Blog Posts

Feehly Hill: Example of Grey Shrubland, Central Otago

10/19/2021

It was great exploring the Feehly Hill planting site out in Arrowtown this weekend and imagining what Central Otago would have looked like before humans.
Many of us believe that the semi-arid landscape we see all around us is what it should be, but surprisingly that's not the case. Kowhai rich Dry woodlands/ grey shrublands would of been common in Cromwell, Bannockburn, Clyde, etc before humans started clearing and modifying the land.
It is vital for us humans to reintroduce these species and ecosystems to the region to prevent further extinction of endemic species and for us to gain more from our time in the outdoors.
To learn more about Wakatipu Reforestation Trust and their planting sites, visit:

Wakatipu Reforestation Trust

Exciting Discovery: Nationally Vulnerable birds confirmed to be nesting on Lake Dunstan

10/15/2021

Today, Nita & Megan spotted a pair of incredibly camouflaged Banded Dotterels (Charadrius bicinctus) protecting a nest and Crested Grebes (Podiceps cristatus) taking a romantic paddle across the lake

ODT: A Land of Lizards

10/10/2021

In the 1980s 38 species of lizard were known in NZ. As of last month, that list now stands at 124!
Most of us don’t realise that NZ has more species of native lizard than native land birds. When compared with the UK that has a similar temperate climate to NZ, they have only 3 species as opposed to our 124!
Click on the link to read more about the research being done to classify and catalogue our beautiful and diverse lizards!

Seeking passionate people to help us transform the region

10/4/2021

Email Project Manager

Junior Guardians Win Big at the Connect Cromwell Competition

9/30/2021

Last night, the Junior Guardians of Lake Dunstan presented their community idea at the Connect Cromwell Winning Ideas competition. They asked for funding for students at Cromwell Primary School to create interpretive signs & driftwood artworks to educate locals and visitors on the uniqueness of our region.
Their incredible presentation and passion won the hearts of the judges and WON the funding!! We are so proud of our young eco-warriors and cant wait to get designing and unveil it to the public soon!

Cats vs Lizards

9/22/2021

NZ has over 120 lizards species, of which a quarter are critically or nationally endangered. It is heartbreaking to read that one solo cat can kill 28 lizards in one sitting and not even eat them.
In Central Otago, we have some of the rarest and most threatened geckos and skinks and a single event like this can have massive consequences on population numbers and genetic diversity/resiliance.

11th Annual Lakeside Clean-up

9/18/2021

Despite level 2 restrictions we had a fantastic turnout, with 65 people came along and luckily is was amazing weather! Over the space of 3 hours, we worked to clear 5 km of shoreline to ease access to the water and make it a safer environment for people and animals.

Helping our friends: Wakatipu Reforestation Trust planting day

9/11/2021

On Saturday, Nita & Megan, went along to help our friends at Wakatipu Reforestation Trust plant 1,500 planting in 4 hours!
It was great to learn about the different techniques and management needed for each of their sites and see the level of success they have had.
We look forward to running planting morning just like this for our project and thank the trust for the all the advise and support.
By working together we can achieve our goal of creating an environment for wildlife and humans to live in harmony.

Learn more: Wakatipu Reforestation Trust

Learn more: Bridge to Bridge project

Could we be on the brink of finally winning the war against introduced mammal pests?

9/9/2021

A team of researchers are working on a one-dose oral paste that could permanently sterilise introduced predators, regardless of sex or species. This discovery could mean we finally start winning our war against introduced mammals.
Efforts to poison, catch and shoot pests are effective locally but they are not enough to eradicate all mammal pest from NZ due to their incredible breeding rates.
Lets hope this research give us the answer we are desperately waiting for!

What exactly happens to our recycling?

9/9/2021

What happens to your recycling once your bin has been collected? Do you actually know how it gets recycled? You might be surprised by what has to happen to get your recycling sold to make into something new! Dunstan High School drama teacher Nick shows the recycling process and why we need to follow the guidelines for recycling to work and to protect our wider environment in this CODC video.
To find out more, head to the CODC website and remember.....they way we can save the planet is by doing lots of little things like taking just seconds to rinse and separate your rubbish!

codc - rubbish & recycling