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Latest Updates


Restoration symposium

The fourth National Wetland Restoration Symposium was attended by over 200 people on 3-5 March 2010 in Rotorua. The Trust is grateful to the Bay of Plenty Wetland Forum for co-organising this symposium.

We hope to add some of the presentations to our website shortly.



Bay of Plenty Wetland Trail LaunchedNukuhou.JPG

The newest national wetland trail was lauched in Rotorua during the National Wetland Restoration Sympoisum in Rotorua. Taking in seven wetlands including an estuary, a relic kahikatea swamp forest, lowland swamps, and the newly restored Matata Lagoon, the 115 km driving trail will introduce you to some of the best wetland remnants on the Rangitaiki Plains. Each stop has a short walk, and a quiz has been included to make this a fun event for the whole family.

Pick up a copy of the brochure from the Whakatane Visitor Centre.

The trail was produced with generous support from NZ Lottery, Environment Bay of Plenty, and Mazda Foundation.


Wetland Restoration Handbook launched at National Wetland Restoration Symposium

“Wetland Restoration: A Handbook for New Zealand Freshwater Systems" brings together expertise from specialists and groups actively engaged in restoring wetlands throughout the country. The handbook builds on regionally based restoration guides and provides a detailed, comprehensive ecosystem approach toward understanding, protecting and enhancing our remaining wetlands. It is targeted at those who plan to, and those who already are making a difference to improving wetlands, and is written in a way that can easily be understood and importantly, acted on.”
From the Foreword by Ruud Kleinpaste and Tony Roxburgh, National Wetland Trust

This beautifully designed handbook has excellent colour photographs, is wire bound with wrap-around cover, and includes a CD of references and websites. Order a copy from Manaaki Whenua Press.

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 6 March 2010
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.