Blog Posts

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

Announcement: Meet our new Project Manager

9/8/2021

Lake Dunstan Charitable Trust is pleased to announce the appointment of Nita Smith to the Project Manager role for their Bridge to Bridge restoration project funded by ‘Jobs for Nature’. This change comes as Duncan Faulker, the previous Project Manager, returns to his role as the chairperson of the trust.

Kāmana/Australasian crested grebe: Less than 1,000 in NZ

9/2/2021

Lake Dunstan, Central Otago, January 2010. Image © Craig McKenzie by Craig McKenzie

There are less than 1,000 kāmana/ Australian Crested Grebe left in NZ. Last surveyed in 2012, these birds are now listed as Nationally vulnerable. We, however, are fortunate to have the majority of remaining birds in the Otago and Canterbury region. Found in alpine and sub-alpine lakes and wetlands, kāmana can be found on Lake Dunstan and nearby lakes.
The main threats to their extinction is predation by introduced pests, loss of shoreline habitat for nesting and hydro-electric schemes.

Three waters reform: CODC mayor puts it into context

8/26/2021

Over the coming weeks mayor Tim Cadogan is going to put together a number of video clips that will break the complex Thee Waters Reform information down into bite-sized chunks.

To learn more about the reform and watch further videos, visit:

CODC - Three waters reform

Kākāpō, Tuatara and Takahē once roamed the Cromwell region

8/19/2021

Fossil evidence unearthed in the 1970s & 80s found that Kākāpō, Tuatara, Takahe and moa once thrived in the area. During the construction of the new state highway (original road was moved due to the construction of the hydroelectric dam) nests, bones, feathers and eggs were found along the Cromwell Gorge.