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Latest Updates


Restoration symposium

The next National Wetland Restoration Symposium will be held from 3-5 March 2010 in Rotorua. The Trust is grateful to the Bay of Plenty Wetland Forum for co-organising this symposium. See our Restoration Symposia page for the provisional programme and registration details.

We are also seeking sponsors for the Symposium and to build an on-line directory of wetlands open to the public. Please contact us if you would like to sponsor the National Wetland Trust.


World Wetlands Day

Serpentine.JPG

World Wetlands Day is held every year on February 2nd to celebrate the signing of an international treaty to protect wetlands.

See our World Wetlands Day page for more information.

The National Wetland Trust and Department of Conservation are hosting a 'Peat Lake Combo' in the Waikato on February 6th.

See the flyer for details.




Sneak Preview of our Wetland Centre Plans

The Trust hosted a Sustainable Business Network event on November 8th to reveal our plans for our proposed National Wetland Centre. Read our report on the event (756 kb).


Arawai Kakariki - green waterway project

The Deaprtment of Conservation led project Arawai Kakariki aims to restore three of our most significant wetlands, Whangamarino in the North Island and Ashburton Lakes and Awarua Waituna in the South Island. Read about them in these two factsheets.

AK Factsheet Overview (517 kb)

AK Factsheet R&D Research (364 kb)

Several presentations on wetlands were presented at the Arawai Kakariki sponsored session of the NZ Freshwater Science Society Conference, November 2009. Some are available to view below:

Blair Thornburrow: Hydrology of Whangamarino wetland (2.9 Mb)

Kerry Bodmin: Willow management in Whangamarino wetland (1 Mb)

Emily Atkinson: Ruppia in Waituna Lagoon  (1.7 Mb)

Bev Clarkson: Wetland types (814 kb)

Brian Sorrell: Nutrient standards (1.5 Mb)

Hugh Robertson: Wetland protection (534 kb)

Alastair Suren: Effect of wetland condition on invertebrates (2 Mb)


Grants

Environment Waikato has awarded us $22,000 from their Environmental Initiatives Fund to develop interpretation material for our wetland centre.

Transpower and Trust Waikato have given the National Wetland Trust grants of $68,000 and $10,000 respectively towards the development of our detailed Wetland Centre plans.

These generous contributions are an important step towards acheiving our aim to build a state-of-the-art National Wetland Centre.

We also recieved funding from Lottery Environment and Heritage Fund, Environment Bay of Plenty and Mazda to develop a wetland trail for the Bay of Plenty, and from the Department of Conservation (Waikato Conservancy) to publish the Waikato Wetlands Directory.


New Patron endorsed at AGM

Ruud Kleinpaste (the Bug Man') was overwhelmingly endorsed as our new patron at our 9th AGM held on August 19th. Ruud is a tireless advocate for biodiversity, particularly for the 'little guys' of the invertebrate world. We are proud to have him as our patron.

At the AGM award-winning author Janet Hunt gave a very entertaining account of the voyage of discovery that lead to her book: New Zealand Wetlands - a bitter sweet story. Eleven Trustees were re-elected unopposed and the positions of Treasurer and Secretary co-opted.

AGM invite Chairs presentation(77 kb)

Golden Plover Scholarship 2009 Winner

Craig Allen is the 2009 recipeint of the Golden Plover Award for his research project on the effects of climate change and bore extraction on the hydrology of the Te Hapua wetland near Foxton.

In 2001 the Golden Plover Award was established by Drs Tony Reiger and Steven Messerschmidt, in conjunction with the National Wetland Trust of New Zealand and the University of Waikato.  The Award is up to a value of up to $1000 and is open to a student undertaking original research at Masters level (part-time or full-time) at any university in New Zealand on any topic covering:
  • increasing the appreciation of wetlands and their values by all New Zealanders
  • increasing the enhancement and restoration of wetlands
  • increase the understanding of wetland processes by all New Zealanders
  • good experimental design that will lead to an increase in scientific knowledge of an aspect of wetlands
  • improving transfer of the results of research to key target groups (i.e. wetland landowners, policy makers, and councillors).
For more information or to apply for the award candidates should contact the Scholarships Office of the University of Waikato. Applications will re-open in 2010.


Future pages

We will be regularly updating this site with
  • progress on our wetland centre development
  • new information on wetlands
  • wetlands you can visit in New Zealand
  • wetland events in New Zealand, and 
  • additional useful links
If you wish to advertise a wetland event, tell us about wetland educational material, or support the Trust, contact us at enquiries@wetlandtrust.org.nz.

Please visit our site again.

This website is hosted by Digital Stream.  

The lasting benefits that society derives from wetlands often far exceeds the immediate
advantages their owners might get from draining or filling them. Their destruction shifts the
economic and environmental cost to other citizens…who have no voice in the decision to alter
them” - Jimmy Carter, President of the United States of America. 1977.


 
 

Last updated 22 December 2009
Address: c/o Box 177, Pukekohe 2340, New Zealand; 
Email: enquiries@wetlandtrust.org.nz
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© 2002-2009 All material copyright of the national wetland trust unless otherwise noted.