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Community conservation volunteers applaud Nature Space site
3 May 2012
Community conservation volunteers applaud Nature Space website
A new website for community groups and landowners protecting and restoring New Zealand’s natural environment is seen as a valuable tool for their vital work.
Around 60 community conservation groups have so far signed up to the new Nature Space website, launched last week by the Department of Conservation’s Wellington Hawke’s Bay Conservancy, lower North Island councils and WWF New Zealand.
Sought by conservation volunteers who are increasingly seeking online support, the website allows groups and individuals to store and share data, promote their efforts, and find useful resources.
“Nature Space provides a great set of “how-to” resources for our volunteers across all of our projects,” says Peter Cooper of Rimutaka Forest Park Charitable Trust.
“It’s especially handy for us to see what other community restoration project groups are doing, so that we can learn from one another.”
“With more than 3500 community groups and 5000 covenant owners restoring and protecting New Zealand’s biodiversity, Nature Space registrations are expected to quickly soar”, says DOC’s Matt Barnett, co-founder of the website.
A running tally on the home page of data contributed to date reveals more than 500,000 plants in the ground, 4200 conservation group members, and 2700 possums and 900 stoats killed.
Rotating stories on the home page invite people to read about inspiring restoration achievements and an interactive map pinpoints project locations for people wanting to join. Nature Space also links to a wealth of online resources offered by the supporting agencies.
“Nature Space clarifies what ecological restoration really is and how we should go about doing it,” says Peter Russell, of Wellington’s Manawa Karioi restoration group.
The Nature Space website can be viewed at www.naturespace.org.nz.
If you would like to know more about the portal and how community groups in your region could get involved please contact info@naturespace.org.nz
ENDS
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