Eco projects get boost through Council funding
27 November 2015
Pop-up lab and homegrown eco projects get boost through Council funding
Council’s
Environment Committee have funded seven projects with a
total of $20,522 through the Our Living City Fund.
One grant went to Wellington Open Science Lab which is a pop-up mobile laboratory run by volunteers, and offering citizen science events in the community. The Open Science Lab aims to increase awareness of New Zealand’s diverse and interesting population of invertebrates and provide hands-on learning opportunities for young and old with a focus on backyard science. The group run workshops across Wellington and were part of the recent PestFest event held at Waitangi Park.
To support the growing interest in citizen science, the fund will also support the New Zealand Bio Recording Network Trust to run two one-day workshops at the Leonard Cockayne Centre at Otari Wilton’s Bush in December. The workshops will explore how to make best use of theNatureWatch.org.nz website. NatureWatch is a crowdsourcing digital platform through which people are encouraged to share observations of any living thing through a website and app.
Conservation Volunteers NZ have been funded to deliver teams of new volunteers to work with some of the well-established environment groups that are actively restoring our parks and reserves. They will also provide a targeted health and safety workshop for environmental restoration volunteers as well as making arrangements to enable Truby King House to be booked for use by the wider community.
Councillor Helene Ritchie, Portfolio Leader for Natural Environment says “the fund aims to improve Wellington’s quality of life by strengthening urban-nature connections and building economic opportunities from a healthy environment.”
A full list of grants made:
Organisation Project
Granted
WorkerBe Oasis Irrigation infrastructure
for gardens $718
Sustainable Coastlines Charitable
Trust Love Your Coast Wellington beach clean up’s
2015 $3,000
Makara Model School Makara Model School
Garden and Native Bush Project- tools for garden $500
The
Research Trust of Victoria University of
Wellington Biophilic Map of Wellington Stage
2 $3,254
Conservation Volunteers New Zealand Community
Conservation projects $5,000
New Zealand Bio-Recording
Network Trust NatureWatch NZ Wellington
workshops $3,900
Wellington Open Science Lab - umbrella
via Ngaio Crofton Downs Residents Association Pop-up
Wellington Open Science
Labs $4,150
ends