About us

Friends of bullock creek Objectives:

(a) To protect, restore and enhance the public amenity and the environment of Bullock Creek from head waters to its entry point into Lake Wanaka.

(b) To raise and manage funds to support object (a) above.

(c) To engage, inform and educate members of the public and residents of Wanaka as to the significance of Bullock Creek as a spring fed waterway, and how to manage and protect it.

Trustees

The current trustees of Friends of Bullock Creek Charitable Trust are:

Ben Irving, Roger Gardiner and Charlotte Gardiner

operational committee

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Ben Irving - President

I am a passionate, energetic business leader who is committed to finding innovative ways to create positive change in the world. I feel a responsibility to improve the environment I live in if I wish to keep enjoying it as much as I do.

Charlotte Gardiner - Treasurer

Born and raised in Wānaka, Charlotte runs a virtual CFO business helping both for-profit and not-for-profit clients with their management accounting.

She has joined FOBC to lend her skills to a good cause and bring awareness to a natural asset of the township.

Roger Gardiner - Secretary

Roger has been an active member of the Wanaka community since the 80’s. He has been the mastermind and driving force behind many projects down at the wetland. He will often be found in a pair of gumboots doing the hard yards at the site.

Barry Mitchell - Board Member

Growing up in Central Otago and educated in Dunedin, Barry settled in Wanaka at the beginning of 2016 after 40 years in senior management roles in Auckland and Christchurch. He has been the Treasurer of the Wanaka Residents Association since his move to Wanaka and is an active volunteer in local and regional activities

David Payton - Board Member

Administration Assistant

I live up the hill from Bullock Creek. I walk there almost everyday. I’m inspired by the beauty of this little natural haven in the middle of suburbia. I’m a keen conservationist and a regular trapper in the Mt Aspiring National Park. I am constantly awed by the transformation of the wetlands that were previously overgrown when I first moved to Wanaka. Now bellbirds and tui’s serenade me on my walk.

our partners

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Paul van Klink – Otago Fish and Game

Paul joined Otago Fish & Game in 2015. Maintenance of the old Fish & Game hatchery buildings and associated headwater springs of Bullock Creek was a project on his to do list as the 2.7ha wetlands at the head of Bullock Creek was inaccessible and choked with exotic weeds. Prior to joining Fish & Game Paul gained a background in biodiversity and conservation work working for the Department of Conservation. From 2005 to 2015 he worked as a self-employed ecologist specialising in surveying and management of threatened bird species including mohua, fernbird, weka, whio and kea. Paul has been living in Wanaka since 2012.

Department of Corrections Ara Poutama Aotearoa

www.corrections.govt.nz

Touchstone - touchstone.org.nz

The Touchstone Project is a direct action initiative to support those concerned about the Lake Wanaka water catchment and to help educate those who are not. 'Touchstone' - refers to the lake being an assimilator of all human activity in the surrounding catchment. Water bodies such as large lakes are often referred to as “touchstones” of the past.

At Touchstone we work with people who 'do stuff' - those making tangible differences, and by starting to gather and understand information about what affects our lake we can start to carry out actions that directly improve the lake’s values and support everything we like about living near Lake Wanaka.

Our Citizen Science Projects "What are we Swimming In?" and Down the Drains was supported by Curious Minds Funding

WAI Wanaka - waiwanaka.nz

WAI Wānaka connects individuals, community groups, iwi, landowners and businesses undertaking positive work towards enhancing water quality, ecosystem function and reversing biodiversity loss within the Upper Clutha. The Upper Clutha's catchments and water bodies are vital for the health and wellbeing of our community, both regionally and nationally.

WAI Wānaka believes that science lies at the heart of understanding how we balance the needs of our community alongside maintaining the health of our environment and advocates for the active management of waterways supported by evidence-based decision making.

Te Kākano Aotearoa Trust - tekakano.org.nz

Te Kākano Aotearoa Trust is a Wanaka community-based native plant nursery that specialises in propagating plants of local origin (Upper Clutha region) and uses these plants for localised native habitat restoration. We work with local community groups, schools, organisations & businesses in the effort to promote hands-on community land care.

Our mission is to inspire community native habitat restoration through propagation, education and hands-on participation.

Te Kakano was involved at the beginning of the Bullock Creek planting project in 2016. We helped with the clearing and initial clean-up of the wetland. To learn more about Te Kākan, visit our website: www.tekakano.org.nz

Otago Catchment Communities Inc.

FOBC has been the grateful recipient of funding from OCC whose objectives include:

Providing organisational support for Catchment Groups and their volunteers. Assisting with the formation and direction setting of new and emerging groups. Assisting individual groups with accessing funding. Providing administration support to help create and run groups. Help Catchment Groups and OCC communicate their story. Facilitating access to experts, information, technology, and education. Establishing enduring funding pipelines to support changing needs. Facilitate collaboration between Catchment Groups, Government, Regional Authorities and Stakeholders.

Join us in protecting Bullock Creek

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