Thomsons Catchment Project celebrated
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April 15, 2025Forward-thinkers take top prize - Otago Daily Times Online News
Congratulations to Omakau sheep and beef farmers Andrew and Tracy Paterson of Matakanui Station, who won the regional supreme title at the Otago Ballance Farm Environment Awards last week in Mosgiel. The awards, run by the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust, champion sustainable farming and growing.According to the judges, Andrew, co-chair of the Manuherekia Catchment Group, and his wife Tracy have shown outstanding leadership, strategic planning, and forward-thinking use of technology. Their ha...
April 14, 2025RNZ Interview: From muddy paddock to thriving wetland
Thomsons Catchment Project Manager Nicola McGrouther joined Jesse Mulligan on RNZ to share how a farmer-led vision, backed by the community and volunteers, turned a struggling site into a flourishing wetland teeming with native species. A great listen if you’re curious about what’s possible when people come together for the environment....
April 11, 2025The Manuherekia Voice: Autumn – Thomsons Catchment Project
There’s been incredible progress at Orkney Wetland and throughout the catchment in recent months. From a fantastic turnout for World Wetlands Day (thanks Otago Regional Council for your support) to final construction touches and the installation of the new Orkney sign, it’s been an exciting time for both the team and the wider community. The wetland is now fully connected, with creeks flowing through nearly a kilometre of ponds, and Carex secta plantings thriving....
March 30, 2025The Manuherekia Voice: Autumn – Waiora Manuherekia Project
It’s been a busy few months for the Waiora Manuherekia Project, with exciting progress across our community initiatives. From celebrating creativity in the River of Dreams competition, to bringing science into schools with Lab-in-a-Box, and supporting farmers with wetland restoration funding, we’ve seen fantastic engagement from across the catchment.Our willow removal efforts are helping to restore key waterways, improving both biodiversity and access for the community. Meanwhile, the Alexan...
March 30, 2025The Manuherekia Voice: Autumn – Manuherekia Catchment Group
MCG has always been about farmers leading the way in creating sustainable solutions for our catchment, especially concerning water quantity and quality. While we began with a focus on sustainable water practices, our work now extends far beyond that. Together, as a community, we are working with New Zealand's experts to ensure that what we do benefits the environment, the river, and the community. Supported by government funding, our initiatives include the Thomsons Catchment Project and the Wai...
March 30, 2025Capturing River Memories: Waiora Manuherekia’s River of Dreams Winners Announced
The Waiora Manuherekia ‘River of Dreams’ competition has wrapped up, with 38 entries showcasing the community's deep connections to the Manuherekia River through art, poetry, photography and storytelling.Central Otago students from across the catchment got creative over the summer holidays and shared memories of their riverside adventures. Entries included photos, drawings, poems, stories, and even a diorama — bringing to life treasured moments spent by the water. Judge Shane Norton f...
March 12, 2025Thomsons Project – Autumn Newsletter 2025
There’s been a huge amount of progress at Orkney Wetland and across the catchment over the past few months, thanks to the dedication of our farmers, volunteers, and supporters. From celebrating World Wetlands Day with a fantastic turnout, to final construction touches on the wetland and the installation of the new Orkney sign, it’s been an exciting time. The wetland is now fully connected, with creeks flowing through nearly a kilometre of ponds and thriving Carex secta plantings. Bird m...
March 4, 2025Celebrate World Wetlands Day at Orkney Wetland
Join the Thomsons Catchment Project this World Wetlands Day to celebrate the incredible progress made in restoring and protecting the Orkney Wetland, a vibrant five-hectare habitat in the Manuherekia catchment. The event will feature: A guided tour of the wetland to showcase its transformation, with over 40,000 native plants and a range of bird species. Updates on predator trapping and bird monitoring programs led by dedicated volunteers. A look at the exciting next steps fo...
January 24, 2025Waiora Manuherekia Project Hosts Drone Technology Event for Agriculture and Land Management
On 28 November, the Waiora Manuherekia Project invites the agricultural community to a special event showcasing the latest in drone technology and its applications in farming and land management. Held at Becks Memorial Hall and on the neighbouring property of farmer Chris Pemberton, the event will bring together industry experts to discuss how drones are transforming agriculture, land management, and environmental conservation.The event’s panel will feature Joshua Dunn, a leading drone operato...
November 12, 2024Listen: The Muster feat. Waiora Manuherekia project manager Annie Wallace
Check out our interview segment on Hokonui's The Muster feat. Waiora Manuherekia project manager Annie Wallace chatting with Andy about the current funding opportunities for wetland restoration....
November 4, 2024MEDIA RELEASE
Thomsons wetland milestone as land protected through QEII Trust...
October 24, 2024MCG Spring Newsletter
Welcome to the spring edition of the MCG Newsletter. This issue brings you a recap of our lively AGM, along with updates on the Thomsons Catchment Project’s achievements, the exciting launch of the Waiora Manuherekia Project, a roundup of the Ida Valley Catchment Group’s recent activities, and so much more. Dive in to stay informed and inspired by the ongoing efforts and developments in our catchment.Don't forget to invite your friends to join our newsletter community by visiting this l...
October 2, 2024Thomsons Project – Spring Newsletter 2024
As we move into the final stretch of the year, we’ve had a reminder of how unpredictable spring can be. Mid September brought a sudden turn in weather, with hot sunny days giving way to snow and floods. Our thoughts are with our resilient farming community, who continue to adapt and respond to often challenging weather conditions. Despite these disruptions, it’s been a productive few months for the Thomsons Catchment Project. Our visits to farms upstream from the wetland have provided valuab...
September 19, 2024Thomsons Project – Winter Newsletter 2024
As always with the Thomsons Catchment Project, and especially the wetland, there is a huge amount happening over a relatively short time. Since our Autumn newsletter in March, we’ve been focusing on engaging with the community, planting efforts, and protecting and enhancing the wetland area.As there is currently no public access to the wetland, We’ve also continued to look into funding opportunities for a boardwalk to access the wetland from the rail trail. We know this would be an amazing c...
July 31, 2024MCG Winter Newsletter
Welcome to the winter edition of our newsletter! We're excited to bring you more stories, updates and insights, and to delve into topics that matter to you. The big news this winter is we’ve secured a whopping $1.9 million from the Ministry for the Environment's At-Risk Catchment Fund. This funding will help us improve water quality, boost biodiversity, and support our thriving community. Exciting projects are on the horizon and we’ll keep you updated on our website!We value your thoughts an...
July 18, 2024Meet Ro McDiarmid - our MCG Treasurer
We're excited to introduce our committee members who make MCG possible and drive our mission forward. First up, meet our treasurer Ro McDiarmid....
July 3, 2024Working together the key to resolving Manuherikia issues
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June 19, 2024Unlock the Secrets of Your Soil
Thomsons Catchment Project is pleased to announce a practical learning day focused on soil management for local farmers. The event will take place on Wednesday 26 June 2024, from 11am to 2.30pm, starting at the Omakau Golf Club.Farmers in the Manuherekia Valley are invited to dig deep into the secrets of their soil at an engaging, hands-on field day designed to equip them with the knowledge and skills needed to manage the unique soils of the Manuherekia Valley effectively through winter and spri...
June 10, 2024Manuherekia Catchment Group welcomes new General Manager, Clare Hadley
Starting 1 April, Clare Hadley will officially join the Manuherekia Catchment Group (MCG) in a newly created General Manager position....
March 22, 2024MCG Autumn Newsletter
Welcome back to our newsletter's second edition! We're buzzing with excitement to share more stories, updates and insights with you. Following the positive response to our debut, we're diving deeper into topics that resonate with our community. Your thoughts and feedback continue to shape our journey, so please take a moment to read this edition and let us know what you think. Spread the word by inviting your friends and networks to join our newsletter community through our sign-up link: www.mcg...
March 14, 2024Thomsons Project - Autumn Newsletter 2024
It’s incredible to reflect that it’s only been a year since we started building the wetland. At the end of 2022, we started removing willows and draining old duck ponds and we turned the first sod in February 2023 with the main construction completed by June. Although, to be fair, it was several years of hard work – and lots of paperwork – to get to that point.Thomson’s wetland is something for us all to be proud of. It’s a farmer-led project, with significant involvement from hundre...
March 5, 2024Thomsons Project: Constructed Wetland Factsheet
Although years in the making, in just over a year we’ve built a functioning wetland to improve freshwater quality, exiting the Sluice channel tributary into Thomsons Creek and then into the Manuherekia River....
January 31, 2024Thomsons Wetland Celebrates World Wetlands Day
Bring a picnic and join us for ice cream, guided wetland tours, plus wetland bingo and giveaways for the kids!Help us celebrate the completion of the first phase of the wetland; its construction and the successful establishment of 41,000 Carex secta plants.Guided wetland toursIce creamsBring a picnic and enjoy the bird lifeChat to an expert – learn something new!...
January 24, 2024Merry Christmas from Thomsons Project 🎄
Kia ora, koutou katoaCan you believe it's the end of the year already? I'm thrilled to share a quick recap of the fantastic journey we've had with the Thomsons Catchment Project and to say a big thank you to all who have been a part of it. It's been quite a ride, and I couldn't be prouder of what we've achieved together!This time last year, we were just getting started on the wetland project. Fast forward twelve months, and we now have a thriving wetland with an astounding 41,000 carex secta tha...
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