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Environmental Action in Water Quality Improvement

This award recognises individuals, groups, businesses or farms that are taking action to improve water quality within Southland. Judges are looking for action resulting in enduring improvements to water quality that relate to wetlands, estuaries, rivers, streams or lakes. Projects/actions in the early stages of environmental action or established projects and those in either urban or rural settings are eligible for this award.

Sponsored by Fish & Game, Southland

Hedgehope Makarewa Catchment Group’s two major projects are focused on making great science accessible and looking after the wellbeing of each other, the environment and community.

The Winter Crop Establishment Project was a cross-sector pilot study to gain on-farm information about different aspects of winter grazing to support farmers, and meet the upcoming Essential Freshwater Regulations. The study tested whether utilising alternative crop establishment methods for fodder beet, swedes and kale improved soil structure and strength. They gathered a huge amount of data, working closely with Southern Dairy Hub, an independent agronomist and 10 commercial farms.

The second project, Understanding Our Land to Drive Change, saw the group work alongside Land & Water Science to use science and local knowledge to understand how variation in landscape characteristics drives water quality outcomes for the catchment. Using cutting edge technology, they created and tested an online platform to help share the data with the catchment’s landowners in an easy-to-understand and view way.

The whole Hedgehope community works together to connect, inspire and support each other to make great decisions that look after and benefit land, water and people.

This innovative project involves a Te Anau couple making a real difference by turning a piece of farmland back into native beech forest and wetland.

Sue and Simon Marwick purchased their 3ha block of farmland on Kakapo Road near Te Anau in December 2019 and started planting it in early 2020. It was ideal for planting, being a gully with a range of different habitats from small ponds and wetlands to steep slopes and a flat terrace. It already had some red tussock and various native shrubs.

The retired couple are both keen conservationists with a concern about the degradation of native environments, as well as the escalating effects of climate change. Sue and Simon hope that this will provide habitat for many native plants, birds and other species, as well as help to sequester some carbon. They hope it might also encourage others to start their own restoration projects.

They have propagated almost all of their own trees and have planted approximately 10,000 trees so far. The couple expect to plant another 5000 trees to complete the project.

The project has been supported by Billion Trees funding as well as Environment Southland’s ‘Environmental Enhancement Fund’ and ‘Trees That Count’. The QE2 Trust is currently helping them establish a Restoration Agreement to protect the plantings, prior to a full QE2 Covenant being granted when planting is completed.

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