Minister of Conservation to be key note speaker at Wetland Symposium in Napier in September.

The programme is now available for the National Wetland Restoration Symposium which will be held in Napier on 26 – 28 September 2018, and the Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage will give the opening key note address.

The theme for this year’s symposium is Living Wetlands in the Living Landscape. The programme covers a wide range of topics covering cultural, social, economic and environmental benefits of wetland restoration. Presenters come from iwi organisations, government and councils, farming sector, universities and consultancies.

“The symposium will be a great opportunity for Hawke’s Bay people keen on wetlands to learn from experienced people from around the country, and we particularly encourage community volunteers to attend at a discounted rate,” says symposium chair, HBRC Open Spaces Manager Steve Cave.

Other keynote speakers will be the renowned Australian ecologist Matt Herring, and the new CEO for Fish & Game New Zealand, Martin Taylor. Matt Herring’s attendance is sponsored by Fish and Game. He has 17 years’ experience as an ecologist in Australia, with his consultancy (Murray Wildlife) contracted by Landcare (Australia) and other community conservation groups, as well as government and industry.

An optional field trip will highlight the restoration programmes that continue to be worked on in Hawke’s Bay, such as Waitangi Estuary and Pekapeka Swamp plus Ahuriri Estuary, where Napier City Council is planning to improve the quality of stormwater flowing in from the city.
Early bird registrations close on 15 July 2018.

Discounted registration fees are available for non- professionals, including landowners, students and community volunteers who wish to attend. Registrations can be made via http://www.wetlandtrust.org.nz – Wetland Events – Restoration Symposia.

The symposium is held every two years in different parts of the country by the National Wetland Trust. This year the Trust has teamed up with Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, Department of Conservation, and Fish and Game Hawke’s Bay.

The National Wetland Trust is grateful to the symposium sponsors Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, Department of Conservation’s Arawai Kākāriki Programme, Greater Wellington Regional Council, Fish and Game New Zealand, NIWA, Wildlands, and Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research.

ENDS

© Scoop Media