Kaipātiki Stream Care

Kaipātiki Project, in partnership with Freshwater Ecologist, Brett Stansfield from Environmental Impact Assessments Ltd and six local schools, is into our third year of Stream Care Community Science monitoring. The programme comprises children monitoring four stream sites located in four catchments of Kaipātiki. The programme has significantly contributed to our understanding of the ecology and water quality of our awa with data being reported to NZ Water Citizens Database and NZ Freshwater Fish Database.

Children’s involvement heightened their awareness of the environmental impact their actions have, taught them about stream life and scientific measuring practices, as well as prepared them as environmental champions, scientists and advocates for the awa of the Kaipātiki rohe.

We are currently working with Pest Free Kaipātiki to develop our Freshwater Coordination Programme to be embedded in the Kaipātiki community. To strategically increase collaboration, capacity and realise opportunities for on the ground delivery towards the improvement of ecological health and increase the quality and quantity of Community Science monitoring of streams and catchments across the Kaipātiki area.

Key to this programme's robust scientific component is our collaboration with EIA Ltd to support our StreamCare Community Science Programme. Results from this programme provide a baseline of knowledge from which future comparisons can be made to determine whether land management practices in these catchments are impacting on surface water and ecology.

Our Goal: By 2030, the Oruamo and Kaipātiki Stream catchment is renowned for its healthy waterways and estuaries, its diverse and pest-free native urban forests that are able to support kākā and kōkako, and for children and adults being immersed in nature.

We thank our funders and partners!