News article

The project in Uawa/Tolaga Bay that we visited as part of our conference this year has won the Green Ribbon Award for Protecting our Biodiversity this year.

The Minister for the Environment, the Hon Dr Nick Smith, and the Minister of Conservation, the Hon Maggie Barry, announced the winners of the 2016 Green Ribbon Awards at a ceremony at Parliament on 7 June 2016.

From the MfE website:

Collaborative and innovative, the Uawanui Project has taken a whole-community approach to improving the environmental health of the Kaituna Estuary, by managing the activities in the catchment that impact on the estuary – a “mountains-to-sea” approach.

Input from marae, iwi, individuals, business, primary industries, landowners and schools has developed a project that enables the community to manage the catchment in their everyday activities, with direct benefits to both the community’s and the environment’s health. Activities have included trapping pests, weed control, planting and monitoring. Creative thinking has led to planting of seeds from Cook’s first collections, transit of Venus celebrations, and archaeological investigations – building on the area’s history, and adding to the local community’s knowledge of their culture and where they have come from.

For more information about the Uawanui Project go here:

To see this year’s other Green Ribbon Award winners, check out the MfE website.