News

It’s Conservation Week and NATURE NEEDS US!

Back by popular demand is this free introduction to predator monitoring and trapping! With the support of the Summit Road Society we will be looking at the how to’s and why’s of predator control. There is something for beginners right through to the more experienced trappers. Learn how to start up your own group or come and join one of the teams already in action – or even just try it out in your backyard!

This is a FAMILY FRIENDLY event and there will be activities and talks for the children to keep them entertained and learning about what to find in their own garden.

• Learn about monitoring techniques – make sure your trapping the right thing and that you’re making a difference
• Learn how to use – DOC 200’s, Trapinators, Victor traps and Good Nature A12’s and A24’s.
• Learn about why we are doing this in the first place. We can all make a difference for our native species if we all do this together!

Where: Mt Pleasant Community Centre, 3 McCormacks Bay Rd, Christchurch

Date: Saturday 14 September

Time: 2pm to 4pm

Refreshments provided.

Please register for free (to help with catering) at: https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2019/trapping-and-monitoring-extravaganza/christchurch

A free talk, entitiled Our land in a changing climate: impacts and implications, will be held on Wednesday 25 September at 5:30pm at Lincoln University. The speaker will be James Renwick, who is Professor of Physical Geography at Victoria University, specialising in large-scale climate variations. He was awarded the 2018 New Zealand Prime Minister’s Science Prize for Communication.

Land is at the heart of debates about climate change. How we use land affects our climate, but as the climate changes so too will the land and the biological and social systems it supports.

In a week of action on climate change, and following the release of the IPCC report on Climate and Land, NZ’s leading climate researchers explore the relationship between land and climate, and the challenges and potential it presents for our urgent need to respond to climate change.

Go here for (free) tickets

The Ministry for the Environment and Ministry for Primary Industries have released a consultation document on the future of freshwater management. It is called Action for healthy waterways – A discussion document on national direction for our essential freshwater (click on link to open it)

It proposes changes to the RMA as well as other policies.

Consultation is open until 17 October and feedback is invited in a variety of ways. Their preferred way, however, is via their online submission tool.

There are many references to coastal ecosystems, such as coastal wetlands, estuaries, mangroves etc., so we want to encourage coast care groups and people to have their say.

A few funding opportunities came our way in the last few weeks. They could be of interest to councils and coast care groups:

The New Zealand Motor Caravan Association has a Green Fund that supports conservation projects. It appears to be an ongoing fund that doesn’t have a particular deadline. Check this page for information and an application form.

WWF’s next funding round is open from 2 September - 11 October. Check for details and how to apply HERE.

Greater Wellington’s campaign with Frank the Crayfish: Ask yourself, do I really need to drive on the beach? Vehicles on beaches can have a big impact on our wildlife, dune defences, and sites of significance around the region. Let’s have a frank conversation about driving on beaches: www.gw.govt.nz/frank-beach-driving