Get Involved
There are loads of things you can do to help make the Ōpāwaho-Heathcote River an ecologically healthy river that people take pride in, enjoy, and care for. We've compiled a list of things you can do to help below - click on the links for more information - or email us with another idea. It's very likely that we can help you to make it happen!
- Like the Opawaho Heathcote River Facebook page
- Join one of the Network groups undertaking restoration and maintenance in reserves along the river.
- Tell us about any ideas you might have about making a difference to the river, and how you can help to make that happen.
- Assist with the annual Mother of All Clean Ups (usually the same weekend as Mother’s Day, which is usually the second sunday in May)
- Tell people that street gutters and drains are connected to Christchurch rivers, and is not treated by the local sewerage plant. Look into installing a LittaTrap™ in your stormwater drain.
- Take your friends for walks along the river, especially through reserves that are maintained by the river network groups
- Pick up any litter you see. (It helps if you take a rubbish bag with you on your walks)
- Wash your car on the grass so the water doesn’t flow onto the street and eventually into the river, don't use soap.
- If you have a dog, pick up its poo, especially on river banks and in parks.
- Wash any DIY paint brushes in the laundry sink, or at a garden tap - avoid any water with paint in it flowing into storm water drains by tipping dirty water in an out of the way spot in the garden.
- Ask your mechanic if they can supply copper-free brake pads for your car.
- Get your sewerage pipes checked for any cracks, and fix them
- Watch the ducks instead of feeding them. Bread is not good for them and causes excessive poo.
- Don’t apply garden fertilisers, or sprays (especially moss killers) just before a heavy rain event - otherwise the nutrients might run straight off the garden into storm water.
- Minimise the hard surfaces on your property - use permeable pavers instead of ashpalt for paths, create a garden, lawn - and help to soak up rainwater or slow down run off into stormwater drains. Rain barrels and tanks help too!