The Mahinga Kai Freshwater Monitoring team would like to extend their profound thanks to those people who volunteered their time helping in the latest He Pātaka Wai Ora Survey, January 2020.
The aim of these surveys is to gather information on riparian vegetation, the aquatic plants and algae, invertebrate presence and abundance, and the instream habitat at each of the six freshwater sites on the Waikouaiti River. The information will be used to assess changes in the water and habitat quality of the Waikouaiti River through time.
The Kerr family using a bucket, quadrat, and ruler to help estimate sediment volumes at each Mahinga Kai monitoring site.
Gretchen Brownstein, Becky and Tom Kerr classifying and counting stream invertebrates at one of the Mahinga Kai monitoring sites
This adult Kanakana was found swimming up one of the south branch Mahinga Kai monitoring sites in the Waikouaiti Mātaitai. Kanakana are a nationally threatened vulnerable species, with fossil records dating back to 450 million years ago. Scientists and community members were delighted to see a few kanakana swimming in our streams during the monitoring days.
Becky and Tom Kerr using a 1m by 1m quadrat to estimate the composition of the stream bed.
Becky and Tom Kerr classifying and counting stream invertebrates at one of the Mahinga Kai monitoring sites
Blackberry and gorse bushes were also cleared during monitoring days to allow better access to sites.
