Motueka Catchment Collective

The BIG Motueka Valley community weeding event
2024-08-11 10:00 - 13:00 (Pacific/Auckland)
When: Sunday 11 August, 10am – 1pm
Where: Near Haycocks Bush, (on the grassy area at the entrance to 2094 Motueka River Westbank Road). Parking is at Pokororo Hall.
MCC invites everyone in the Motueka catchment, and the wider community, with an interest in being part of action to restore our beautiful whenua, to come along to this BIG community weeding event.
The Pest Management Thematic Group of MCC is hoping for BIG numbers from the community to come and help clear Old Mans Beard vines climbing up the large native trees from a site in the Motueka Valley next to Haycocks Bush. This event is part of a wider MCC project to control weeds in this riparian area. It needs a BIG effort over the next year and this community event will kick things off by starting to get on top of this pesky weed which is smothering our natives!
MCC will provide some tools and equipment. However we may not have enough for everyone so please bring your own secateurs, gloves and a folding saw if you have them. Come in working clothes (long sleeves and pants) appropriate for the weather with gummies or boots and a raincoat, and be prepared to get stuck in! Experts will be there to explain what needs to be done and how to do the mahi.
There’ll be some kai afterwards and hot drinks and cookies to thank you for your efforts!
This event is part of a larger weeding project supported by MCC along the Motueka River West Bank riparian strip between the Graham River confluence and working upstream to the Hoods QEII block. This will involve ongoing weeding sessions between July 2024 and July 2026 to control weeds in this area. Some of this weeding will be done by community weeding croups, and some by contractors.
We hope this community event will lead to increased community support for existing weeding groups in the valley who have an ongoing job to continue weeding in this area. We really need your support!
Please register here – https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/N3HBRKF
Here’s a map of the site:

MCC Living River Group event
2024-07-28 10:00 - 13:00 UTC
Tuatahi ko te awa, tuarua ko te awa
Of first importance, the river. Of second importance, the river
The Living River Group of MCC would like to invite you to an event to explore indigenous perspectives towards valuing and managing our rivers.
Date: Sunday 28th July
Time: 10am – 1pm
Location: Te Maatu, Motueka High School, Whakarewa Street, Motueka
Speakers
David Young will talk about his book Wai Pasifika – Indigenous ways in a changing climate in which he discusses freshwater systems across the Pacific, the history of how indigenous communities use water and how this changed when colonisers arrived, the problem with current trends in water management, and the revitalisation of indigenous-led water and food management.
Dayveen Stephens, Ngāti Tama Pou Taiao, and Deputy Chair of the MCC Steering Group, will kōrero about the importance of wai, and how the Motueka Awa is a Tupuna Awa to Ngāti Tama whānau, significant sites along the awa, mahinga kai, and waitapu cultural practices. Dayveen resides on the ancestral lands of Wakapuaka. Dayveen is also an iwi representative on the Nelson Tasman Climate Forum, was a speaker at the 2023 Rivers Group Conference and the Native Forestation Workshop held recently in Whakatū.

Dayveen Stephens

David Young

Following a time for questions of the presenters, there will be discussions in groups, including exploring how participants would like the Motueka River and its catchment to be in 5, 50, 100 years time.
Tina (lunch) will be provided after all that brain work!
To register please click here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QTV6S5N

Let’s get those pests!
2024-06-22 16:00 - 18:00 UTC
This is an informal workshop to provide education and promote trapping in the Motueka Valley.
Date – Saturday 22nd June
Time – 4-6pm
Location – Ngātīmoti Community rooms, 1425 Motueka Valley Highway, Ngātīmoti.
We have a number of very knowledgeable and experienced speakers who will present on the topics outlined below, with time afterwards for conversation and questions.
You will also hear about the work of the MCC’s Pest Management Group, the work of Trap NZ, how to access subsidised traps from TDC, examples of ink traps which are essential for successful trapping, and other topics around trapping.
Kai will be provided by MCC.
Speakers lined up are:

Barry Burger – Barry is the trapping coordinator for the Farmers 4 Whio project, which currently has over 500 traps in the catchment. Barry will give a demonstration on how to set and calibrate DOC traps with advice on setting them up to get the best chance of catching predators.
Bruce Stare – Bruce is the representative of weedbusters and can provide some tips on controlling old mans beard in the catchment.
Josh Preston – Josh is the local DOC trapping expert and can bring along display traps and a trapping tree.

To register go here – https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BDC6WQ2

Native plantings an their co-benefits
2024-05-11 09:30 - 11:30 UTC
Saturday 11 May 2024 from 9:30 to 12:00 pm
Mahakaruna Farm, 75 Thorp Orinoco Road, Ngatimoti
The Motueka Catchment Collective Biodiversity and Restoration group invites you to a planting workshop held at Mahakaruna farm, near Ngatimote. This includes a walk around a successful, well established native planting, of 50,000 native plants which is ongoing. These have been managed both conventionally and, in some places, organically.
The farm is a 75 ha organic farm owned by Gary and Meg Hirsberg. Gary co-founded Stonyfield Farm, the world’s largest organic yoghurt brand and champions organic production around the world. Their journey on this property has involved BioGro organic certification, native reforestation (organic and non-organic), and infrastructure development. The farm is in the process of establishing certified organic herb and vegetable market gardens, fruit, nuts and olives, an heirloom apple orchard, livestock and honey. The centre combines organics and entrepreneurship and will eventually feature several NZ-owned organic micro-enterprises.
The native plantings, practical demonstration of planting and native nursery, will be the focus of this event.
There will also be a talk via zoom by Brad Howlett from Plant and Food. He will be reporting on his 2 million project which is supported by a number of farming organisations as well as the government. The project seeks to find optimal mix of native plant species, planting areas, and planting landscapes to maximise the number of insects providing pollination and predation behaviour without creating refuges for insect pests. He will talk about designing native plantings that might best optimise insect populations for pollination for pastoral farmers (clover pollination, crops) and horticulture (kiwifruit, apples) and for lifestylers. He will cover his latest results on which natives promote most pollinating insects and beneficial predator insects and how can a native planting be best designed to achieve these outcomes.
A BBQ will be provided after the workshop.
To register go to this link – https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JDQD5H5

Fencing workshop
2024-04-28 10:00 - 14:00 UTC
The MCC would like to invite you to a fencing workshop where you will be given a guided tour around John Noakes’ farm to show you the various types of fencing including to protect your
environmental restoration work and native bush areas (including QEII lots), riparian areas and wetlands.
The very knowledgeable and practical John Noakes will also give you a demonstration of all the equipment you’ll need, how to erect and operate electric fencing, and give you pointers around fencing maintenance.
You will take away a manual with the different types of fencing equipment you might need.
A simple BBQ lunch will be provided.
To register, go to this link – https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PC8F255

MCC Planting workshop
2024-04-27 10:00 - 13:00 UTC
When: Saturday 27 April, morning
Where: A property in the Motueka Valley (to be advised)
Run by: The Biodiversity and Restoration Thematic Group
The MCC Biodiversity and Restoration Thematic Group would like to invite you to a planting workshop on a property that has successfully planted 15,000 native plants. We will be viewing the plantings and discussing the processes involved that led to success of their planting. There is a nursery onsite where they are growing their own plants. We intend to find speakers around growing natives for birds and beneficial insects for farming. A BBQ lunch will be provided.
More details including a registration link will be sent out soon.

Drought conditions - brief discussion
2024-04-24 17:30 - 20:30, 2024-04-11 17:30 - 20:30 UTC
Farmers and Growers
The Top of the South Rural Support Trust invite farmers to a brief discussion on drought conditions with local farm consultant Brent Boyce. Finishing with a BBQ and social get together.

Farm Environment Plans for lifestylers
2024-04-24 17:30 - 20:00 UTC
If you have a lifestyle property that is over 20 hectares you are most likely required to have a Farm Environment Plan for your property. FEP requirements are for 20ha or more of pastoral use, 5 ha or more of horticulture, or 20 ha or more of combined use. For more information see here – https://tasman.govt.nz/my-region/tasman-rural-hub-2/freshwater-farm-plans/
This event is a chance to learn what these plans are and have help developing your own Farm Environment Plan.
Here are the topics that will be covered at the event:

Topic Overview
Topics

Understanding of how your land affects the environment
Water quality overview, erosion, critical sources, soils, impact of animals

Complete a planting and plant management plan for your property and a management plan
Weed control, plant layout, planting methods, plant choice, seed collection.

Management practises to mitigate environmental issues
Wetlands, riparian strips, bunds, sediment ponds

You will be given a simple template to complete your own Farm Environment Plan. Knowledgeable people, including Tasman District Council staff, will be there to help you put your plan together along with other resources to assist you.
For those of you in the Motueka catchment that complete you plan will be provided with up to 200 free plants.
See this link to apply – https://motuekacatchment.org.nz/trees-that-count-native-trees-available-now/
To register go to: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TTQQVSY

Seed Collection Workshop
2024-04-06 09:30 - 12:30 UTC
Where: Near Tapawera
You will learn about eco-sourcing and seed collection in a remnant forest on a working farm. Hear from special guest presenter Michael North, a renowned local native plant ecologist. Michael has prepared most of the ecology reports in the regions on special areas of bush.
What to bring: Bring branches of native plants for identification. Bring your own chair and something simple to share for a country style lunch.
This event is limited to 20 people and priority will be given to people living in the Motueka catchment.
To book, click below:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/72DXGD9

Building a wetland event
2024-04-05 16:00 - 17:30 UTC
When: Friday 5 April 4:00 to 5:30 pm
Where: Moutere Catchment (address to be supplied on registration)
Run by: NZ Landcare Trust
In the Moutere catchment we are using Westpac funding to build 2 wetlands that don’t need consents.
You are invited to visit one of these wetlands up Blackbird Valley in the Moutere catchment while it is being built. Come and see how easy it is to put in these small wetlands. Talk to the technical expert supervising the building of the wetland.
To register https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/T7ZWN3G
Why build a wetland yourself?
Wetlands are something every property could have to help filter water leaving the farm.
Wetlands are nature’s way of filtering sediment and E Coli, using nutrients and buffering large and low rainfall as well as great for biodiversity. Wetlands may have been drained but can remain as a wet boggy, unproductive, part of the farm. These can often be easily and cheaply (<$5000) reinstated. And sometimes this can be done without a consent. Other times you may be able to access TDC global consent for constructed wetlands.

Native Resilience event (rescheduled)
2024-02-18 10:00 - 13:00 UTC
RUN BY THE BIODIVERSITY AND RESTORATION GROUP
A restoration journey on a QEII covenanted property. Speakers:

Site analysis – what to plant and where for plant survival. Helen Linsdsay, Restoration planting specialist, Project Janzsoon.
Best native species for erosion control. Annette Litherland, NZ Landcare Trust.
Planting in flood affected sites. Roger Gaskell, botanist, ex biodiversity officer, DOC.
Caring for your plants, protection from drought. Steve Holloway. MAD conservation services.
Native planting for low flammability. Nick Fry, Fire and Emergency.

BBQ Lunch provided. View the onsite low cost, native propagation system. Post lunch optional walk to meditation platform above native bush.
520 Motueka River, West Bank Road.
To register please click here

SHMAK kit training
2024-02-17 09:00 - 16:00 UTC
The Motueka Catchment Collective Freshwater Monitoring Thematic Group and Tasman Bay Guardians invites you to a hands-on training session on how to use the SHMAK kit for monitoring the health of freshwater bodies.
We would love to have residents from across the Motueka Catchment monitoring the health of their local waterbodies. This will help us understand where action is needed, and can help assess the benefits of restoration efforts.
The training will be at the Pokororo Hall, 2032 Motueka River West Bank Road, Motueka Valley on:

17 February – from 9 am to 4 pm

Lunch will be provided.
Please fill in this registration form if you would like to attend. Please contact Shannon Parker on coorinator@motuekacatchment.org.nz if you have any questions.

SHMAK kit training
2024-02-16 09:00 - 16:00 UTC
The Motueka Catchment Collective Freshwater Monitoring Thematic Group and Tasman Bay Guardians invites you to a hands-on training session on how to use the SHMAK kit for monitoring the health of freshwater bodies.
We would love to have residents from across the Motueka Catchment monitoring the health of their local waterbodies. This will help us understand where action is needed, and can help assess the benefits of restoration efforts.
The training will be at the Pokororo Hall, 2032 Motueka River West Bank Road, Motueka Valley on:

16 February – from 9 am to 4 pm

Lunch will be provided.
Please fill in this registration form if you would like to attend. Please contact Shannon Parker on coorinator@motuekacatchment.org.nz if you have any questions.

Snorkel Drift Dive
2024-02-11 10:00 - 14:00 UTC
Bring the whole whānau and explore the waters of Motueka River during a drift snorkel and community day at McLeans Recreation Reserve!
Learn about what lives in the your local river. An experienced snorkel guide and all equipment will be provided.
Koha welcomed.
Full programme and registration details at Eventbrite and FB
For ages 7 years and over with an adult Adventure audit accredited jude@mountainstosea.org.nz
Safety Audit CERTIFIED
TO REGISTER PLEASE CLICK HERE
