Taking action for nature in your backyard

Te Wiki o Te Taiao Conservation Week runs from today until the 7th of September. The theme this year is take action for nature.

All of us, whether as individuals, families, workplaces and organisations, have a role to play, and there are many actions we can take for nature, whether big or small, within our own capacities.

Why must we take action?

A combination of global warming, biodiversity loss due to human activity such as development and recreation, pollution and invasive species are contributing to the terrifying threat and loss of plant and animal species to extinction. Currently in Aotearoa, 40,000 (forty thousand!!!) species are at-risk or are threatened with extinction.

What can we do?

·Join a volunteer group, such as with us! Thursdays 2pm-4pm at 107 Stone Street, Wānaka

·Advocate for nature through local and Central Government levels; contact your local representatives and elected officials, write letters, petition, protest, boycott and divest to make your voice heard in action for nature protection

·Create an ecosystem for native plants and animals in your backyard/verandah/courtyard etc etc; mini-ecosystems support habitat for native animals including lizards, insects and birds, thereby supporting biodiversity

·Plant native plants at your home to attract pollinators

·Reduce wastewater run-off by washing your car on the lawn; wastewater and stormwater ends up in our lakes and waterways

·Install traps on your property; trapping pest animals helps keep our native animals safe, alive and thriving and reduces biodiversity loss

·Get involved in citizen science; contributing to the scientific data set helps organisations and Governments plan necessary and targeted ecosystem and biodiversity policies, strategies and actions

·Start a group and share the message about the importance of biodiversity and taonga species; educate yourselves and others about the significance and importance of saving our native species

·Donate to conservation organisations and Trusts, to help them continue their good mahi for nature

Check out https://www.doc.govt.nz/news/events/conservation-week/ for more information and for more ideas of actions you can take for nature this Conversation Week and every week of the year.

What is already being undertaken?

Well, right here with Friends of Bullock Creek, the work to restore the wetlands at the Bullock Creek Hatchery Springs site is just one example of taking action for nature. Over almost 10 years, more than 11,000 plants have gone into the ground, following the ongoing efforts to remove non-native invasive vegetation on site. The wetlands are home to a diverse ecosystem, from the wee macroinvertebrates and fish species in the creek itself, to the myriad native plant species, to the array of native birds making their home in the wetlands, not to mention the bees (!), Bullock Creek Hatchery Springs is a gem of a native restoration project.

Locally, we can also look to several other organisations doing good mahi for the environment, for example:

Te Kākano Aotearoa Trust- eco-sourced native seeds and plants, native nursery, community planting and education

WAI Wānaka- freshwater health and monitoring, education and community engagement

Southern Lakes Sanctuary- a collaboration of conservation organisations, educationcommunity engagement

Predator Free Wānaka- pest animal trapping and education

Forest & Bird- a range of local and national conservation projects for wai, te whenua, ngā moana and the climate