Makarewa Headwaters Catchment Group

15/04/2026

Great field day coming up if you are thinking about solar?

Really loving all the RSVPs for this short & sweet on farm solar field day - Keep them coming!

All info on poster below & if you are sitting on the fence and want to know more before you say yes, have a look at this short 4 minute video on their solar and battery system - https://youtu.be/BQwnFQxXVRg

Bring your questions – hear their learnings – see it for yourself 👀

🌞Solar Field Day at Fairbanks Farm - Waimatuku Catchment Group
🕚Thursday 23 April, 11am (prompt start) – 12 noon, followed by a BBQ lunch thanks to Rabobank
📍1234 Otautau Drummond Road – park next to the dairy shed

One-hour visit with questions followed by a BBQ lunch thanks to Rabobank – a great use of a couple of hours

Please RSVP to Sarah to help with catering - we want to make sure we have enough food! [email protected] / 027 588 5200 & call Sarah if you have any questions

Health & Safety: Please download the Onside App before arrival and check the farm information for a quick log-in on the day. No children – busy working farm

Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority (aka EECA) has useful info on supporting Kiwi farmers with solar on farms - https://www.eeca.govt.nz/co-funding-and-support/products/solar-on-farms/ & you can also call 0800 300 643 or email [email protected] if you want to talk to someone and get some guidance on getting solar installed on your farm 😊

01/04/2026

If you want a great crash course in some biodiversity monitoring skills have a look at this opportunity!

Includes some super useful techniques like chew cards, wax tags, tracking tunnels, photo points and introductory bird counts, with demonstrations on how to set up monitoring stations in the field :)

You need to register via the link :)

01/04/2026

A huge congratulations to two very special contributors to our catchment community, Mark & Elspeth Thomson! A successful evening at the Southland Ballance Farm Environment Awards last night for the Lora Glen team 🙌
Mark and Elspeth were named finalists for 2026 taking home the Environment Southland -Water Quality and Biodiversity Award, and the Ministry for the Environment- Biodiversity Award. Incredibly well deserved recognition, congratulations!!

Introducing our 4th finalist
Mark and Elspeth Thompson
Lora Glen
The owners of this picturesque Southland property are blending significant infrastructure improvements with leading sustainability initiatives to maximise productivity while protecting the environment.

Lora Glen is a 353ha (258ha effective) dairy grazing and sheep and beef operation owned by Mark and Elspeth Thomson. Located in the Lora Gorge, Central Southland, their overarching goal has always been to bring the farm up to full productivity while having a light touch on the native environment.

Today, they run a maximum of 800 cattle and a few sheep across a footprint that is being gradually increased through strategic drainage and fencing. Stock are wintered on about 50ha of kale.

The judges praised all improvements as being carefully considered to achieve the best possible financial and environmental outcomes. They were particularly impressed with the couple’s understanding of how the landscape dictates contaminant loss, informing their detailed farm management practices.

To read more of their story click the link
https://nzfetrust.org.nz/stories/mark-elspeth-thomson/

Come along and support all this years finalists and celebrate 25 years of our awards, on Wednesday 1st of April at the Ascot Park Hotel in Invercargill.
Get your tickets here:
https://www.eventcreate.com/e/2026-sth-bfea

11/03/2026

Recently held a working bee to tidy up our restoration area in The Lora Gorge.
The picnic area is available for use.
Heartfelt thanks to Westpac NZ for their watercare funding without which this would not be possible.
To the absolute legends that turned up, a massive thankyou!

24/02/2026

Great event next TUESDAY that you might be keen to go to - Drop in any time between 4 and 6 p.m. and collect native tussock, flax and sedge seeds - All info in post below :)

For our March catch up we have decided to do a summer seed collecting session 🌱🌿🌳

Come and grab your seeds to grow at home or leave at the nursery for the Mini Forest Movement Project. Bring gloves and your own containers to sow your seed into - ice cream tubs are great❤️

All details on post below :)

10/12/2025

Great prizes & you still have time to make a great Christmassy display!

Entries close 14 December🎄✨

Big or small - bale art, sheds, pallet or tyre trees, anything – and just take a high-resolution photo and email it to [email protected] with your display name ❤️

Amazing prizes up for grabs this year:
• $500 Bridgestone tyre voucher
• Milford Sound Day Cruise
• Night at The Langlands + dinner for two
• Jump N Fun passes
• Southland Monopoly
• And for Catchment Groups… a BBQ feast for up to 40 people thanks to The Grocer!

We can’t wait to see what you or your group create this year. The prize for the Catchment Group with the MOST entries looks YUMMY! 🎅🎁

And don't forget the kids colouring competition - drop it off or take a photo and email it to [email protected] by the 14 December - [email protected] - https://www.thrivingsouthland.co.nz/site_files/24893/upload_files/KidsChristmasColouringinComp.pdf?dl=1

03/12/2025

Great opportunity to feel Christmassy!

There are some great prizes (more info coming soon!), including one for the Catchment Group with the most entries - a full BBQ shout for up to 40 people, proudly sponsored by The Grocer ❤️

The kids colouring competition can be downloaded here - https://www.thrivingsouthland.co.nz/site_files/24893/upload_files/KidsChristmasColouringinComp.pdf?dl=1

High resolution photos of displays and colouring competition entries need to be emailed to the Thriving Southland office before 14th December - [email protected] 🙂

02/12/2025

A really local farm tour this time!

- Nick and Alexis Wadworth’s
- Tuesday 9th December – 1p.m. to 4.30 p.m.
- 2929 Otapiri Mandeville Road
- Includes afternoon tea & a BBQ & a 4WD is required

Registration essential - more info in post below...

25/11/2025

Looks like another good local field day next week - Tuesday 2 December, 10.30 to 1 p.m.

All details in the post below - RSVPs appreciated :)

Join us on-farm with hosts Martine and Bart Luijten to explore how they maximise pasture and crop yields on their System 5 dairy farm—and how this drives profitability. Milking 450 crossbred cows on 145 effective hectares, plus a 46-hectare support block, Bart and Martine focus on pasture quality,...

21/11/2025

Attended the opening of the Gavenwood QEII 56ha deer fenced covenant this afternoon. A collaborative effort from the McDonald family, QEII National Trust and Environment Southland.
Absolutely outstanding effort which shows what can be achieved with a little determination. Kim and Peter McDonald, I tip my hat to you guys!

19/11/2025

Thanks to Newsroom for the opportunity to contribute to this article alongside David Norton. A great opportunity to continue to share our findings from phase 1 of the revival project and highlight the impact of feral pigs

In the first of a series on the south’s pest issues, Newsroom looks at feral pigs, which are threatening national parks and wreaking havoc on farms and public conservation land.