Waikato Biodiversity Forum FAQ's

Biodiversity is the variety of all forms of life – the wide diversity of plants, animals, and micro-organisms and the ecosystems or habitats/places in which they live.

Biodiversity is our living heritage – providing us with fresh air, fertile soil and clean water, food, clothing, housing as well as cultural significance and spiritual renewal. We used to think of our native plants and animals as just out there somewhere, something to inspire us on the occasional bush walk or drive through the country. But we are now realising that we rely on biodiversity in every part of our lives:

• Our food and medicines come from biodiversity
• Genetic diversity in crops enables us to produce new varieties
• Biodiversity is a source of future pharmaceutical discoveries
• Native, birds, bats and insects pollinate our gardens
• Forests trap silt and we breathe the oxygen produced by trees
• Bacteria break down our green waste into fertile soil
• Marine organisms clean up the sewage we put into oceans
• Biodiversity is the basis of the burgeoning eco-tourism industry.

Department of Conservation, Waikato Regional Council and Territorial Authorities (District Councils and Hamilton City Council)

Ecosystems are communities of living things (animals, plants, fungi, bacteria and other micro-organisms) that interact with each other and theor physical environment ( soil, rock, minerals, air, water, temperature, salinity).

148 approximately and growing. Some groups are undertaking one or more projects.

The groups are working on a variety of projects which include:

• Planting native trees and shrubs, grasses, flaxes etc
• Clearing weeds from native vegetation
• Trapping possums, rats, stoats, weasels amd ferrets
• Monitoring numbers of plants and animals in designated areas e.g. shore bird counts
• Protecting plants e.g. building cages to prevent wood rose being eaten by possums
• Raising public awareness of biodiversity through holding events and publishing articles in newspapers
• Building fences to keep stock away from streams and rivers
• Building walkways to protect sand dune plants from being trampled

Phone 0800BIODIV (246348) and talk to the key contact for this biodiversity advisory service. Sam Mcelwee will be able to put you in touch with a group that works near you. You may only able to give a little bit of time -say a couple of Saturday mornings a year during the planting season but every contribution helps.