there is a 4 out of 5 chance the next alpine fault rupture will be a magnitude 8+ event. This will require a coordinated multi-agency response.  

Exercise Pandora will involve all the South Island Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). It has been developed using the most up to date science we have available by partnering with the AF8 programme.

“Months of work has gone on in the lead up to this exercise to ensure the scenario is realistic, but also to ensure the stakeholders that would need to be involved in the event of an actual rupture of the alpine fault are involved in the exercise,” Phill said.

“Ensuring the scenario for the exercise is authentic gives us the greatest chance of truly identifying how and where we might need to develop our existing systems. In terms of response preparedness, that’s critical.”

How you can prepare for emergencies  

In Waitah/Canterbury, we are not strangers to emergencies, and we know they come in many different forms and are unpredictable.

Practicing your plan with your family, friends and community helps everyone understand what they can do to support each other in an emergency event.

Now’s a great time to get your whānau together and  

make a plan for emergencies . While having a plan is a great start, practising it together is even better!

Get ready for an emergency

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Priority conservation projects open for donations

Source: Department of Conservation

Date:  06 November 2024

The partnership creates opportunities for donors and philanthropists to support high priority conservation projects which are selected and delivered by DOC, with NZ Nature Fund raising and managing funds.

Donors can choose to support projects to save the Alborn skink, limestone ecosystems or tara iti/New Zealand fairy tern, through a nature prospectus launched today.

DOC’s Deputy Director-General of Public Affairs Sia Aston says we created the prospectus to accelerate work on threatened species and ecosystems, and the NZ Nature Fund can expertly attract investment to these projects.

“New Zealand’s unique biodiversity is in trouble with more than 4,000 native species threatened or at risk of extinction, so we’re innovating to get action for nature.

“There are passionate people in New Zealand and overseas who want to make a difference for nature and we’re making it easier for them to contribute.

“By partnering with NZ Nature Fund, we’re creating an innovative way for others to invest in critical conservation work and help secure the future of these special plants and animals, through the NZ Nature Fund and DOC websites.

“Anyone can donate, and this partnership makes it easy to do.

“We are launching three initial projects – to help protect Aotearoa’s rarest bird, tara iti/New Zealand fairy tern, the highly threatened Alborn skink and a rare limestone plant ecosystem in the Waitaki valley.”

Founding trustee of New Zealand Nature Fund and a former Conservation Minister, Denis Marshall, says the partnership with DOC opens up new avenues for private donors, large and small, to make a real impact on the ground.

“We are in an urgent fight against time and our most critically endangered species need help right now. This helps DOC to build awareness about where the effort is urgently needed, while also enabling donors of every size to participate and make a difference.”

The initial goal is to raise $4.6 million for the three projects which will extend and accelerate crucial conservation work.

Tara iti is New Zealand’s most endangered endemic bird with fewer than 35 left in the Northland and Auckland regions.

The tara iti project will build on existing conservation activities and includes creation of new safe breeding sites, predator control and surveys to understand how this coastal bird uses the Kaipara Harbour over winter.

Alborn skink is threatened by mice and other predators, and with a population of just 40-100 individuals, is at high risk of extinction.

The Alborn skink project will create a five-hectare predator-free fenced sanctuary in beech forest near Reefton to protect the skink’s only known population and safeguard its future.

A groundbreaking project to restore the mauri (life force) of a rare limestone ecosystem in Wai o Toura Scenic Reserve in the Waitaki valley will save critically endangered limestone plants and reset the ecosystem to be self-sustaining.

This project involves removing weeds, propagating and replanting the threatened plants in their special limestone habitat, and creating a forest buffer around the site to protect against extreme weather and weed invasion. It will create a blueprint to restore threatened limestone ecosystems in other areas.   

DOC and NZ Nature Fund will work together to raise awareness about these projects over coming months and test donor interest and donation systems before adding further projects in 2025.

Background information

New Zealand Nature Fund is an independent charitable trust that has been raising funds for conservation since 2000.

NZ Nature Fund has raised more than $1.8 million from private donors in the past 18 months for conservation work, including $430,000 to help DOC save the remaining 101 southern NZ dotterel/pukunui on Rakiura/Stewart Island.

Donate to DOC nature projects: How to donate to nature

Restoring the mauri of limestone ecosystems
 
Secure the future of the Alborn skink
 
Secure the future of New Zealand’s rarest bird – Tara iti / New Zealand Fairy Tern

Contact

For media enquiries contact:

Email: media@doc.govt.nz

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Take two with Andrew – November

Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council

Andrew Arps, team leader for water and land in North Canterbury, introduces his new monthly column: ‘Take two with Andrew’. This month, he discusses the pest plants broom and nasella tussock and offers tips for keeping effluent out of waterways.

Kia ora

You may be aware that we’ve recently undergone a few staff changes, including within our Kaikōura office.

As the new team leader of water and land for North Canterbury, I wanted to introduce myself in the first of what will be regular columns from me.

The aim is to ensure that we stay connected with the community – and to keep you across some of the topical issues that our team is working on.

Water and land North Canterbury team leader Andrew Arps

‘Tis the season for flowering pests

With spring well and truly upon us, it won’t come as a surprise that the war on unwanted plants is ramping up.

Broom

Broom is one of the pests that are now highly visible in both rural and urban parts of Kaikōura, thanks to its distinctive yellow flowers.

This pesky shrub outcompetes native vegetation and reduces pasture productivity.

Rural land occupiers are required to control broom within 10 metres of their property boundary, and those in the Hill and High Country Zone also need to control broom that covers 50 metres or less.

Nassella tussock

It’s also the flowering season for nassella tussock – and a great opportunity to spot any plants that may have been missed during your initial control (it’s a landowner’s responsibility to control nassella tussock).

This invasive grass has drooping, purplish flowerheads that are visible from October to December, and it’s spreading across Waitaha/Canterbury.

For more information about pest plants and what to do if you spot one, visit the ‘pest search’ section of our website –

ecan.govt.nz/pestsearch

Nassella tussock is now flowering and easy to spot

Keeping effluent out of waterways

In recent weeks, our staff have attended several cases of non-compliant effluent spread, resulting in seepage into drains or waterways.

When done right, applying effluent directly to land is a good and safe way to repurpose this waste as a nutrient source for soils. Done badly, it can be devastating to the environment – harming fish and other aquatic life, and turbo-charging weed growth.

The Kaikōura Flats area is particularly vulnerable to runoff, as it’s surrounded by drains.

If you are applying effluent on your land, effluent management must be covered in your Farm Environment Plan.

Other key tips include:

  • ensure effluent stays at least 20 metres away from waterways and drains
  • check weather conditions beforehand to avoid discharge during or shortly after rainfall
  • stay within the capabilities of your soil, and the conditions of your consent.

We can advise you on how to do it right. Remember, breaking the rules could result in prosecution, including fines of tens of thousands of dollars.

Our Farmers’ hub page has more information about effluent spread and how to do it safely – or call our offices on 0800 324 636 and ask for Pete Bradshaw, one of our land management advisors in Kaikōura. Pete is happy to chat with you directly and answer any questions you may have.

‘Til next month,

Andrew

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Auckland’s Te Henga Walkway re-opens to viewing point post cyclone Gabrielle

Source: Department of Conservation

Date:  05 November 2024

The re-opened 1.8km track starts at the northern end of the original track on Constable Road, south of Muriwai Beach. The 65-minute walk (one way) takes walkers to the new end of the walkway at Tirikohua Point. At the half-way point is a natural viewpoint with stunning views both north and south of the dramatic coastline.

The original Te Henga Walkway, which traversed the cliffs from Te Henga/Bethells Beach to Muriwai, suffered enormous damage in the extreme weather events in early 2023. Major sections of the cliffs collapsed which destroyed large sections of the track says DOC Tāmaki Makaurau Operations Manager Rebecca Rush.

“The full coastal track had suffered from severe landslides over several years making it no longer a resilient, safe or sustainable place to rebuild the track. 

“The new viewpoint gives walkers a destination to reach, and a place to take in the beauty of the rugged west coast of Auckland – the main attraction of the original walkway. We anticipate Aucklanders of a range of ages and fitness levels will enjoy this shorter track.” 

Rebecca reminds the public the old walkway, from Tirikohua Point south to Bethells Beach is closed and impassable with many large sections wiped out by significant landslips. 

Edward Ashby, CEO of Te Kawerau Iwi Tiaki Trust says giving people the opportunity to experience the west coast’s magnificent landscape helps connect people to nature and is a welcome solution for the damaged track. 

“While the total loss of large sections of the track was devastating for the iwi and community, particularly given the wider impacts to locals from the 2023 weather events, the solution of a shorter track provides some positive recreation and access for people.

“The area is of immense spiritual significance to Te Kawerau ā Maki as a traditional pathway between Muriwai and Te Henga that includes some of our most ancient pūrākau (stories), major pā, peace-making sites, iwi lands such as Parihoa and Te Henga blocks, and the nearby location of our planned marae at Te Henga.

“We’re working with DOC to consider a new name for this shortened walk to reflect the history and beauty of the place.”

To plan your walk, visit the DOC track webpage Te Henga Walkway

Background information 

Te Henga Walkway

Te Henga Walkway suffered around 20 landslides during summer 2023. Major sections of cliff collapsed destroying large lengths of track. The storms also took out one bridge at the Bethells Beach end of the original walkway and one on the hillside. An average of 30,000 visitors used to hike the Te Henga Walkway each year. 

2023 North Island weather events including Cyclone Gabrielle

DOC received $12.6 million to help fix up nature, heritage, and visitor sites in the North Island that were damaged in the North Island weather events.

89 per cent of the visitor sites affected by Cyclone Gabrielle, and that were funded, have been repaired, supported, or reopened in some way.

Most ecosystems are slowly recovering from the cyclone, and efforts are being made to help endangered species in certain areas. Recovery work is still ongoing, and more resources are needed to deal with the loss of plants and animals, as well as damage to cultural, heritage, and visitor sites.

Te Kawerau ā Maki

Te Kawerau ā Maki are the West Auckland based iwi with shared interests over the northern half of the Auckland Region. Their heartland is the Waitākere Ranges where their marae is planned to be rebuilt at Te Henga. Further information about the iwi can be found at www.tekawerau.iwi

Contact

For media enquiries contact:

Email: media@doc.govt.nz

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Ducktales Episode 2: The Teal Deal | Conservation blog

Source: Department of Conservation

Perhaps you know your Daffy from your Donald, your Huey from your Louie and Dewey, but do you really know your ducks?

Communications and Media Advisor Krysia Nowak takes a duck-dive into the shallows for a quick wade around the ducks of Aotearoa. Missed the first episode? Catch up here – Ducktales episode 1: Quacking the case on mallards and grey ducks.

Before we get started, let me address the truly confusing fact that teal is both a colour and a bird. It seems the bird came first, and the colour is based on that Eurasian bird. My question is: if we continue our groundbreaking naming of teals in New Zealand (brown teal, grey teal), what happens if we find a teal-coloured teal? Moving on…

Pāteke/Brown teal

Honestly, ornithologists (bird-nerds) are pretty uncreative with their names. Brown teal indeed. Pāteke are ADORABLE. I think it’s the wee white ring around their eye. Oh, and may I introduce the ducklings?

A pāteke family at Auckland Zoo. Image credit: Aja Pendergrast/Auckland Zoo.

Like the mallards in Episode 1, these are dabblers (it’s a popular pastime); pāteke have seriously low numbers but are listed as at risk-recovering, thanks to some excellent conservation efforts. In places where they don’t have specific conservation efforts, they’re still vulnerable to habitat loss and predation.

Up close they are unmistakeable, but from a distance pāteke may appear similar to other ducks. Look out for a duck smaller than a mallard flying low and fast over water, most commonly around the northern half of the North Island.

See a brown looking teal with a white eye-ring on mainland New Zealand? It’s probably a pāteke. Image credit: Paul Jansen/DOC.

The case of pāteke v mallard on Aotea Great Barrier Island

In a troubling turn of events, the pāteke population on Aotea is under threat from the insurgent mallard population. Prosecutors claim introduced mallards are outbreeding the endemic pāteke, with the injury centred on humans artificially increasing mallard success by feeding them. The judge has not ordered any recompense, but humans are reminded to avoid feeding any wild bird and continue to be ‘decent to ducks’ (more below).

Tētē/grey teal

Aussie cousins of our teals, grey teal are now considered native and aren’t threatened. Grey teal are nomadic dabblers with one stand-out feature – brilliant red eyes. Despite their alarming gaze, experts assure me they are not vampires, but feed on insects, molluscs and seeds. I’m still not inviting one in at nighttime.

Easily confused with the occasional visitor the chestnut teal.

With eyes like that, surely grey ducks are up to no good? Image credit: Paul Jansen/DOC.

WAY down South

Two endemic teals live on our subantarctic islands, and both are flightless so don’t expect to be seeing them in your backyard anytime soon (or anywhere else in the world). Auckland Island and Campbell Island teals are each similar in appearance to their mainland cousin the pāteke. Your best bet for identification is location – see a brown-looking teal? Check what island you are on, and you probably have your answer! Campbell Island teal are among the world’s rarest ducks, fortunately now increasing thanks to rat eradication on their home ground.

Found in Auckland Islands, you guessed it – an Auckland Island teal! Image credit: Janel Hull/DOC
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See a brown looking teal in the Campbell Island group? It’s almost certainly a Campbell Island teal. Image credit: Leon Berard – leonberardphotography.co.nz

See you soon for the final episode of Ducktales!

Be decent to ducks

Be a responsible cat owner, by:

    • Desexing and microchipping your cat
    • Keeping your cat indoors or contained inside a ‘catio’, especially at night
    • Putting your cat in a cattery when you go on holiday
    • Never taking them onto public conservation land.

    Be a responsible dog owner

    Please don’t feed ducks, feeding wild birds can:

    • Make them sick or make them starve because they are eating the wrong things
    • Make them gather in higher than usual numbers, spreading disease (we’re especially wary of this with H5N1 avian influenza spreading overseas)
    • Increase their numbers at a cost to other species (e.g. mallards outcompeting pāteke on Aotea/Great Barrier Island)
    • Increase risks to human health by increasing the concentration of bird faecal matter

    Trap introduced predators at home or in your community

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    Waimate High School Enviro-Group initiative takes root

    Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council




    Waimate High School Enviro-Group initiative takes root | Environment Canterbury















    Date:

    Spearheaded by the Waimate High School Enviro-Group, the project will see a shade house built at the school and approximately 2000 trees planted.

    At recent Lower Waitaki South Coastal Canterbury Water Zone Committee meetings, the group was successful in having two funding requests approved.

    Group facilitator and Head of Science Aaron Harbour says the Enviro-Group had attracted approximately 20 students, each showing a keen interest to learn about seed propagation.

    The group will predominantly grow native trees and grasses, with the shade house helping to accelerate the growth of kowhai trees in the coming months.

    Some members of the Waimate High School Enviro-Group on their latest field trip

    “The students wanted a space of their own to put their environmental ideas into reality, and the shade house achieves this,” Aaron said.

    “Having the shade house on school grounds is great for the students and it also gives us the opportunity to bring the community in at various times to get involved. We also hope that in the future this space will serve as a living classroom where students can learn about native plants, sustainable gardening practices, and the importance of biodiversity and ecological communities.”

    Sowing seeds for the future

    The group hopes the planting initiative will help establish a legacy project as part of the school’s revolutionary Ag Hub initiative – encouraging students to plant a tree when they first arrive in year 7 and again, when they leave.

    The project aligns with the committee’s goal of engaging with young people and supporting educational projects that raise awareness of environmental issues in the zone.

    The first batch of trees (500) have already been planted, with the next round of planting scheduled later this month. Other plant species to be introduced include tarata (lemonwood), kōhūhū (black matipo), kanuka (kunzea robusta), among others.

    Propagation will officially get underway in term one, next year.

    The Waimate High School Enviro-Group have already planted 500 trees on their riparian corridor

    Environment Canterbury © 2024
    Retrieved: 12:04pm, Mon 04 Nov 2024
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