Public Talks
Since 2022 we’ve been organising public talks to educate our community about nature-related topics of interest. The calibre of our guest speakers has been tremendous so far. We’ve been captivated by talks given on topics such as ‘Otago’s Bugs and Lizards’ by Samuel Purdie and ‘Genetics, Mustelids and Predator Free 2050’ by Dr Andrew Veale. Feedback from our community has been fantastic and it’s been wonderful to host so many experts from around the South Island.
Upcoming Events
Nature Talks 2024 Series
Seabird Bycatch in Aotearoa and Beyond:
What’s happening, and what you can do about it
Tuesday 19th November 2024
Graham Parker from Parker Conservation will be speaking in the Sidey Auditorium, Wanaka Community Hub, at 7.00 pm.
Aotearoa has more threatened seabirds than anywhere on the planet. The problem is poorly understood, and the impact of fisheries bycatch is hugely underappreciated. Graham will summarise the current state of seabird bycatch in NZ commercial fisheries and beyond, and what everyday New Zealanders can do to help.
All welcome; entry by donation at the door. No bookings needed. See you there!
Community Events
We’ve run a number of workshops such as ‘build your own rat trap’ or ‘learn how to trap pests’. We have also contributed at community events such as the Wānaka A&P Show, WAO Summit’s Sustainable Biking Tour, Volunteer ‘Speed Dating’ and Pestival. Members of our committee have given talks at various local meetings such as community associations, Lions, Aspiring Retirement Village, Rotary, U3A and NaturED events. We’ve also sent members of our group along to DOC trap training courses to upskill them with the knowledge to be more successful and follow best practice.
School Education
With our Community Coordinator on board since 2021, we’ve had the chance to do more outreach to young people in our community. Petrina has talked to numerous preschool groups (Riverside Educare, Mountainside Educare, Aspiring Beginnings) and primary schools (Wānaka Primary School, Hawea Flat, Te Kura O Take Kārara, Mt Aspiring College) about trapping, introduced pests and native biodiversity in our region.
Petrina has also been supported by Markus Hermanns, Billy Barton and Mary Hunt (pest control, dog training, ferret work) and Samuel Purdie (science communicator) during these visits. Petrina joins in with the local EnviroSchools events, Our Place and the NaturED team of nature educators.