More than 80 educators, sailing club representatives, environmental organisations and community leaders from across the country have strengthened their skills in marine monitoring and citizen science as part of a series of Hauraki Gulf Monitoring Project workshops in Auckland.
Facilitated by Yachting New Zealand Education Lead Alisa Torgersen and Sally Carson from the New Zealand Marine Studies Centre, the hands-on sessions introduced participants to a range of RŪNĀ Moanamana monitoring tools and techniques.
Delivered across four sailing clubs – Bucklands Beach Yacht Club, Wakatere Boating Club, Gulf Harbour Yacht Club and Hobsonville Yacht Club – the workshops are helping build a growing network of people equipped to monitor the health of the Hauraki Gulf and contribute meaningful data to marine conservation.
RŪNĀ is Yachting New Zealand’s environmental education programme, connecting people with the marine environment and encouraging practical action to protect and restore Aotearoa’s waterways. Through RŪNĀ, sailors, clubs, schools and communities are supported to better understand the places they sail and live in, while developing the knowledge and tools to become active kaitiaki of their local moana.
A series of four series of Hauraki Gulf Monitoring Project workshops were held across Auckland last week.
A key module of the programme is Moanamana – a suite of citizen science tools that makes it easier for communities to observe, record and share what is happening in their local marine environment.
During the workshops, participants learned how to monitor plankton, conduct subtidal observations, identify species using iNaturalist, and collect and share data through the Moanamana App and Marine Metre Squared website.
For educators, the programme also provides a practical way to bring science learning out of the classroom and into the marine environment.
“Participants explored how real-world environmental monitoring can support the refreshed science curriculum, giving learners opportunities to investigate issues in their own communities, collect and analyse genuine environmental data, and use their findings to inform action,” Torgersen said.
“Every observation tells us something about the moana, but the real power comes when communities keep gathering that evidence over time. By connecting people with their local marine environment, giving them the tools to understand what they’re seeing, and bringing those observations together, we can build a much clearer picture of how our moana is changing – and, importantly, use that knowledge to inspire action.”
The data collected through the programme contributes to the NZL Blue Belt network, helping build a long-term picture of environmental change across Aotearoa’s marine environments.
The Hauraki Gulf Monitoring Project is designed to empower communities to play an active role in understanding and protecting the Gulf. By bringing together scientific monitoring, local knowledge and community action, the project is helping create a network of citizen scientists who can contribute to a deeper understanding of one of Aotearoa’s most significant marine environments.
Originally published by Yachting New Zealand.
