Did you hear the news about the Australasian crested grebe / kāmana becoming New Zealand’s ‘Bird of the Century’? Talk about going viral! Kāmana (also known as pūteketeke) have taken the internet world by storm and soared to victory. In the Forest and Bird ‘Bird of the Century’ competition, they… Read More
A little bit of rain, a little bit of sunshine and a whole lot of sampling for microplastics! We had so much fun hosting a microplastics community event along the Wānaka lakefront last Saturday. The event was a celebration of community engagement, scientific exploration and proactive measures against plastic pollution… Read More
Spring is in the air, and so is our October newsletter – your portal to upcoming events, initiatives, and feel-good community news. Let’s dive into it, shall we? Have a go at sampling for microplastics Join us on Saturday, 14 October from 10:30am – 1:30pm on the Wānaka Lakefront… Read More
WAI Wānaka has initiated research into microplastics in local freshwater environments following funding success from The Otago Participatory Science Platform, Curious Minds, Ten Square Games and PlanetPlay. Introducing Veronica Rotman Marine scientist and PhD student Veronica Rotman will be driving the research for this project as a part of her… Read More
Community groups join WAI in protecting waterways from stormwater pollution The Drains are Streams programme is ramping up at WAI. Both in the classroom and throughout our local neighbourhoods. To add to the momentum, we’ve teamed up with two avid community groups in our area: Friends… Read More
Matariki 2023 by Deanna Gerlach Is the health of our lakes changing? When it comes to the deep lakes of our region, caring for the unseen can be challenging. Monitoring the health of our freshwater is important for tracking changes over time. We’re on the lookout for keen volunteers to… Read More
Winter is here, and so is our ‘Adopt a Drain’ newsletter – winter edition! Don’t let the cold fool you – our actions still matter, especially when it comes to protecting our lakes and rivers. For this newsletter we’ll focus on a dirty pollutant that often falls under the radar…… Read More
Photo by Deanna Gerlach It’s Plastic Free July and we’re excited to be diving deeper into A Teeny-Tiny Truth, a research project exploring microplastics in Lake Wānaka. Plastic Free July isn’t just about raising awareness, it’s about taking action! You can help protect our lakes and rivers this month by layering up… Read More
Kia ora kotou, My name is Ben and I am the Science Communicator here at WAI Wānaka. Part of my job is to keep you up to date with the projects and research that is happening around the region. This blog is the first of many project stories and… Read More
Hey there, welcome to the water clarity data collection community! We’ve got something pretty cool to tell you about – ever heard of a Secchi disk? It’s a super simple way to measure the clarity or transparency of the lake’s water. All you need to do is get out on… Read More