Making it easier to protect and enhance on-farm biodiversity 

Demonstrating new ways of sustainably managing a District Council “classified drain”

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

Our approach to working with mana whenua

Collaborative project incorporating sustainable land management practices and the principles of mātauranga Māori to reduce sediment into the Wairoa River

A framework to guide the planning, monitoring and evaluation approach for Living Water

Working with landowners to acquire land for environmental outcomes 

How to work together with differing views, backgrounds and goals for ecological restoration

Taking a new approach to strategic planning

Why was Living Water established? What were the challenges of establishing a partnership and what has been learned