Urban Catchment Project
The aim of the urban catchment project is to improve the health of urban streams in Wānaka through education and community-led action, ultimately culminating in the development of an urban catchment plan.
The initial phase of this project will ensure communities are informed about local water issues, engaged to preserve, and improve the health of urban streams and their surrounding ecosystems, take ownership of issues they can affect and support the delivery of actions that will have a positive impact for the waterways.
How will this be achieved?
Community-led urban catchment groups will be established through neighbourhood groups, school groups, clubs etc, or built around one or more specific environmental or sustainability goals.
Our aim is to establish catchment groups with a diverse array of priorities and from locations that represent the whole Upper Clutha Catchment and involve all ages and all living groups. A key criteria is for each group to be passionate to restore, protect and preserve our local urban catchments. Each group will determine their own priorities and will be supported and facilitated by WAI Wānaka.
Learning from others
To support the work of urban catchment groups, a literature review and wider research has been carried out to identify existing examples of community-led and cross-community collaboration on urban environmental restoration approaches both in Aotearoa and overseas.
This has helped capture ideas and key learnings from an array of different projects with the aim to replicate or adapt successful projects to fit the Upper Clutha.
Where things are at
WAI Wānaka facilitated an urban catchment community forum with the findings available here. The forum helped highlight existing needs, desires, areas of passion and environmental pinch points in the community. This work has since been integrated into the ongoing development of the project.
The urban catchment project aims to replicate the success of WAI Wānaka’s work in the rural sector. Key practices and processes developed when forming the rural action groups are being transferred into the urban context. Much of what has been learned applies to both settings.
Neighbourhood urban catchment groups are holding events now. These groups are a great way for residents to learn, collaborate and take unified action in their own neighbourhoods. A community planting event took place early November 2022 in the Kirimoko area with a turnout of over 45 people across the 3-hour event.
Held in collaboration between WAI Wānaka, Bike Wānaka, Southern Ventures, Southern Lakes Sanctuary and Wānaka Backyard Trapping, the event involved planting, plant maintenance, bike trail maintenance and the installation of a trapline.
How to get involved
There are already a few groups setting priorities and organising events. If you are interested in getting involved please don’t hesitate to reach out to Olly Eden-Mann on oliver@waiwanaka.nz
Young Environmental Collective (yo.eco)
One of our pilot groups is the Young Environmental Collective or yo.eco for short, with the dream to successfully engage, enhance and empower the local 18-35’s demographic of the Upper Clutha (Wānaka, Hāwea, Makarora, Luggate, Cardrona) for collective positive environmental outcomes. Yo.eco want to their voice to be heard, lead action for a sustainable urban environment and create behaviour change. They will purposefully take on projects which lead towards these goals.
The group are still on the hunt for new members – follow them on Instagram.
Are you between 18-35 (exceptions can be made) and keen to get involved?
Come along to the monthly meeting held on the last Tuesday of every month 6pm @WAI Wānaka.
Kirimoko Group
The Kirimoko Action Group organise a monthly maintenance event on the first Monday of every month.
Next dates: March 13th, April 3rd, May 1st, June 5th, July 3rd
By working together, we empower communities to understand their water, their environment, and their impact
