Community Urban Restoration & Education LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE Guide VOLCANO TO SEA PROJECT Community Urban Restoration and Education Guide: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Lessons learnt from the Volcano to Sea Project This guide has been produced by NZ Landcare Trust, Published by NZ Landcare Trust, May 2015 as part of the Volcano to Sea Project, funded by the Ministry for the Environment and also generously ISBN 978-0-9941066-5-0 (print) supported by Auckland Council. ISBN 978-0-9941066-6-7 (pdf) We would like to acknowledge project partners such NZ Landcare Trust as the Howick Local Board, Hauraki Gulf Forum, PO Box 4305 Sustainable Coastlines, Iwi (Ngai Tai ki Tamaki Tribal Hamilton 3247 Trust), the Enviroschools Foundation, local schools www.landcare.org.nz and the numerous business and community groups 0800 526 322 that helped out with so many different education, awareness-raising, litter clean-up and planting events. Written by: Heidi Clark and Karen Denyer Edited by: James Barnett, NZ Landcare Trust It is important to highlight that the Auckland Council provided professional, hands-on and financial Graphic Design: Abby Davidson, NZ Landcare Trust support to the project through various initiatives and Photography: NZ Landcare Trust unless otherwise departments. The following areas all deserve to be credited within document recognised for their involvement: Local and Sports Parks South, Sustainable Catchments, Wai Care, Enviroschools and the Stormwater team. A catchment project of this size truly requires everyone working together and NZ Landcare Trust would like This project was funded by the Ministry for the to sincerely thank every organisation, contractor and Environment’s Community Environment Fund. volunteer for their contributions to this project. This Guide is a tribute to the entire local community and The Ministry for the Environment does not necessarily would not have been possible without their energy, endorse or support the content of the publication in cooperation, commitment and support of the Volcano any way. to Sea Project. This work is copyrighted. The copying, adaptation, or issuing of this work to the public on a non-profit basis is welcomed. No other use of this work is permitted without the prior consent of the copyright holder(s). Project Partners: FSC 1 WHAT THIS GUIDE IS ABOUT AND WHO SHOULD READ IT Around New Zealand many enthusiastic people you what to plant, or how to build a fish ladder, but are looking at ways to rescue and restore urban it will tell you how to get a catchment project up and environments, but they’re often faced with limited running. It contains valuable ‘tips and tools’ for those resources and funding challenges. By harnessing the wanting to make a difference in their town or city, power of community collaboration, degraded urban based on hands-on experience and lessons learned environments can be revitalised. However, getting from a community-focused urban catchment project. everyone working together is not a one-size-fits-all formula, and as many community-minded city folk Inside you will find practical advice on: know, it’s not always an easy task. • How to set up a catchment care group. This Community Urban Restoration and Education • Building and maintaining project momentum. Guide is a blueprint for bringing together people • Using modern communication tools to reach a to clean up waterways and shorelines, and restore wide audience. biodiversity in an urban setting. It’s about doing • The significance of monitoring and evaluation. (restoration) and about learning (education), whether learning about why we need to look after our • The important role of education in your project. catchments, or how to set up a process to do it. It is the hope that this guide will not only help local The guide shares the lessons learned from the councils, project coordinators and teachers but any ‘Volcano to Sea’ project to inspire and assist other community member involved in the implementation of urban catchments around New Zealand. It won’t tell a similar project, regardless of the size. 2 Case studies such as the ‘Volcano to Sea’ project provide an opportunity for: • Community groups to learn from each other’s experiences. • Stakeholders to reflect on the institutional The Volcano to Sea Project Purpose: structures and strategies that can support and enhance community engagement and capacity To develop a new, innovative building. catchment-scale initiative in Auckland which links communities, remnant • Developing partnerships with local government, natural features and the sea. iwi and industry. 'Volcano to Sea' will capture Community-based groups have considerable the imagination of schools and local knowledge, energy and experience, and community members, harnessing with adequate institutional support they can make their enthusiasm to make positive valuable contributions to catchment management. It changes in their local environment. is exciting to know that community-based restoration and educational catchment projects are growing across New Zealand. As other projects are being implemented, they provide opportunities for local residents to play a role in environmental management at a catchment scale with important biodiversity, water quality, human health and social outcomes. Howick Wakaaranga Creek Pakuranga Pakuranga Stream Tamaki Estuary 3 CONTENTS page 1: Urban catchments: Their issues and opportunities 4 2: Volcano to Sea: The Story 12 3: Getting started: Setting up an urban catchment care group 24 4: Hatching a plan: Setting goals and objectives 32 5: Gathering momentum: Building and maintaining support 38 6: Tracking progress: Monitoring and evaluation 46 7: Engaging the next generation: Education and working with schools 54 8: Who are you working with? Key project partners 60 Appendices 66 4 CHAPTER 1 Urban Catchments THEIR ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES Care groups including dedicated neighbours We all care about our environment but sometimes and supporting agencies have been working we just need someone or something to bring us together so we can all help improve and protect it. for decades in rural areas to restore and protect our waterways and biodiversity. Now city folk The Volcano to Sea project in Howick, Auckland are taking up the challenge, and showing an has done just that. In an exciting project coordinated by NZ Landcare Trust, people from all walks of life increasing interest in improving the catchments have, over the last three years, put a plant in the they live in. ground or hauled out some rubbish, to leave the Ōhuiarangi Catchment - their neighbourhood - in a Healing our urban environment can also cure other city better state. ills. How often do we hear of city people feeling isolated from their community, unconnected with their neighbours? This was part of an ambitious plan to create an Coming together with a common goal of improving our urban catchment care project. Read this chapter shared environment offers a great way to meet other locals to learn more about urban catchments – why they and forge friendships across cultural, age, and social gaps. matter, and what we can do to help them. 5 What’s in a city stream? All at sea Ask a local kid and they might mention eels, Cleaning up streams can also help protect bullies and bugs. Ask a water quality scientist and one of our favourite places to visit – the sea. you might get a different story: cement, concrete, Most of New Zealand’s bigger towns and chlorine, cleaning products, corrosives, fuels, solvents, cities are close to the coast, which means foodstuffs, heavy metals, engine oil, nutrients, paint, our city folk don’t have to travel far to enjoy ink, dye, sediment… phew!! swimming, fishing, boating, diving, and collecting kai. It also means that any rubbish In cities, rainwater is channelled from roads and and pollution in our streams will soon be roofs into stormwater pipes, surging as flash floods sloshing around in our ocean playground. into streams every time it rains. Stormwater is full of contaminants like dirt, oil, rust, rubber and rubbish Let’s face it, we’d rather spend our weekends messing from the roads, and zinc, copper and lead leached around in boats, than boating around in a1 mess – from metal roofs. right? Healthy catchments are healthy for people, with cleaner air and water, nicer areas to walk, jog Urban streams might not get the same newspaper or swim, and lower infestations of flies, mosquitos, coverage as rural streams - with countless photos of weeds, and toxic algal blooms. cows lifting their tails in waterways - but they sure have their fair share of problems. The upside is that in Working from top to bottom, catchment protection a city there’s lots of people to help. means not only looking after the streams, but taking care of the little bush patches and wetland seepage areas, and keeping our coastlines and lake shores free of litter, over-development, and pollution. "I commonly hear from farmers who are feeling criticised about their impact on the environment, what about the cities? What are Death in a city stream they doing to clean up their act? And they are right. While it isn't a reason not to clean- Cleaning moss and mould from a Mt. Albert up agriculture, the state of the environment in roof killed hundreds of native fish in minutes, cities needs to be addressed. That's why we distressing primary school children who were are pleased to be leading this project. The monitoring Oakley Creek at the time. The Landcare Trust has come to town!" operator was fined $2000 and reminded to divert run-off away from stormwater pipes – Richard Thompson, Trustee, NZ Landcare when using harmful chemicals. Trust Stormwater drains do not go to the sewage plant, they flow untreated straight into your Research Landcare Moore, Stephen Photo: bully. Common local stream or beach. 6 Plenty of scope for hope Restoration opportunities in urban Despite their challenges, urban catchments are a far catchments: cry from being a write-off.