Speaker: Mika Zollner, Master of Environmental Science

Victoria University of Wellington

Aotearoa is facing a freshwater crisis. Human activities are causing rapidly deteriorating water quality and aquatic ecosystem health; with urban waterways becoming increasingly polluted and modified. Through the increase of impervious surfaces and the emergence of contaminant sources, urban development is known to alter hydrological regimes and adversely affect freshwater ecosystems. Urban streams are therefore highly dynamic, with acute conditions being variable, transient and therefore difficult to predict. There is growing recognition of the value in continuous or event-based monitoring to understand how urban streams respond to stressors, however conventional techniques tend to be prohibitively expensive and infrequently implemented.

The catchment surrounding the Kenepuru Stream in Porirua East, Wellington, is expected to experience substantial densification over the next 20 years through infill development. Currently, the stream is not monitored and suffers from erosion, wastewater overflows, and rapidly degrading habitat.

This seminar will outline the findings of a two-month field investigation into the Kenepuru Stream. The project’s aim was to generate a series of site-specific recommendations for hydrological and water quality monitoring in the context of the Porirua East redevelopment. Recognising the prevalence of resource constraints in environmental monitoring, this project explores opportunities for low-cost or resource efficient monitoring regimes. The seminar will specifically focus on the potential of time-lapse photography as a continuous monitoring, citizen science and community engagement tool.