From Mountains to Sea - Freshwater Wānanga Planning 2024
Client
Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust
Experts
Juliet Milne (Traverse Environmental)
The Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust (MTSCT) sought expert guidance for the delivery of Freshwater Wānanga 2024, the latest iteration of the annual training event for catchment and community co-ordinators across the motu.
This year’s wānanga focused on how to implement the recently completed national quality assurance framework for community-based monitoring. This NIWA-led framework focuses on stream health monitoring and provides catchment groups with fit-for-purpose tools - templates, guidance and background reporting tips – to help them carry out monitoring of their own.
MTSCT requested expert advice around any knowledge or capability gaps in their planned content for this years’ wānanga. MTSCT is also in the process of developing a national website for community-based monitoring and have requested A2E’s expert support in bringing this to life – in line with the national quality assurance framework.
The framework was co-developed by NIWA and Juliet Milne (Traverse Environmental), the latter of which providing expert support through A2E.
After defining MTSCT’s objectives and their approach, Juliet then identified gaps in capability and knowledge. Juliet supported MTSCT plan the wānanga, ensuring knowledge gaps were filled, and that the session would speak to community-based monitoring under a national quality assurance framework.
Juliet’s guidance was also instrumental on the day; their support role in ‘classroom’ activity sessions and stream-based monitoring sessions helped the wānanga run smoothly. You can view a recording from one of the sessions here.
Following the wānanga, Juliet will provide technical input where required as MTSCT develop a community-based monitoring website.
Like wānanga from years prior, this was a valuable opportunity for attendees to build valuable networks, enhance their monitoring capabilities, and share their learnings and tools in the freshwater management space.
MTSCT Poutokomanawa/Co-Director Kim Jones is complimentary of the support received, saying that “A2E has been excellent, and the entire process was smooth and straightforward.”
“Juliet provided valuable support in training our catchment coordinators at our national wānanga, and as a result, our coordinators are better equipped to help catchment groups across New Zealand.
“They can now support groups in conducting appropriate community-based freshwater monitoring to a higher standard and purpose”, says Jones.
Juliet gave a ‘how-to’ for using the national quality assurance framework co-developed with NIWA. Increasing attendee’s knowledge in the monitoring space will result in:
- An increased understanding and more information sharing about our waterways.
- More targeted actions to improve the health of our waterways.
The upcoming community-based monitoring website will serve as a long-term resource, boosting capability for MTSCT coordinators and their catchment groups in the freshwater space.