Rural update 10 Nov 2021

Community Wellbeing

Healthy Ecosystems

Jobs For Nature

Risks to our Catchment

WAI Action Groups

Macroinvertebrates and biodiversity in the Luggate Creek – Photo credit: David Norton

“We absolutely loved the Farm Tour so much. You created a wonderful welcoming environment and we learnt heaps but also it fed us so much food for thought. The whole day from arrival to departure was just brilliant and I wanted to say thank you to you and the farmers for such a great day.” – Anna Hiatt, Wanaka resident


Firstly, thank you to those of you who participated in the Wao Summit Food & Fibre events! It was a big couple of days and we had great feedback on the farm tour, workshops and speaker events.

The Indigenous Biodiversity and Freshwater Monitoring Workshop highlighted the need to get out and start recording what’s happening on your property.

Get in touch if you would like to organise a time to meet with the WAI team to help you set up and carry out bird counts, visual soil assessments, vegetation photo points, stream health assessments and eDNA sampling.


All about Carbon

What I learnt from the carbon events was that there is still a lot to learn… but also that the first step for all landowners is to understand where they are at by knowing their numbers. On this note, see below information on upcoming Beef+Lamb NZ workshops.

You can watch a recording of our breakfast event with
Kelly Forster (Programme Director, He Waka Eke Noa),
Becky Lloyd (CE, Toitu Carbon Accreditation) and
Felicity Thomas (NZ Merino) as they chat about carbon.


Future Vision

If you missed the Vision into Action in the Primary Sector talk – check out the recording here: Food & Fibre — Wao. An inspiring look at the future of the primary sector in Aotearoa New Zealand with John Rodwell, Simon Stokes, Andrew Dalziel and James Brasington.

Photo credit: Dan Parish (August in Motion) at the Wishbone Falls planting on Mt Aspiring Station

Tell us your stories!

We’d love to help tell your good stories to the community. If your group has done something you want to share let us know so that we can help spread the word. As well as events like the Wao Summit, we are working on signage, videos and more to communicate the great mahi being carried out on farms in the Upper Clutha.


EVENT:

Beef+Lamb NZ – Practical GHG workshops

This workshop is for farmers to calculate their Green House Gas (GHG) emissions number using the B&LNZ GHG calculator and write the GHG section of your farm plan.

Homework will be sent out prior (collecting stock records etc) so that you come away with numbers and a plan for your property. Early registration is recommended so that you have plenty of time to gather information prior.

If you have any questions, you are welcome to contact presenter Nicola McGrouther on 027 493 9500

DATES:

  • Tuesday 23 Nov 2pm – 5.30pm This is fully booked at this stage.
  • Wednesday 24 Nov 10am – 2.30pm (lunch provided) Open to all.

LOCATION:
Wānaka Hub, 34 McDougall Street, Wānaka

Numbers are limited as this is a small group workshop, so registrations are essential.


RESOURCE:

Predator Control On Farms – Predator Free NZ

Introduced predators (rats, mice, possums, stoats, ferrets and weasels) create havoc on farms.

They eat crops, spread diseases including bovine TB and Leptospirosis, damage equipment, and harm native plants and wildlife. They also breed fast: one pregnant rat can result in 400 more rats in just six months.

Check out this great resource to learn how predator control can make a significant difference on your land. Knowing when and how is the secret to being successful and keeping the costs down.

Predator Free NZ – Predator control on farms You’ll find information for different areas of your property and the best methods to use as well as tips on how to get started.





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