The Pourakino Catchment has a proud history of proactive, farmer-led conservation efforts through our Pourakino Catchment Conservation Trust, which has been going strong for ten years plus. Starting at the end of 2023 and into 2024, AgResearch researchers Dr. Robyn Dynes and Dr. Helen Percy started working with us to see how researchers can better collaborate with farming communities to tackle tough issues like water quality.

Their approach was all about action research. Instead of coming in with pre-set ideas, they worked with us to identify and explore the issues we care about. This meant building relationships, understanding what’s been done so far, and recognizing our values, attitudes, beliefs, and future goals.
 Next Steps: 

1. Presentation and Q&A Session: We kicked things off with a presentation and Q&A session on E. coli and water quality, specifically for our catchment. AgResearch’s Invermay-based water quality scientists, along with folks like Justin Kitto and Thriving Southland, are keen to get involved. Case study farms? Mitigations options and more 

2. AgResearch Brokering Role: AgResearch can continue to be a go-between, linking us to specific research or information areas like E. coli and GE.

3. Strategic Planning and Applications: We can use the findings from this project for our strategic planning and other applications, like future funding. Robyn and Helen are willing to help us complete diagrams and answer any questions about our future focus. They also suggest we look at baselining and ongoing monitoring of tangible changes in our catchment group, putting this into a Theory of Change that combines biophysical aspects with KASA (Knowledge, Attitudes, Skills, and Aspirations), which are seen as precursors to practice change. Other catchment groups are interested in this, so it might be worth trying out.