Hi all,
The water monitoring data for October is now available : October2018
Water monitoring October 2018
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Category Archives: Uncategorized
Whangawehi bridge enhancement
On Saturday the 8th of October, a small group of hard core Whangawehi members gathered at the Whangawehi bridge to finish off building the new railing fence which was started on the day of the working bee. The work involved digging several holes in solid hard ground and it’s no wonder that the beer afterwards was well received. Well done to you all and thank you for your commitment.
Catchment update
As you can see from the photo’s-all our trees have grown a lot over the winter period. They are flourishing and there is nothing stopping them now. Water is flowing very clear in the Whangawehi stream but algae are already starting to pop up at Mamangu which is a bit early.
A new tree species-the Poroporo-is now growing along the river which has been self-introduced by birds. Poroporo is a native tree already present in the DOC reserve. A small scrub-the Poroporo is traditionally a very valuable plant to Maori because of it’s itch relief properties. It’s a delightful looking plant that is known to grow extremely fast.
It is great to see that the cycle of nature is taking place and allowing the diversification of our local biodiversity.
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Whangawehi AGM
On Saturday the 8th of October, The Whangawehi Catchment Management Group held its Annual General Meeting. The attendees have re elected the same people as the head of the Committee.
Pat O’Brien : Chairperson
Rae Te Nahu : Secretary
Peter Manosn : Treasurer
Pat in his annual speech thanked everybody for their contribution and hard work. He also stated that he is looking forward to new projects which are due to take place over the next few months. Thank you all for your input.
Walkway update
On Tuesday the 25th of September, thanks to Bevan Parker (Farm Manager on Pongaroa Station) a meeting took place with Michael Fay’s Management Team. The reason for this meeting was to progress the discussion around the walkway through the conservation area. Bevan explained how the walkway would bring a raft of benefits to the Mahia community in which the team completely agreed with. They were impressed by the drive and passion of the community to get to this point so far and the international recognition received to date. We discussed the possibility of a meat brand and how the walkway would be the best way to share this story with the wider community and the overseas buyers.
The next step involves the landowners agreeing on an easement to be surveyed and registered. From a landowner’s perspective, this is a huge decision and the WCMG acknowledges that. In the meantime, the group is hopeful that other landowners are going to be supportive of the concept by jumping on board.
A big thank you to Bevan and to Michael Fay’s management team for taking the time to listen to this initiative. Mahia would be grateful if they could partner with us on this journey to create a walkway for everyone to enjoy for many years to come.
Whangawehi up for the Asia Pacific river Awards
Great news for us all. Well done.
New entrance for the Whangawehi
On Saturday the 1st September, the Whangawehi community banded together for a very productive working bee. The aim of the day was to spruce up the entry way into the conservation project alongside the Whangawehi bridge. There had been some dissatisfaction murmured amongst members that the gateway to such an award-winning conservation project needed to look much more impressive. That gave the six families and the army of children that turned up on the day- more than enough motivation to help create the right look for the entry way.
The weather played ball. Despite the amazing weather, the group underestimated how long it would take to remove the long agapanthus hedge (and its roots) next to the road side-even with the help of a handy tractor driver. The new post and railing fence built in its place more than justified the time lost because it looked very smart and impressive when it was finished. The school planting site was beautified with some much-needed weeding and the addition of a new access site. On the Pongaroa Station side of the river the weeds were taken to with a vengeance and old poplars removed with a chainsaw.
A huge thank you to the Whangawehi community that rolled up their sleeves for this working bee. The results achieved to date are linked directly to a small but passionate community and despite its size are producing huge results on a national and international level.
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A successful working bee
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Article on the Matuku
Thank you Sue for sharing this article : 
Water monitoring data
Hi all,
Please find attached the monthly water monitoring data sheet from Mamangu. E Coli levels (60) are a bit higher compared to last month (40) but still well below the recommended guidelines (260 and 550). All is well in the Whangawehi river.
You can find all the water monitoring data in the water monitoring tab.
Whangawehi Catchment Management Group 