
Farming with Native Biodiversity
Making it easier to protect and enhance on-farm biodiversity
Living Water wants better outcomes for the environment, the economy and New Zealanders – this means finding solutions for healthy freshwater ecosystems and sustainable dairying to thrive side by side.
We’re focused on trialling solutions that can be taken to scale and that will create real change - it’s why DOC and Fonterra are working together and is the purpose of our work. This includes physical tools that are designed to fulfil a particular action for freshwater improvement in the landscape, as well as approaches, processes, ways of working or system changes that move us towards more sustainable dairying and healthier freshwater ecosystems.
As we gather results, we’ll see which solutions can be scaled across catchments or regions, how that might be done (what support and capacity does the farming sector and communities need to get there), and how much it might cost.
Making it easier to protect and enhance on-farm biodiversity
Demonstrating new ways of sustainably managing a District Council “classified drain”
A multi-phase restoration, wetland reconnection and water management project
Sediment traps are simple, low-cost excavations in a watercourse or near a waterbody that capture and reduce the downstream movement of gravel, sand, and silt.
Are nutrient filters a practical solution for farmers to reduce their impact on water quality?
Reducing contaminants and improving wetland habitat
Creating wetlands in wet areas on-farm can provide biodiversity benefits while also reducing flooding, erosion, and improving water quality.
Spraying a mixture of water, seed, mulch and sometimes fertilisers onto the ground in difficult to reach places
Can nitrogen fertiliser use be reduced without compromising pasture growth?
Engaging farmers with biodiversity on their farms
Digitised up-to-date environmental action plans for farmers
Reducing pest fish in Lake Ruatuna in order to re-establish native macrophytes to improve water quality over time.
Reducing the biomass of invasive macrophyte Ludwigia by aerial spraying with drones, rather than hand weeding or excavation
Can we control an invasive weed with Brazilian beetles?
Can continuous, accurate data that’s accessible to all parties involved in catchment management empower and inspire change?
Integrating landscape properties and cutting-edge science to explain why water quality varies
Trialling a catchment wide approach to managing drains and waterways
Using simple structures to manage peak flows
Determining whether detention bunds can effectively manage peak run off and reduce sediment in Northland
Helping landowners to better understand where to put contaminant management interventions to improve water quality leaving farms
An inexpensive way to gather baseline information, identify key ecological issues and prioritise areas and activities for effective catchment management
A GIS-based tool to help community groups and landowers in smaller catchments to prioritise actions for freshwater improvement
Testing the usefulness of taking an ecosystems services approach for project planning
How we collected information to inform decisions on what work to do
Using a sample of water, soil or sediment can detect species much more easily than electrofishing or intensive trapping
Preventing the spread of invasive pest fish
We're trialling physical tools, as well as approaches, processes, ways of working or system changes.
Integrating landscape properties and cutting-edge science to explain why water quality varies
Making it easier to protect and enhance on-farm biodiversity
This work is more than just communications and marketing, it is about engaging people and organisations on a change journey.
A framework to guide the planning, monitoring and evaluation approach for Living Water
Our approach to working with mana whenua
Digitised up-to-date environmental action plans for farmers
Engaging farmers with biodiversity on their farms
Partnering with the University of Canterbury on transforming agricultural drains into healthy waterways.
Partnering with QEII National Trust to accelerate the protection of significant habitat on farms.
How the Living Water partnership and programme is organised to deliver the mahi
How Living Water made choices about where to work
How we collected information to inform decisions on what work to do
Taking a new approach to strategic planning
Social tools
Ngā Taputapu ā-Pāpori
Māori Engagement and Collaboration
Our approach to working with mana whenua
Waimā Waitai Waiora Partnership Project
Collaborative project incorporating sustainable land management practices and the principles of mātauranga Māori to reduce sediment into the Wairoa River
Monitoring & Evaluation
A framework to guide the planning, monitoring and evaluation approach for Living Water
Increasing wildlife habitat areas in a farming landscape
Working with landowners to acquire land for environmental outcomes
Incubate: Establishing a Community Trust
How to work together with differing views, backgrounds and goals for ecological restoration
SPRINT Planning
Taking a new approach to strategic planning
Establishing a partnership
Why was Living Water established? What were the challenges of establishing a partnership and what has been learned