2021 - May - Latest news!
Kia ora Whanau,
Earlier this year we posted a link to some information about wetlands on this site (https://www.te-ripo-o-hinemata-wetland.org/2021-january.php) .
Further to that, these two posters here talk about why rohe kōreporepo/kūkūwai (wetlands) are so important locally and nationally. Kūkūwai/wetlands are important for our rerenga rauropi (biodiversity), for our drought and flood protection and also for fighting climate change..."Wetland restoration is one of the most sustainable, cost-effective, and ecologically sound solutions to climate change" [Annabeth Cohen - Freshwater Advocate].
The work that our whānau are doing by creating and supporting these wetlands for over a quarter of a century now is essential work to ensure we have a vibrant and healthy te taiao.
In fact, kūkūwai/wetlands are:
amazingly biodiverse natural habitats
a natural defence against flood and drought
our secret weapon in the fight against climate change
and the only home for many of our threatened native species
(ref: www.forestandbird.org.nz)
I have personally seen matuku hūrepo (Australasian bittern) in our wetlands, and this was also confirmed in a DOC survey on our whenua. These beautiful manu (see the attached poster/pic of a bittern) are actually classfied as 'critical' with an estimated fewer than 1,000 left in Aotearoa!
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Please click on pictures for a larger view of poster
Similarly for our mudfish, who live in our kūkūwai/wetlands, and are rarer than little spotted kiwi! We're blessed to have these, and our work is supporting the wetlands restoration, after more than 90% of all of Aotearoa's original wetlands have been drained, degraded or destroyed! We plan to do another planting in our wetlands later this year, and can possibly have a chance to see and/or hear a matuku hūrepo/bittern in our wetlands!
Enjoy reading these posters.
Mauri ora, nā
Johnny
Here are some online resources to help if you want to create a Wetland
PDF to download from DOC
PDF to download from BOPC