Ms Amy Gault1, Ms Arapera Paewai2, Mrs Penelope Drysdale3, Ms Susan Welsh1, Ms Erana Mōtū4, Ms Hineatatu Dorset2, Prof Hone Morris5, Dr Shaun Wilkinson1, Dr. Rose Collis6, Dr Adrian Cookson6
1Wilderlab, Wellington, New Zealand, 2Taiao Ora Contracting, Dannevirke, New Zealand, 3Te Miro Farm, Norsewood, New Zealand, 4Mauri Oho, Dannevirke, New Zealand, 5Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand, 6AgResearch, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Biography:
Amy’s professional training and background are in freshwater ecology, ecosystem health and functioning, and science communication. Since joining the Wilderlab team in 2020, Amy has focused on developing innovative approaches to using eDNA for biological monitoring applications in freshwater environments, with a key emphasis on improving the accessibility and usability of eDNA information for community groups, schools/kura, and whānau. She is involved in several ongoing collaborative research projects, including the development and validation of eDNA-based biological indices, such as the taxon-independent community index, as well as community outreach initiatives like the NZ Environmental Protection Authority’s Wai Tuwhera o te Taiao programme.
Abstract:
A collaboration between Māori environmental groups, an organic dairy farm, and scientists from AgResearch and Wilderlab explored eDNA metabarcoding as a means to assess freshwater quality and promote a holistic understanding of ecological health. Funded through Our Land and Water, the team used 13 metabarcoding assays alongside 11 standard physico-chemical attributes to closely monitor a short 3.5 km stretch of catchment in the upper Manawatū as it transitioned from a culturally significant native bush site to a pastoral landscape. We chose to focus on the detections of key culturally significant taonga species, known animal sources of faecal contamination, and the taxon-independent community index (TICI) as a measure of ecological health. Community leadership was central to our methodology, enabling local mana whenua and farmers to actively participate in water monitoring and data interpretation. The results provided a high-resolution lens on the breadth of biodiversity (479 species detected), insights into taonga distribution within the catchment, and a distinct relationship between the ecological health and changes in water quality (R2 = 0.92). By enhancing the mauri (life force) of the community through active participation and capacity building, this approach exemplifies sustainable, collaborative efforts in environmental management and revitalisation. In this presentation we’ll present on the key findings of this case study, evidence of the value of continued community leadership in environmental programmes, and the utilisation of eDNA as a holistic approach to water quality for engaging and connecting communities to the environment.