Friends of Bullock Creek

17/06/2026

Want to get involved with local conservation?

Join us every Thursday from 2–4pm at Bullock Creek Hatchery Springs. Whether you're looking to volunteer regularly or just lend a hand when you can, we'd love to have you.

Workplace and community groups are also welcome and can arrange volunteer sessions at a time that suits.

Get in touch to learn more. 🌿

14/06/2026

Meet Your Backyard Bird Count Hosts 🐦

We're fortunate to have two highly experienced bird experts leading this year's Backyard Bird Count at Bullock Creek Hatchery Springs.

Jo Tilson is a conservation contractor with more than 25 years' experience in threatened species management. Her work specialises in monitoring kiwi, mohua and other forest birds, undertaking bird population surveys and call-count monitoring programmes, and measuring conservation outcomes from predator control projects across New Zealand.

Paul van Klink has over 20 years' experience surveying and monitoring New Zealand native birds. He has conducted long-term bird-count monitoring in the Landsborough Valley and has specialised in surveys of threatened species including mohua, fernbird, weka, whio and kea.

Together, Jo and Paul bring decades of experience studying and protecting New Zealand's birdlife. They'll be helping participants identify birds, learn simple bird-counting techniques, and contribute valuable information about the species using Bullock Creek's restored wetland habitat.

Whether you're a seasoned birdwatcher or simply curious about the birds in your backyard, this is a fantastic opportunity to learn from two of the best.

📅 Tuesday 30 June & Sunday 5 July
⏰ 12pm–1pm
📍 Bullock Creek Hatchery Springs
🍲 Free hot soup afterwards

Registration is essential as numbers are limited (Tuesday filling up fast!). Email [email protected] to reserve your place.

10/06/2026

A trailer might not be the most glamorous part of wetland restoration, but it has quickly become one of our most valuable assets.

Thanks to funding support from the ZQN Community Fund, we're able to transport plants, tools, mulch and vegetation more efficiently around the Bullock Creek site, helping our volunteers achieve more during every working bee.

We're grateful to the ZQN Community Fund for contributing to this practical piece of equipment that continues to support restoration efforts on the ground. 🌿

07/06/2026

From backyard gardens to community food networks, what would a more resilient Upper Clutha food system look like? Join WAO’s Green Drinks event to be part of the conversation.

How resilient is our local food system?

Join us at Green Drinks: Growing Local Food Networks to explore practical ways we can strengthen food resilience across the Upper Clutha while building stronger community connections.

Hear from locals involved in growing, foraging, hunting and sharing food, and learn about emerging initiatives including Kai Connect, Carb Club and the Seedling Cooperative.

Whether you grow vegetables, keep chickens, hunt, fish, forage, preserve food, or are simply curious about becoming more food resilient, everyone is welcome.

📍 Armstrong Room, Lake Wānaka Centre
📅 Wednesday 17 June
⏰ 6pm–8pm
🙌$5 entry (registration essential)

04/06/2026

Have you ever participated in the NZ Garden Bird Survey? Bullock Creek Hatchery Springs is home to a wide range of native and visiting birdlife, and sometimes all it takes is slowing down at the info boards to realize just how many species share this space with us 🐦‍⬛

03/06/2026

🐦 Meet Your Backyard Birds

Have you ever wondered which birds call Bullock Creek home?

Join us for a community bird watch and bird count at Bullock Creek Hatchery Springs. No experience needed, just curiosity and a warm jacket.

📅 30 June & 5 July
🕛 12pm–1pm
📍 107 Stone Street, Wānaka

Plus, enjoy a free mug of hot soup after the count. To register email [email protected]

31/05/2026

Our new tracked chipper is already making a significant difference on site at Bullock Creek 🌿

Designed to handle difficult terrain and process vegetation directly where work is taking place, the chipper is helping reduce manual handling, speed up clean-up, and improve efficiency across restoration projects. What once required multiple stages of moving and managing debris can now often be completed on site in a single process.

This means volunteers and contractors can spend less time dealing with cut material and more time focused on restoration outcomes that benefit the wetland ecosystem long term.

A huge thank you to the Lion Foundation and Bullock Bar for helping make this possible.
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26/05/2026

Join us for our Annual General Meeting 🌿

We’d love to see our community come together for an update on what we’ve been working on, what’s ahead, and how you can be involved.

🗓 Thursday 28 May
⏰ 5.30–7.30pm
📍 Wānaka Community Hub

Everyone is welcome. Come along, ask questions, and connect with the FOBC whānau.

Image kindly provided by

24/05/2026

Big day at Bullock Creek putting our new tracked chipper into action 🌿

Thanks to funding from the Lions Foundation New Zealand and Wanaka Bullock Bar, this new machine is already proving its value, making light work of cut debris and boosting our restoration efforts on site.
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