What we’re up to

Team photo! Say hi to our Programme Management Team and Site Leads 👋 We had a get together in Hamilton last week where we welcomed our newest member, Chris, who is our Waituna Site Lead while Jane is on secondment. We connected, shared our stories,progress, mapped out where we are going and how we will get there. We were also by joined by Hemi and Viv from the Fonterra Sustainable Catchment team.

Our teams across New Zealand are working alongside Iwi to help build mana whenua capacity and capability to restore Kaitiakitanga. Watch 👇 https://youtu.be/cuhZmfPIEso

Take a look behind farm gates and see what Fonterra farmers are doing to help protect the environment, Open Gates is Sunday 10 November, register your interest below. https://www.fonterra.com/nz/en/what-we-stand-for/community/open-gates/register-interest.html

New Zealand shorebirds and dairy farming have a special relationship, it turns out the two work quite well together, learn more 👇 https://www.livingwater.net.nz/im:1769/

We support the Government’s goals to improve freshwater with the release of the “Action for healthy waterways” discussion document yesterday. Go along to your local public meeting https://www.mfe.govt.nz/consultations/public-meetings and have your say on their proposals before 17th October.

Our Northland Living Water Site Lead, Andrew was lucky enough to meet Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at the recent announcement of $12 million funding for the Kaipara catchment freshwater improvement. We have been working in the area over the last six years alongside the Integrated Kaipara Harbour Management Group on the Wairoa Freshwater Improvement Project. https://www.livingwater.net.nz/catchment/wairua-river/wairoa-freshwater-improvement-project

This Waikato Peat Lakes site is retired farmland that the landowner has fenced off from his cattle to help protect the seepage areas that feed into the Lake. We have been running a trial here to test for ideal drain hydroseeding conditions (story here: http://bit.ly/2U8hV9A). We have since completed the hydroseeding trial but were left with some large gaps in the native vegetation cover. Local Hamilton DOC staff planted carex, harakeke and coprosmas to help complete the creation of a proper wetland and to provide native fauna habitat.

Read about how we're working with mana whenua through Te Mana Ararira to help realise the aspirations for the catchment - to rejuvenate the mauri and life supporting capacity of Te Waihora (Lake Ellesmere) https://www.livingwater.net.nz/catchment/ararira-lii-river/te-mana-ararira

Southland Fonterra farmers Reza and Sylvia Abdul-Jabbar show us how farming and freshwater can work together with help from Department of Conservation. By improving in-stream habitat and water quality, we are seeing an increase in native fish and reducing sediment from flowing into Waituna Lagoon. Watch the clip below from Country Calendar https://youtu.be/3MZxzY4eaUE

We've hit the 6 year mark, with the partnership between Department of Conservation and Fonterra going from strength to strength. Here's a snapshot of where we are at 👇 https://www.livingwater.net.nz/our-progress/im:1432/2019-progress-report

Read the latest updates on our Wildlife habitat restoration project around the Waikato Peat Lakes 👇 https://www.livingwater.net.nz/catchment/lakes-areare-ruatuna-rotomanuka/wildlife-habitat-restoration

Results from Lake Ruatuna have shown it is unsuitable to reintroduce native macrophytes, light conditions are not suitable because of the heavily peat stained water, which prevents almost all light penetration to the lake bed and would prevent the plants from being able to grow. Read about the findings here 👇 https://www.livingwater.net.nz/catchment/lakes-areare- ruatuna-rotomanuka/macrophyte-reintroduction-trial/

It's #FieldDayFriday and we're in the Hikurangi wetland with Kaikohe Papa Taiao Earthcare students planting at Donald Gillets farm as part of the Education for Sustainability Achievement Standard that they were working on. Many hands make light work! 🙌 Learn more about what we're doing in the area: https://www.livingwater.net.nz/catchment/wairua-river/

Happy World Ranger Day! A massive thank you to our Living Water Rangers who are on the front line everyday working to protect our taonga! To celebrate, we asked our Living Water Rangers what motivates them to get out of bed everyday. Here's our Northern Site Lead, Andrew: "My motivation is caring for the environment and moving towards a sustainable future. I love the problem solving part of my job and the out of the box solutions we come up with to make a difference."

To celebrate World Ranger Day, we're introducing our rangers and asked them to share with us what motivates them. Here's Waituna site lead, Jane, "We have some pretty amazing (but at risk!) freshwater ecosystems and fish species (like the Giant Kokopu she's holding) in New Zealand. What motivates me is working in a role which does a little bit towards protecting these for the next generation” (Jane is currently on secondment)

World Ranger Day highlights the critical work our rangers do, to celebrate we're celebrating our amazing rangers and asked them what motivates them to get out of bed. Here's Pūkorokoro-Miranda and Waikato Peat Lakes Ranger, Rose, with a rarely seen (and threatened) Spotless Crake. "Working in conservation is my passion and part of my identity. I am so happy that my job is a contribution to preserving and restoring our natural heritage." Read about Rose's encounter with the Spotless Crake: https://www.livingwater.net.nz/our-progress/im:1432/spotless-crake-the-lesser-known-bird-that