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Description
Lakes reflect the land around them. Their sediments and waters capture and preserve the ways we use and abuse their catchments. They are especially vulnerable to freshwater pollution, now one of New Zealand’s most pressing concerns. Few if any lakes in agricultural catchments have good water quality. This talk by Jonathan West uses histories of lakes Horowhenua, Tūtira, and Taupō to reflect on how and why we have polluted and degraded our lakes, and to help consider: what will it ask of us to restore them? It suggests we face stark and difficult choices. How can we sustain ourselves and enjoy healthy lakes?
Speaker Bios
Jonathan West is a New Zealand historian interested in intersections of environmental, economic and cultural change. His book The Face of Nature: An Environmental History of the Otago Peninsula, published by the University of Otago Press, was shortlisted for the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards 2018. He worked at the Waitangi Tribunal for several years, and manages the historian team at the Office for Māori Crown Relations—Te Arawhiti. He is currently writing a history of New Zealand’s lakes.