Inspirational Rangitikei farmer and catchment group leader Roger Dalrymple is heading south next week to share his knowledge and experience at a series of events, Thriving Southland interim project lead Richard Kyte says.
Roger was instrumental in helping establish the Rangitikei Regional Catchment Collective in 2017 to facilitate and promote on farm good practice and sustainable land management principles. The collective’s vision is resilient, thriving communities achieving positive environmental outcomes through sub-catchment groups.
The Dalrymple family have farmed Waitatapia Station, a large-scale operation near Bulls in the Rangitikei district, for more than 100 years.
Kyte said Roger will share his knowledge and experience of building catchment groups as part of a bottom-up approach to improving water quality and building stronger communities.
“He shows how strong purpose builds stronger groups, better engagement, and successful and innovative projects.”
Roger will attend a Three Rivers Catchment Group Wintering Options Field day on November 10, before an event that evening in Tokanui. He will then speak at events in Gore (at the Waimumu Field Days offices) on November 11, and at Balfour on November 12.
Kyte said the ‘Strong Catchment Groups, Strong Communities’ events are open for everyone in the community to attend and encouraged people to come along.
Catchment groups across Southland have been revving up their activity and the Thriving Southland catchment team have been busy supporting and enabling them to have meetings, field days and get projects up and running, he said.
Community members in Dipton and in the Tomogalak/Upper Mataura area have held get togethers to discuss forming new groups.
“A couple of catchment groups have held freshwater policy discussion events to make sure their members are up to speed with the latest developments, and we’re happy to support these events,” Kyte said.
Thriving Southland also brought futurist Melissa Clark-Reynolds south in October to speak to more than 100 Southland catchment group leaders, stakeholders and farmers at events in Winton and Invercargill.
Melissa is a leading thinker around innovation in disruptive times, and focused on the future of food production and consumption. She told audiences that as world-class food producers, New Zealand can do “artisan at scale” to take our food and farming stories and businesses to the next level.
Check out www.thrivingsouthland.co.nz/events for details of upcoming catchment group events.
Thriving Southland is a community-led group with a vision to create a prosperous Southland, healthy people, healthy environment from the mountains to the sea.
Roger Dalrymple visit details:
TOKANUI
7.00pm | Tuesday 10th November | Tokanui Pub
Tokanui and Lower Mataura Catchment Groups
GORE
7.00pm | Wednesday 11th November | Waimumu Field Days Offices
Gore, Waikaka and Otamita Catchment Groups
BALFOUR
7.00pm | Thursday 12th November | Balfour Pub
Upper Mataura, Wendonside, Balfour and Between the Domes Catchment Groups
For more information please contact:
Richard Kyte 027 298 7786
