At last after a long hard spring it’s good to feel the temperatures rise and finally see more sun. What better way to celebrate that than to showcase all the fantastic mahi happening around the region.
Congratulations to all those who attended the Environment Southland Community Awards during October - it was outstanding to see so many people with Catchment Group connections as finalists across community, water quality, farming, business, biodiversity and other categories.
Massive congratulations to the two Catchment Groups who came away with honours and to Jody and Blair Drysdale for their win in the farming section. Lots more on that below.
November also means AGM time for us, so we’d love to see you in Otautau on 20 November for a catch up on the year that’s been and some new names coming on to the Thriving Southland board. We will also have a great speaker Neal Wallace. Neal has recently visited seven countries in six weeks reporting on market sentiment.
We’ve got plenty of great news from Catchment Groups across the region this month - from roadside cleanups to wetland directories, and lots of interesting events coming up in November.
Enjoy!
Resource of the Month
Reducing waste in your community, household and farm brochure
We thought it was timely with the amazing roadside clean-up this month to remind you that we have a fantastic Recycling brochure that you can check out - it has heaps of handy info about what can and can’t be recycled and who to go to for more advice on services available - check it out here.
Catchment Convos episode #4 LIVE now!
We hope you’ve been getting the ear pods out or connecting to your speakers for some Catchment Convos!
We’re delighted to have our fourth episode online, diving into the world of precision fermentation, a technology with the potential to reshape how we think about alternative proteins, especially here in New Zealand and talking with Kate Scott, Thriving Southland’s deputy Chair, we’re celebrating the evolution of Thriving Southland and diving into the role it plays in transforming our rural communities and more.
Check out the pod page here.
Catchment Group members and Groups big winners at Community Awards
Blair and Jody Drysdale
Southland Catchment Group members featured heavily at the 2024 Environment Southland Community Awards lasty month. Blair and Jody Drysdale picked up the Individual Leadership in Farming Award, and they were back up on the stage for a second time with the Balfour Catchment Group, who won the Environmental Action in Water Quality Award for their Targeted Solutions to Balfour’s Environmental Challenges Project, which focuses on understanding the reasons and pathways for N-Loss on the Balfour Fan.
Balfour Catchment Group
Makarewa Headwaters Catchment Group received a highly commended in the Environmental Action in the Community category for their Makarewa Headwaters Revival Project to reduce feral pig and deer numbers to look after their bush and waterways in their special part of Southland. What a fantastic night!
Makarewa Headwaters Catchment Group
Pourakino Catchment Group Hosts AgResearch Experts for Local Conservation Insights
This week, the Pourakino Catchment Group hosted a special event with AgResearch scientists, diving into findings from a recent project focused on water quality and sustainable practices in the catchment. In true Southland style, a power cut interrupted the presentation just as they were discussing wintering and E. coli with Dr. Ross Moynihan, and Dr. Richard Muirhead —but a local farmer came to the rescue with a generator to keep the night going and the jug hot!
The recent project, led by AgResearch researchers Dr. Robyn Dynes and Dr. Helen Percy, was all about collaborating with the local farming community to better understand challenges around water quality and land use. Known as “action research,” this approach focused on working together to identify key issues and explore solutions that align with community values and goals.
Next steps include creating resources to support ongoing improvements, such as the targeted presentations on E. coli delivered last month to the group, strategic planning tools, and baseline techniques to track environmental changes in the catchment. AgResearch remains a valuable resource, connecting the group with experts and supporting the application of these insights for future planning.
With a decade-long history of farmer-led conservation through the Pourakino Catchment Conservation Trust, the team is energised by AgResearch’s knowledge and excited to build on these new ideas moving forward.
Getting ahead with FEP's
The Waikaia Catchment Group held their first Farm Environment Plan (FEP) workshop last week! The group chose to tackle this together, with guidance from Ballance Agri-Nutrients’ Farm Sustainability team, who walked them through customized farm plans for each property. These workshops, spread across three half-days, are made possible by Deer Industry NZ and Rabobank. Feedback has been fantastic so far, so if your catchment group is interested in joining, reach out to your catchment coordinator or local Ballance representative!
Action packed field day for Wendonside
Wendonside is gearing up for an exciting field day on November 28th! This is a great chance to see and learn about the ongoing work in your catchment. Di Elliotte from Aquatech will kick things off by walking through the sampling process, followed by a session at the Wendonside Hall with Ainsley Adams from ABLime.
Ainsley will share insights on the Mid Oreti Catchment Group’s recent project with Collaborations, which uses a digital modeling platform for paddock-scale mitigations across the catchment. Don't miss it! For more details, contact Rob Dingle or check out the Thriving Southland events page.
And we're up and running!
The Upper Mataura Catchment Group re-formed this month, gathering for an initial discussion on direction and purpose. It was a fantastic turnout from the community, with the group focusing on existing knowledge and identifying gaps in water quality data they want to address. Another meeting is planned for late November, so reach out to Steve Wilkins or Catchment Coordinator Ginny Kennedy for more details.
Edendale Aquifer Group - Understanding our Water Quality
The Edendale Aquifer Group invited Land and Water Science to speak about how the geology, surface water movement, soil types and ground water movement impact the water quality results the community are seeing.
It was interesting to learn that there is a line of lignite (natural ability to remove nitrates from water) sitting close to the surface on the western boundary of the Edendale Catchment, which becomes buried further below ground level as you move closer to the eastern terrace.
Land and Water Science have requested data from Environment Southland on the Group's behalf, and analysed and interpreted it. This data includes water quality measurements from local bores, water quality measurement sites, local data and past research papers. This is an exciting project, and we’re looking forward to contributing the water quality data collected through our monthly water quality monitoring sessions, every 3rd Friday of the month. For more information, email edendaleaquifergroup@gmail.com
Wonderful Wetland Tool Launched for Winton Stream
Winton Stream’s catchment now have a new wetland, bund and flow pathway tool thanks to Mid Oreti’s Marshalling the Best Project.
The innovative online interactive map was launched at a workshop in Winton last month and, anabling land owners to zoom into their property, follow the contours of the land, see overland flow pathways and water accumulations, and identify the best place for a wetland or runoff control structure. Useful info also pops up on the N, P and sediment benefits of putting a wetland, run-off detainment bund or sediment trap, or on smaller mitigations that also help with our local water quality goals, such as, recommended areas for temporary fencing during winter grazing or planting areas of high erosion.
Alongside the online tool, the Group have made a Wetland Directory full of practical information on how people can create their own wetland sediment trap or bund. This will be out really soon, and ou can find it at - https://www.thrivingsouthland.co.nz/mid-oreti/.
Ainsley will be at the next Southland Catchment Group Forum meeting in November if your Catchment Group want to talk to her about the project. She has led this work for the past year from idea to final workshop and is very happy to share what she has learned. You might also hear her on The Muster or a Thriving Southland podcast!
1km each way roadside clean-up a huge success
Well done to Greater Dipton, Mid Oreti and Makarewa Headwaters Catchment Groups for their first 1km each way community roadside rubbish and recycling pick up - with more than 600kg picked up by about 100 people.
Families headed out and cleaned up roadsides across their special part of Southland. Some walked from their mailboxes, while others chose community spots or local roads which they knew needed a bit of love. Local Catchment Group members manned community drop-off points, and spots prizes (donated by Winton New World) were handed out for the most unusual finds, best idea to repurpose an item and most rubbish and recycling collected by a family.
Thanks to all the amazing families who took part, and the fantastic supporters and sponsors - AB Lime, New World Winton, Baker Wools Winton, PGG Wrightson Wool, Ryal Bush Transport and SouthRoads.
Unfortunately very little collected could be recycled as it was so dirty, but AB Lime were brilliant and disposed of it safely for us at the Southern Regional Landfill site. The plan is to run the event next year - even bigger and better. So let your Catchment Coordinator know if your Group is keen to join in.
Mid Oreti Catchment Group – Mini Forest Movement Native Plant Nursery drop-in session
(First Tuesday of every month)
Tuesday 5 November, 4pm to 6pm
AB Lime Nursery, 10 Bend Road, Winton
All welcome to our monthly native plant growing working-bee evenings at the AB Lime Nursery - first Tuesday of every month. Your help will go towards growing plants for the Mid Oreti Mini Forest Movement Project, which provides native plants to the local community and landowners for their planting projects. Training is provided and all ages welcome! Stay for as little or as long as you like.
Edendale Aquifer Group – N-Loss Mitigation Modelling Workstream workshop
Monday 18 November, from 7.30pm
Fonterra board room at the Edendale plant
Join us for a workshop on the Edendale N-Loss Mitigation Modelling Workstream.
DairyNZ will be joining the Edendale aquifer group, online, or join us at the Fonterra Board Room for an in person session. They will be presenting baseline models for four local dairy farms, Overseerfm and Farmax. The session will be around farmers telling DNZ what mitigations they would like to model in the system
We’ll also discuss the economic and environmental impacts and explore how these practices can be applied across the Edendale catchment.
Thriving Southland AGM
Wednesday 20 November, from 1.30pm to 3.30pm
Otautau Connect Centre
Join us for a bite to eat, a catch up with other Southland farmers and friends, and hear what Thriving Southland achieved in 2023/24 and plans for 2024/25. We also have guest speaker, Neal Wallace, an agri-journalist for more than 30 years. Neal will be discussing his recent trip overseas and observations of New Zealand agriculture in the market.
Practical grow your own native plants workshop and planting sessions
Friday 22 November, from 11am to 2pm (times to be confirmed)
Mabel Bush Hall
Join Hedgehope Makarewa Catchment Group in this practical session on how to collect, grow and plant out native plants, with our hands-on experts – Brad Gibson - Biodiversity Field Officer at AB Lime & Sandra Campbell – Region Advisor Otago for On Farm Support. Bring your old ice cream tubs and gardening gloves to sow out some seeds. Followed by a delicious BBQ lunch, and an afternoon planting 200 native plants around Mabel Bush Hall with Hedgehope School. Call Sarah (027 588 5200) for more information.
Waihopai Woolshed Talk with Jim Risk – Nitrogen Use and Efficiency
Wednesday 27 November, from 11am to 1pm
Woodlands Research Farm Woolshed, 204 Woodlands-Morton Mains Road
Hear from Jim, Ballance Agri-Nutrients, about how we use nitrogen, how to get the greatest nitrogen use efficiency, and some common myths. All welcome and there is a BBQ lunch after the talk. Call Eoin 027 307 6928 or Sarah 027 588 5200 if you have any questions.
Waikawa Seed Sourcing and Propagation Workshop
Wednesday 4 December, from 4.30pm to 6pm
Waikawa Hall
Jesse Bythell will lead a workshop on tips for seed sourcing and propagation on local native plants that are easy and good to grow for your local riparian project.
Christmas Competition
Check our website for details https://www.thrivingsouthland.co.nz/southland-christmas-competition/
Wendonside Catchment Group – Field Day coming soon
The WCG is looking to lock in a field day for late November - keep a eye on the Thriving Southland website events page for further information.
There are likely to be more events in the pipeline so make sure you check out the events section on the Thriving Southland website and the Facebook page for details.
Have a great November,
Ngā mihi
Richard Kyte (Thriving Southland Project Lead) and the Thriving Southland Team
