What we’re up to

Our Waikato Peat Lakes team have just had their first week of Spotless Crake/Puweto monitoring. With the help of volunteers and land owners doing pest control in the area, there are signs of a decent amount of Puweto - their presence indicates the wetland is in good health. The monitoring means many early starts and late finishes, in the words of Rose, our Waikato Ranger, it means "becoming one with the wetland" 📷: Rose Graham and Mark Lammas

Last month our Waituna site lead, Chris, in conjunction with the Arawai Kakariki team and the Waituna Landcare Group took a group of locals to a privately constructed wetland on private land, the Waituna Creek Habitat Restoration Trial area, swung by Department of Conservation large scale wetland forest restoration trials, had lunch at the Waituna Lagoon Boardwalk, then drove down to Fortrose Spit to look at rare dune plant communities. They braved the freezing weather to learn more about these rare and precious areas.

It's international Women's Day, so lets applaud the mahi some of our wonderful wahine do, including these two, Dr Katie Collins, Department of Conservation Science Lead and Technical Advisor and Hayley Devlin, Research Technician at CAREX a part of UC Freshwater Ecology Research Group, have a read 👇 https://www.livingwater.net.nz/im:1897/

MEET THE TEAM: Each month we introduce you to one of our hard working Living Water people, this month is Kate Veale, Living Water Programme Coordinator, we asked her to answer a few questions for us. The best bit about my job is: Working with such inspiring and interesting people, I learn something from them everyday. Most people don’t know that I: hate strawberries 🤢 In my spare time I: play netball and get out in the port hills for a walk or a run If I wasn’t working here, I’d like to: be a marine biologist and study sharks Before working at Living Water, I: had been a contractor to a number of local companies, helping them tell their stories.

We're focused on trialling solutions that can be taken to scale and will create real change, including: ✅ fencing, re-shaping banks and planting beside waterways ✅ preparing farm environment and contaminant intervention plans ✅nutrient and sediment filters ✅ in-stream habitat trials ✅ land purchase and restoration by a community trust ✅ weed and pest control ✅ alternative ways to manage drains management. ✅ Catchment prioritisation management approaches

Living Water land owner and chairman of the Western Firth Catchment Group Trust, Peter Roberts, recently spoke at the Farmed Landscapes Research Centre Conference which focuses on environmental matters in agricultural systems. He discussed how the catchment group and community are working together and what challenges are faced when creating a trust like this. Read about the work they've been doing: https://blog.doc.govt.nz/2020/01/31/funding-for-firth-wetland-restoration

WATCH: Our Department of Conservation Science Lead, Katie and Fonterra Sustainable Dairying Manager, Matt, caught up with TVNZs RE: team in the beautiful Pūkorokoro-Miranda catchment to discuss how we're working to find solutions for healthy freshwater ecosystems and dairy farming to coexist. https://www.renews.co.nz/can-a-thriving-dairy-industry-and-healthy-waters-coexist

Great article in the latest New Zealand's Biological Heritage newsletter from UC Freshwater Ecology Research Group PhD student and expert restoration ecologist, Issie Barrett, about some extra steps to take when restoring waterways in agricultural landscapes https://www.facebook.com/UCNZferg/posts/840845496340438

READ: How the Western Firth Catchment Group, made up of land owners and residents in the Pūkorokoro Miranda catchment are all working together to conserve the internationally recognised wetland on the Firth of Thames. Both on farm and community efforts (like pest control) are making a huge impact already. https://blog.doc.govt.nz/2020/01/31/funding-for-firth-wetland-restoration

Dr Katie Collins, our Department of Conservation Living Water science lead recently had the joy of spending field time with her CAREX friends Hayley and Chris. They were doing water sampling in the Ararira-LII catchment as part of our on-farm impact reduction project. Read more 👇 https://www.livingwater.net.nz/catchment/ararira-lii-river/farm-impact-reduction/

READ: Department of Conservation Ararira Site Lead, Robin worked with Springston School: Te Kura o Makonui student, Toby, on his project to enhance Powell's Road Waterway. The plan was proposed to the Selwyn District Council and accepted (unchanged). Toby's gone on to win the New Zealand Plant Conservation Network Award for his efforts as well as presenting his work to a number of other environmental groups. https://enviroschools.org.nz/creating-change/stories/student-develops-plant-conservation-and-leadership-skills-through-riparian-restoration-involvement

Living Water is partnering with landowners and Ngā Kaitiaki O Ngā Wai Māori to complete Farm Environment Plans on all 17 Fonterra and non-Fonterra farms in the Okarika sub-catchment. These plans will help landowners and experts identify and co-design priority projects that improve agreed freshwater outcomes. Find out more about what we have been doing to improve water quality in the area: https://www.livingwater.net.nz/catchment/wairua-river/

Waituna Fonterra farmers Reza and Sylvia Abdul-Jabbar on Hyundai Country Calendar, improving terrestrial and in-stream habitat on farm to improve water quality flowing into Waituna Lagoon, Southland. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MZxzY4eaUE&t=17s

A range of introduced fish occur in most of Waikato’s lakes and waterways. Once established these fish impact heavily on the aquatic ecosystem and on water quality generally, particularly koi carp. The Department of Conservation recently undertook a pest fish survey on the National Wetland Trust of New Zealand managed Rotopiko (Lake Serpentine) lake complex with reasonably low numbers caught. To date there are no records of koi presence in this lake but we are using advanced DNA sampling to confirm their absence and are working through the consent process to construct a fish trap on the lake outlet to prevent them getting in. Read more about what's happening in the area 👇 https://www.livingwater.net.nz/catchment/lakes-areare-ruatuna-rotomanuka

We also caught up with Hayley Devlin before International Women in Science day. Hayley is the Research Technician for our strategic partner, CAREX, part of the University of Canterbury Freshwater Ecology Group, to find out how she got involved in science. https://www.livingwater.net.nz/im:1897/

Today is International Women in Science Day which highlights the need for full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls. We caught up with one of our super star scientists, Dr Katie Collins - Department of Conservation, Science Lead Freshwater Technical Advisor to find out how she got involved in science and how she wants to help younger generations get involved. https://www.livingwater.net.nz/im:1897/