We know Southland’s busiest time of the year is Spring, but that didn’t slow down the Catchment Group activity!
It’s been great to see people managing to squeeze in so many great Catchment Group events during this busy time of year.
Check out the round-up of upcoming Mataura Catchment Group activities below – with everything from bird monitoring to field days and a wetland open day.
Elsewhere, we bid a farewell to Ainsley Adams, from Mid Oreti Catchment Group who has been an absolute stalwart of the Thriving Southland scene! Check out her story below to find out what new adventures she’s embarking on.
Soil, mapping and farm plan workshops have been happening and we’re about to get stuck into another round of the magnificent 1km clean-ups – check out all the details in the upcoming events section.
The Mid Dome Catchment Group have been busy brainstorming a whole lot of new events, and remember to save the date for the Thriving Southland AGM on 13 November.
News
Farewell Ainsley Adams
Chocolate cakes, chocolate fish, Freddo frog biccies, chippies and dip, and wiggly eels (aka gummy snakes) were the perfect way to wish Ainsley good luck on her next big adventure. Ainsley has been a key driver behind the Mid Oreti Catchment Group and some of their great projects, and we wish her well with her new role.
This photo was taken at her last official monthly Mid Oreti nursery drop-in session.
Hopefully her new job brings her back to Southland on a regular basis, and she will be able to pop along to a monthly Mid Oreti nursery session or Catchment Group event – all the best Ainsley!
Waiau Catchment Group soil project case studies
The Waiau Catchment Committee is continuing to develop practical information from the creation of Soil Management Units across the catchment. Working with Land and Water Science, case studies are being finalised on several local farms to show how this knowledge can boost both production and environmental outcomes.
The Committee is also drawing on the expertise of the Thriving Southland comms team and local rural professionals to make sure the results are practical and valuable for farmers.
If you’d like to learn more about the project, get in touch at waiaucatchmentproject@gmail.com
Recent Events
Catchment Groups Update
Calving and lambing might be in full swing, but our Catchment Groups are still on a roll! Gore, Waikaka, Otamita, Titiroa, South Coast, and Waikawa have all been meeting and or planning through September and have some exciting activities in the works:
Wetland Open Day (Gore). The Gore Catchment Group are keen to officially open Ward’s wetland on 4 December. More information to come.
Environment Southland Community Awards – Waikawa and Gore Catchment Groups are both finalists, a huge credit to their communities. Best of luck!
Waikawa Catchment Group – Some of the Sub-Project Farmers: From Left, Kathryn Marshall, Roger Buckingham, Craig Short, Baz Mclean, Allan Marshall, Sarah Mclean, Carmen Stratford, Alison Thomas, Poppy Hardie (Project Manager), Tessa Miller (Catchment Group Co-ordinator)
Gore Catchment Group – Wetland Planting Day
Farmer-to-Farmer Field Days – sharing low-cost mitigation ideas on the ground.
Bittern Bird Monitoring (Waikawa and Curio Bay) “The Great Matuku Muster” – Waikawa are going to be hearing about how to listen and document these elusive birds. This national project, created by Wendy Ambury, helps track these endangered birds and is a great way for locals to get involved in monitoring this species. More info here.
Elsewhere:
Inanga Workshop – we’ve had awesome feedback about the workshops on inanga and improving their habitats, so we’ve locked in a workshop in mid-October at the Thriving Southland office in Invercargill. Keep an eye on your emails for more information.
Lots of activity, great ideas, and plenty of enthusiasm – our Catchment Groups are proving that even in busy seasons, there’s always time for community.
Waikaka Mapping Workshop
The Waikaka Catchment Group Committee got together in early September for a hands-on mapping workshop with Dr Clint Rissmann from Land and Water Science, diving into Waikaka’s datasets and Story Map tools.
The committee practised using the maps on their properties, learning how to spot opportunities for erosion mitigation and other on-farm improvements. Our next step is for the committee to host other farmers in the Catchment, showing how these maps can be used on the ground and sharing the mitigation approaches we’ve used through a bit of Kiwi ingenuity.
Reach out to one of the Committee, or Katie Alderton (Catchment Group Coordinator) if you’d like to know more or get involved.
Otamita Farm Planning Fundamentals Workshop
In early September, the Otamita Catchment Group ran a Farm Plan Fundamentals workshop at Mandeville Country Club. Farmers from Otamita, Waikaka, and Wendon came along for a practical conversation about how the rules work on farm, and what they mean to individual farming systems.
The workshop was led by Ayla from Landpro, with Environment Southland on hand to provide support and answer some tricky questions. Farmers dug into mapping risks, writing actions that meet FEMP and pSWLP objectives, and getting to grips with compliance requirements. There was plenty of time for questions, and the discussion around real-life examples kept everyone engaged.
Everyone left with resources and notes to help them get started on their own FEMPs. If you would like access to some of these resources – get in touch with Katie.
Between the Domes next steps
Jenny, Laurie, Peter and Ginny (Catchment Group Coordinator) at their recent Between the Domes committee meeting.
The Between the Domes Committee met recently in Lumsden to talk through what’s happening across the catchment and to set out some clear next steps. It was a productive session, with plenty of good discussion and a list of actions to keep the momentum going.
We’ve got a few activities on the horizon, including a wetland field visit and planning for a farm environment plan workshop. It’s great to see progress building. If you’re interested in being part of the Catchment Group, or even joining the Committee, we’d love to hear from you. Check out out group page here.
Join the Thriving Southland Board
The Board of Thriving Southland is seeking applications for two new members, with appointments beginning in November 2025. This is a voluntary role (with a small remuneration) for a 12-month term. We’re looking for dynamic, passionate individuals who care deeply about Southland and our grassroots approach to supporting economic, wellbeing and environmental improvements.
As a Board member, your voice will be welcomed at the table. We’d love to hear from you if you bring governance skills, sector knowledge and qualifications, along with a commitment to community-led progress.
You can apply by submitting a short profile outlining why you’d like to join our Board, your governance experience, sector knowledge and qualifications, to office@thrivingsouthland.co.nz by midnight, 12 October. Election takes place at the AGM on 13 November.
If you’d like a confidential discussion, you’re welcome to connect with Richard Kyte (Project Lead) or Jeff Grant (Board Chair). Learn more about the role here.
Upcoming Events
Mini Forest Movement Native Plant Nursery drop-in session
First Tuesday of every month, from 4pm to 6pm
All welcome to come to our monthly native plant growing working-bee evenings at the AB Lime Nursery. Your help will go toward growing plants for the Mid Ōreti Mini Forest Movement Project, which provides native plants to the local community and landowners for their planting projects. Training is provided and all ages welcome! Stay for as little or as long as you like.
Īnanga Spawning Workshop
29 October, from 11am to 1pm
Thriving Southland Office, 25 Don Street, Invercargill
Inviting all Coastal Catchment Groups to join Thriving Southland for a relaxed lunch and chat. Find out why īnanga are so important to our waterways and what’s causing their declining numbers, how to spot spawning sites and brainstorm potential projects to support Īnanga habitats, including low-cost, practical actions your Group might want to explore.
For more information and to RSVP contact Stacey Stuart stacey@thrivingsouthland.co.nz or 021 566 229.
Save the date – Thriving Southland AGM
13 November, from 1.30pm to 3.30pm
Kelvin Hotel - 6th Floor Conference Room
Join us for a bite to eat, a catch up with other Southland farmers and friends, find out about what Thriving Southland have done in 2024/2025 and plans for 2025/26, and hear about some of the amazing projects Catchment Groups are working on in Southland.
Managing Rural Waste – Lunch and Learn Webinar
Wednesday 8 October, from 12.30pm to 1:30pm
FREE for Members and Non Members
Interested in improving your on-farm solid waste management? Join WasteMinz for a free session to hear practical, farmer-to-farmer solutions from rural leader and dairy farmer Trish Rankin. Details are here.
(Solar) Powering Southland
Wednesday 29 October, from 10.30am to 3.15pm
Free event at ILT Stadium Southland, Legends Lounge 4
This free event will help farmers and rural communities to access solar energy solutions. There will be practical information, real-world case studies, and financial options to make solar more accessible, with a great line up of speakers and stalls.
Morning tea and lunch will be provided. Spaces are limited. Please RSVP here: https://forms.office.com/r/MTtj9LLELK
Have a great October,
Ngā mihi, Richard Kyte
(Thriving Southland Project Lead) and the Thriving Southland Team
