Click to enlarge
A restored urban wetland offers a place for peaceful contemplation.

MEDIA RELEASE – for immediate release

05 October 2009

Just add water...restoring our native wetlands.

National Wetland Restoration Symposium, Rotorua, 3-5 March, 2010.

Watching native plants flourish and birds thrive is one of the rewards of restoring wetlands. While forests can take decades or centuries to develop, wetlands can be created or restored over a number of months or years. Often all that’s needed is to block up old drains, followed by planting with hardy natives and keeping stock and pests at bay.

The National Wetland Trust has been organising symposia since 2004 to share information on wetland restoration. The fourth National Wetlands Symposium is set to be held from 3-5 March 2010, where wetland enthusiasts, community groups, landowners and wetland scientists will come together for the three days in Rotorua

With a theme of Wetland Management and Restoration: Freshwater and Estuarine, the symposium will include field visits, presentations, a soapbox forum, technical sessions, trade exhibits, and practical training sessions on management techniques including pest control and hydrology. The symposium will teach attendees the finer points of managing water levels, attracting birds, propagating wetland plants, helping fish migrate, obtaining funding, and monitoring the results.

The Bay of Plenty Wetland Forum (comprising Environment Bay of Plenty, Fish & Game New Zealand and the Department of Conservation) is organising the symposium in association with the National Wetland Trust.

According to Wetland Trust Executive Officer, Karen Denyer, “the symposium is a great training and networking opportunity for landowners, iwi, wetland enthusiasts, community groups, policy makers and wetland scientists from all over New Zealand”.

A special discounted rate supported by the Department of Conservation’s Biodiversity Advice Fund is available for a limited number of community wetland restoration group members, individuals undertaking wetland restoration on private land, and full time students.

Ms Denyer says “Wetlands are one of our rarest ecosystem types, and its great to see that hundreds of landowners and community groups are now taking a keen interest in restoring them.”

Early-bird rate closes 31 October. For more information see www.wetlandtrust.org.nz

ENDS

© Scoop Media