Kia ora! Welcome to our February issue of On Stream.
In this edition, we chat with our favourite red-haired gecko researcher, we find out how Enviroschools is changing a generation, and we’ve got love for wetlands and galaxiids looking to Netflix and chill. Crikey, why wouldn’t you read on?! |
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ORC Councillor Elliot Weir (Dunedin Constituency)
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Thoughtful, considered, red of beard, and hair so thick it’s still dry at the roots after a swim, Cr Elliot Weir has managed to pack a lot in already.
Born in Paraparaumu, they have lived in the Cook Islands, Thailand and Vietnam, travelling with family and attending boarding school overseas. Coming to Ōtepoti/Dunedin four years ago, “It was the first time I put down roots and started building a life. The Otago Peninsula has become my favourite place in the country.”
A job as a wildlife tour guide on the harbour brings them up front and personal with our sea lion population; however, Elliot’s Master's research is on a much smaller creature: the kōrero gecko, so called because they like to congregate on bushes and chat to each other.
Elliot’s field of study is systems ecology — looking at how different species interact with each other and the environment they live in.
“I’m looking at the geckos’ role in the spread of plant species — taking the approach that everything is interlinked.”
They bring this mindset to their role as Councillor.
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Enviroschools — sparking intergenerational change
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Matilda (Tilly) King is pleased to see initiatives like bokashi composting being taken up at Waitaki District Council.
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Currently studying Environmental Sciences at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha/University of Canterbury, Enviroschools alumni Matilda (Tilly) King, 19, is back in her hometown of Ōamaru.
She's spending some time as a summer student in the Waitaki District Council’s Planning department, although she has also been ‘stolen’ (seconded) by Waitaki’s waste minimisation initiative and Enviroschools programme. She’s enjoying giving back and spreading aroha/love for a programme that has meant so much to her.
Serving on the Waitaki Youth Council while at Waitaki Girls’ High School, where she was head girl, she also engaged in environmental activism such as tree planting, community clean-ups, and awareness campaigns such as Plastic Free July.
“Enviroschools has shaped who I am,” says Tilly.
“It has created a new generation of students leaving high school with the kaupapa (principles) of recycling, reducing and reusing — the attitude and values instilled in us by the programme.”
This has carried through into her tertiary studies and what she sees as a lifelong application.
“It’s really cool to see that Enviroschools now starts in kindergarten,” she says, seeing it as a vital way to re-find skills lost, values of sustainability and mindful consumption that are starting to come back, such as growing our own food.
“Kids end up teaching their parents, going home saying ‘we should be buying in bulk, so we can save the plastic’. The biggest threat we face is climate change — it's multi-faceted: biodiversity loss, over-consumption and degradation of our environment."
Tilly’s giving back by working with a local school that’s just starting the Enviroschools journey, helping to set up the school garden.
During her summer internship, she has been pleased to see local government embracing changing attitudes at a time when this mahi is so badly needed.
“I had no clue there were these roles in local government. One great project led by the waste minimisation team has been the launch of bokashi bins in all the staff rooms to divert food waste. Every floor has a ‘bokashi babysitter’ who takes the bins home when full and chucks it all in their compost. It’s great to see council leading the way on these initiatives.”
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Pest of the month — Old Man's Beard
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Why is Old Man’s Beard a pest?
Old Man’s Beard can suffocate and smother native plants and trees and is considered one of the most damaging climbing plants introduced to New Zealand.
Summer is the best time to identify Old Man’s Beard, when it’s in flower. From about April, the mature flowers will form pom-pom shaped, fluffy seed heads, making it look like an old man’s beard.
It can be difficult to tell if what you're seeing is just a harmless native vine or something more sinister. Think you have an out-of-control vine in your garden? It might be Old Man's Beard.
Visit our Pest Hub for more information about Old Man's Beard and how to identify and remove that sneaky old vine from your garden once and for all!
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We'll be at the Wānaka A&P Show, 10-11 March. Come and say “hi”, ask us questions, and hear it from the horse’s mouth.
Pop along to our site, J4, to find out about rabbit-proof fences and compliance and consents, meet our councillors and science team, and learn about riparian planting and exactly what a regional council does. We also have fun activities for the kids. See you there!
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Groups team up to look after lagoon
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World Wetlands Day — which highlights the importance of wetlands and encourages their wise use and preservation — was on 2 February.
Wetlands are threatened in Otago, and the effect of recent hot, dry weather is very evident at Tomahawk Lagoon, where the water level is extremely low right now.
We’re banding together to protect the lagoon, with the recent completion of a detailed catchment management plan by the ORC, and the formation of an active local community group, Tomahawk Lagoon Catchment Group.
Working closely with citizen science group Ecotago Charitable Trust and supporting schools, we plan to work to help improve water quality, meet national standards, and support a healthy ecosystem at the lagoon.
In addition, ORC has dedicated $260,000 over three years to enhance the Tomahawk Lagoon catchment through community action to contribute to a healthy ecosystem for all to enjoy.
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1: Tomahawk Lagoon’s water level is very low this month as temperatures soar
2: ORC freshwater scientist Dr Sami Khan nets larvae, part of the lagoon's biodiversity
3: Sami and ORC Project Delivery Specialist Freya Moore are excited to be working with Andrew Innes and Steve Catty from Tomahawk Lagoon Catchment Group.
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ORC comes to the aid of galaxiids looking for love
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New measures are in play to ensure native and sports fish can move up and downstream unimpeded to complete their lifecycle, including spawning.
Culverts, weirs, flap gates, fords and dams installed after 3 September 2020 must now meet minimum reporting requirements such as height, width and location under the Essential Freshwater regulations and the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater.
These requirements apply to all rivers — a broad term describing any natural watercourse with water from natural sources, such as springs, peat bogs, lakes or groundwater, which may or may not have water running through it all year.
This is good news for one North Otago galaxiid that burrows into the streambed when the rivers run dry.
Implementing fish passages will help galaxiids re-establish their presence and expand their habitat by allowing them to meet other galaxiids who similarly like pina coladas and getting caught in the rain.
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Rural and urban water users encouraged to use water efficiently
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Low flows last week in the Waiwera River — a tributary on the true right of the Clutha Mata-Au River, upstream from Balclutha township.
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With NIWA forecasting dryer Otago weather than in previous years, rivers throughout Otago are running low — so we’re asking people to conserve water and use water efficiently if they are taking water from rivers, aquifers, lakes or streams.
This can start with preventing leaks in water troughs or irrigation pipes, irrigating when it is cooler, using water-efficient irrigators, and ensuring that the depth of water application is correct for the soil moisture deficit within the root zone of the crop being grown.
To check your water application rate, you can run a ‘bucket test’. Ask your irrigation company for advice on this, or contact catchments@orc.govt.nz, and one of our Catchment Advisors can support you.
Our Watering Monitoring and Alerts page is a good place to get the latest news.
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Find out about monthly Otago Regional Council meetings here.
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Feel free to forward this email to anyone who might like to read it. If you have any story ideas or want to know anything specific about anything in this issue, let us know by emailing lisa.scott@orc.govt.nz. If you have been forwarded this email, you can sign up here. |
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