Makarewa Headwaters Catchment Group

02/08/2026

Incredible community working bee this afternoon at Kowhai Reach with these absolute legendary humans.
Huge special mention to Toby from NZ Conservation Services for giving up your time to go on the chainsaw! Margie Ruddenklau for putting so much energy and drive into Kowhai Reach, the Officer family for the tractor and trailer(what would we of done without you!)and those special families for coming along and getting stuck in.
Photos don't really do it justice but so cool to play a part in the restoration and maintenance of this important stretch of the Winton stream.

29/07/2026

Please come along and help support this valuable stretch of the Winton stream.
All important social hour to follow!

24/06/2026

A wee bit of highly recommended listening here. Informative and on point from Wadworth

Podcast Episode · RaboTalk – Growing our future · 23 June · 29min

16/06/2026

Still spaces available for this GREAT workshop!

RSVP now and book your spot [email protected]

Practical workshops to help you figure out what you need to do to be ready – for your household, your farm and your community - to become better prepared for unexpected weather events and emergencies

Call Sarah with any questions – 027 588 5200

Are you prepared for the unexpected?

Join us for a practical Catchment Emergency Preparedness Workshop focused on helping rural communities prepare for major weather events, earthquakes, and other disruptions.

Learn practical steps for:
✅ Your household
✅ Your farm
✅ Your community

📍 Otautau – 23 June
📍 Dipton – 24 June
📍 Riversdale – 25 June

Spaces are limited and registrations close 19 June. [email protected]

16/06/2026

Panel discussion at the CCA national forum in Wellington today, asking the hard questions in her own intellectual way was our own co chair
So cool and so proud!

05/06/2026

We love our slice of paradise! Huge thanks to Keith from ES for pulling together this overview of our catchment.

16/05/2026

Reach out if you can help please, just message Margie Ruddenklau, Ōreti Community Board Member

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