Wetlands Week Collaboration

Sep 6

This August, ‘Waiheke Wetlands Week’ was born – a collaboration between WMP and Waiheke Resources Trust (WRT) to highlight the importance of wetland ecosystems and the existing work that has been happening on the motu by the Love Our Wetlands initiative.

On Thursday August 11, we kicked off a series of three events with the launch of Karen Denyer and Monica Peters’ ‘Life in the Shallows: Wetlands of Aotearoa New Zealand,’ an engaging book that tells the stories of wetland ecologists as they don their waders and uncover the secrets lurking within wetlands across Aotearoa. There is something for everyone in this book; from Te Ao Māori perspectives on repo, to invasive fish management, to the wonder that is our common ancestor, ‘pond scum.’

On Saturday, we hosted a sold-out Auckland premiere of Kathleen Gallagher’s ‘Rohe Kōreporepo: The Swamp, the Sacred Place’ at the Waiheke Community Cinema (thank you Matthias!). This was another awe-inspiring account of wetlands and restoration initiatives across the country. We closed the screening with a discussion between Karen, Kathleen and Kym Rawson, the restoration manager for WRT, facilitated by our fabulous Kelp Gardeners co-ordinator, Darleen Tana Hoff-Neilsen.

Wetlands Week then wrapped up with a community planting day at Rangihoua Sports Park. We had community talent young and old there, including several Ngāti Pāoa whānau, spade in hand, heart in land.

Together with the wetlands, us two-leggeds may just have a chance to collectively turn things around as we face the climate crisis – so here’s to the swamps, the bogs, the repo – ground zero for ecosystem regeneration and revitalization for us all!

Alice McSherry
Steering Group member