Tūpiki Trust Support For Two Further Projects
Human Waste Solutions
NZAC in collaboration with Chris North of University of Canterbury, Arowhenua Iwi, Department of Conservation, Leave No Trace (NZ) will collaborate on a project to better understand the Mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) and attitudes of mountaineers around the disposal of human waste in the mountains. Early work has developed collaborative arrangements between the parties. Phase I will involve hui to reveal the understandings around the tapu of Aoraki, as well as the tikanga (customs) and kawa (protocols) of para (waste disposal). Phase II will survey climbers of mountains around Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park. The survey will examine their motivations and current practices of waste disposal, and their knowledge of Māori values. Tupiki Trust has provided $62,121 to support Phase I, II.
Phase III will bring together the most important beliefs of Arowhenua with the most achievable behaviour change of mountaineers. NZAC and partners will develop interventions, first as a pilot and then as a larger project (Phase IV), to improve outcomes of waste disposal in the mountains. This outcomes will be scalable to other areas of the New Zealand mountains.
Alpine Data Collection
Aspiring Biodiversity Trust focuses on predator control, data collection and wildlife surveys in Wilkin and Siberia valleys which are home for rock wren, black-fronted tern, mohua, kaka, long tailed bats and other threatened species. ABT applies Encounter Solutions Celium remote monitoring to its alpine predator control as a means of rationalising trap servicing resources and mitigating contractor safety issues. DOC 200 and 150 traps in selected alpine basins are equipped with Celium wireless monitoring technology. Each trap is monitored 24/7 by a Celium Node. When a trap is sprung, a message is transmitted to a Celium Hub sending data into the ES Cloud via satellite. ABT’s Celium system HUBs (and nodes) collects real time temperature and Ev data (proxy to direct/indirect sunlight). ABT’s HUB temperature data is currently publicly available including via Mountain Safety Councils Plan My Walk webpage and also informs the Aspiring Region Avalanche Advisory.
Tupiki Trust is providing $16,635 to enable ABT to extend its remote monitoring technology to provide: Climate impact modelling context for long term evaluation of protected species (vulnerable to climate change) and predator monitoring/numbers; Improved health and safety for ABT professional contractors; Aspiring regional alpine recreation promotion and improved safety. Expansion will be effected by: Rainfall monitoring from at least two HUB Sites (Castalia & Nth Siberia/Crucible); Snow depth monitoring from at least two HUB sites (Castalia & North Siberia); North Siberia HUB and node instalments