During Conservation Week in September, Tāngaro Tuia te Ora, the Endangered Species
Foundation, held workshops at Mystery Creek, to engage Bupa residents and tamariki (children) from four Waikato schools, Tamahere, Ohaupo, Rukuhia, and Kaipaki, about how to care for waterways and awhi an awa - embrace a stream.
Bupa resident, tamariki and Natalie Jessup at Mystery Creek for the Drains are Streams workshop. Photographer: Lesedi Bapegi
Tamariki learned about the vital role the local streams and rivers play in supporting Aotearoa’s endangered freshwater species and how their everyday actions can help restore waterways. The “Drains are Streams” project teaches how drains lead directly to the larger waterways, and how what goes into drains will eventually end up in our lakes, rivers and sea, increasing the threat to native species.
A unique aspect of the workshops was the intergenerational knowledge shared by 12 Bupa
residents, who contributed their personal stories and historical knowledge of the local rivers and lakes. These stories helped the tamariki understand the importance of preserving Aotearoa's waterways for the future generations.
Students went on to develop practical plans to engage their schools in adopting and maintaining local streams by cleaning drains and reducing litter that flows into waterways.
Tamariki devising plans on how to preserve their local streams, and students standing with their packages that were gifted by Bupa and the NZ LandCare Trust. Photographer: Lesedi Bapegi
The workshops were sponsored by Bupa and the NZ LandCare Trust, who generously provided each school with an "Adopt a Stream" pack to help implement the plans the students developed. These packs will enable the schools to take tangible steps toward improving the health of local waterways and include:
Advice on how to awhi awa and embrace a stream
Signage of a tuna (longfin eel) or kōaro (native fish) made of scrap steel
Concrete drill and screws
Education material about endangered freshwater fish in te reo Māori and English
Information about how drain systems work, and why we need to restore the health of our waterways
Access to education modules (4) for classrooms
Video on how to apply signage
Subscription to our newsletter and updates on endangered species and the health of our waterways
Everyone, including tamariki, can make a difference at home and in their communities by
monitoring what goes into the sink, ensuring that only rain goes down the drain, and adopting a stream by purchasing our toolkit here.
The workshop was part of a larger initiative called the “Junior Landscape Programme” that has recently been launched by the NZ Landcare Trust and is also sponsored by Bupa. Their mission is to reach out to the younger generation and raise awareness about the poor state of Aotearoa’s freshwater systems, which is critical with approximately 45% of waterways in poor health and 76% of our freshwater fish endangered.
Reflecting on the success of the workshops, General Manager Natalie Jessup says,
“It was lovely to witness this exchange of knowledge between the elderly and the young. The enthusiasm of the tamariki, combined with the wisdom shared by the Bupa residents, made this an interesting and engaging experience. We are excited to see the youthful energy translate into action as these schools adopt and care for streams in their communities.”
Tāngaro Tuia te Ora would like to extend its heartfelt thanks to Bupa, the NZ Landcare Trust,
Mystery Creek for their support in making this initiative possible. Through the collective efforts of all involved, meaningful progress can be made in addressing the troubled states of our waterways and protecting the endangered species that depend on them.
For more information about how you awhi your own stream and be involved in this project, you can visit https://www.endangeredspecies.org.nz/kete-adopt-a-stream