Dip your toes into water quality testing

School teachers and the public have the chance to check and learn about the health of their waterways, thanks to Horizons Regional Council’s Waiora stream education programme.

Horizons will be running Waiora family events at Feilding’s Timona Park on the Ōroua River on Thursday January 26 and the Whanganui River at Cherry Grove Domain in Taumarunui on Thursday February 9, both running from 12.30pm until 2.30pm.
 
Horizons community engagement advisor Christina Haynes says people will be able to see and learn the signs of healthy waterways by having the opportunity to do some water quality testing like the council does on many rivers on a regular basis.  
 
“The tests include looking at the clarity of water and what is living in waterways. 
People can also share any questions or concerns they may have about local waterway quality.
 
“It’s an opportunity for people to come along, engage with us and have a look at what is in the river,” says Ms Haynes.
 
Horizons will also hold Waiora stream study events for teachers on those days, helping them unpack a teacher resource on the science of water quality testing and learn how to use the equipment which schools can borrow to conduct their own stream studies.
 
Horizons senior environmental educator Sarah Williams says the workshops will support teachers, especially those without a strong science background, to become more confident in running activities for themselves.
 
“They will get hands-on experience with and explanation of testing tools, giving them skills they can use to teach their students about the environment,” says Mrs Williams says.
 
“Teachers are also able to borrow a range of environmental education kits from Horizons, which help students to connect with the natural world in more accessible ways.”
 
The community days are weather-dependant, so check Horizons’ Facebook page for updates closer to the time.
 
Click here to learn more about Horizons environmental education work.