Community Wetland Restoration and Enhancement Project.

Wetlands are precious... land development over the last 150 years has resulted in the loss of 90% of our original wetlands! New Zealand was once a country rich in diverse saltwater, freshwater, upland and lowland wetlands. In recent years, attitudes have changed and for many, wetlands are now regarded a valuable resource. 

There has been a significant growth in on-ground works, with many community groups taking a leading role. This 3 year project, funded by MfE's Community Environment Fund will support new and existing community wetland restoration initiatives by strengthening networks between practitioners and provide opportunities to improve ecological monitoring skills.

Project Update: March 2012.

The community-focussed kit for monitoring wetlands is currently in development. The main sections include setting up photopoints, and monitoring  vegetation, weeds and pests. 

To gauge whether key community needs will be met by the kit, a trial will be carried out in March 2012. The main questions to participants will be e.g. Are the methods easy to follow? With basic training, are you confident that you could get reliable results using the kit? 

Once feedback on the kit has been collated, the kit will be updated and a final version produced. This will then be available for download from the NZ Landcare Trust website.