Restoring the mana of the Rotorua/Te Arawa lakes

Restoring the mana of the Rotorua/Te Arawa lakes

Something interesting has been happening in the Rotorua/Te Arawa lakes over the past decade or so. Instead of separating into factious groups, government, NGOs, iwi, members of the farming community, scientists and the wider community have united in kōrero and actions...
How to rescue our fresh water

How to rescue our fresh water

New Zealand has a freshwater crisis. There is little doubt about this now as report after report has piled up over the last year. National and international research reaches the same conclusion. In an interview on his own report on the state of the country’s fresh...
Waterway health at the heart of identity and wellbeing

Waterway health at the heart of identity and wellbeing

Toitū a Tāne, toitū a Tangaroa, toitū te tangata The endurance of man relies on that of the environment. Waterway health is at the heart of identity and wellbeing. Signs restricting beach and river swimming or wading, and fish consumption, are becoming common sights...
The animalcules* within

The animalcules* within

*Animalcules is the name that Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, a Dutch draper, gave the organisms he saw when he first looked at a drop of pond water using one of his handcrafted microscopes in the 1670’s. My connection with water over the years  When I think back to my...
Formidable Phormidium lurking beneath

Formidable Phormidium lurking beneath

One of my favourite rivers in the Canterbury region is the Ōpihi River. Its mauri, however, has been eroded and like many of our rivers, it is now a shadow of its former self. Currently, one of the many problems in this catchment is toxic algal blooms. These blooms...
Smoke and mirrors in environmental data reporting

Smoke and mirrors in environmental data reporting

The misuse of scientific data to portray a particular perspective is not unusual in advertising, but the presentation of water quality data by the government in New Zealand is a glaring example of misrepresentation to alter public perception. Here is one example:...