ClearingTe Kawau stream of plastic and rubbish

Karen Iversen and Siobhan Karaitiana stand in Te Kawau Stream in Highbury.

Arohatia Te Kawau this spring and join Palmy's Plastic Pollution Challenge.

PPPC co-ordinator Heather Knox says Arohatia Te Kawau is launching at 5.30pm on
August 31 at Te Manawa.

Knox says PPPC is inviting everyone to join them and do some good in their
neighbourhood this spring as part of the "Arohatia Te Kawau" project.

"Come along to learn about the steps that are being taken at all levels here in Aotearoa to rethink our country's relationship with plastic.

"Plus, to hear about our vision for a Palmy with much less plastic in it, our community-developed strategy to achieve this and our action plan for the next 12 months.

"Many locals have happy childhood memories of swimming in the creeks and the Manawatū River every summer day, and of neighbourhood water fights
held across sparklingly urban streams.

"Unfortunately, the current state of Te Kawau stream isn't a patch on what it used to be in the 60s and 70s.

"Talk to anyone who lived near Te Kawau Stream you'll hear about 'clear as' waterways teaming with eels, fish and watercress.

"There are still a few eels and fish in there, but nowadays you are much more likely to spot plastic litter in the stream than wildlife."

Te Kawau flows across the city from Colquhoun Park on JFK Drive, to meet the Manawatū in Awapuni.

Knox says up to half of Palmerston North's stormwater is piped to this stream.

"It's often thought of as a drain rather than a stream, and few people know its name. This needs to change. We need to work towards restoring our urban waterways to their former glory.

"This will ensure that they, the Manawatū awa that they flow into, and the Foxton Estuary where the water heads out into the ocean, flourish for generations to come.

Following the launch, PPPC are going to spring-clean Te Kawau Stream from top to bottom alongside a wide range of local school, community, business, public and cultural groups during September.

"We will also be running events and workshops in parallel with the aim of finding local solutions to try to prevent plastic and litter getting back into our urban waterways."

The first of these events will be an informative and evidence-based presentation, "Doing Something about Palmy's Plastic Problem: what part will you play?" on Tuesday, September 1, from 5.45pm at Te Manawa.

This is being led by Hannah and Liam from The Rubbish Trip.

An "Arohatia Te Kawau" event calendar will be active on the Environment Network Manawatū this week.

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation, events may be subject to change at short
notice, so keep an eye on the calendar and the PPPC Facebook page for up-to-date information.

Siobhan Karaitiana who works for Te Ao Turoa Environmental Centre, the environmental advisory office for Rangitāne o Manawatū, is leading the spring-clean and has been monitoring Palmy's urban streams over the past few years.

Siobhan estimates that during that time, with the involvement of about 300
people, she's probably removed about five tonnes of rubbish from just one section of Te Kawau.

Speakers at the launch event on August 31 include the Prime Minister's chief science adviser, Dr Rachel Chiaroni-Clarke, Environment Network Manawatū co-chairperson Dr Heike Schiele and Siobhan Karaitiana.